The Lan Su Chinese Garden on a rainy day.
Portland repeatedly gets voted one of the best cities in the country to raise kids. Certain neighborhoods, especially on the east side, are full of couples with children, and there are days when it seems that strollers and baby backpacks are almost as ubiquitous as bikes in the city’s parks and on its sidewalks. Kids love Portland’s wealth of bridges, trails, and rivers, and there are plenty of activities right in town to keep them busy, including the sites adjacent to each other in Washington Park. START: MAX to Washington Park. Bus 63 on weekdays.
❶ World Forestry Center Discovery Museum. At this paean to all things arboreal, two floors of interactive displays give kids (and their attendant grown-ups) some real insight into the importance of the Northwest’s majestic stands of forest. Kids especially love the virtual smokejumper and river-rafting exhibits—and after a visit here they’ll be ready to dive into the real forests of Washington Park right outside the museum’s doors. See p 22, bullet ❸.
A bridge through the tree canopy at the World Forestry Center Discovery Museum.
❷ ★★ Portland Children’s Museum. Right next door to the World Forestry Center Discovery Museum, also in Washington Park, is a castle of creativity and fun, one of the oldest children’s musems in the country. The displays are constantly updated—and hands-on, of course—including exhibits themed around popular characters like Curious George and Clifford the Big Red Dog. Kids age 10 and under can burrow in the rubber gravel of the Dig Pit, sculpt a city in the Clay Studio, build something in the Garage, or take the stage at the Play It Again Theater. A stop at the Water Works will probably require a change of clothes, but it’s worth it. The Baby’s Garden caters to tots under 3. A varying schedule of classes and story times keeps things fresh. Note: The museum can get crowded at peak times, so consider coming on weekday late afternoons, after all the school groups have left. 
11⁄2 hr. 4015 SW Canyon Rd. ☎ 503/223-6500. www.portlandcm.org. Open daily 9am–5pm, Thurs until 8pm; free 1st Friday of every month 4–8pm. Admission $11 ages 1–54, $9.75 over 54, free under 1. MAX: Washington Park. Bus: 63 on weekdays only.
❸ ★★ Oregon Zoo. It’s hard to decide which animals children like best here: the frolicking river otters, the powerful Amur tigers, the acrobatic chimpanzees, or the naked mole rats. In any case, the miniature train is a sure-fire favorite, circling the zoo and venturing off into the rest of Washington Park. Come early or stay late to increase your odds of seeing animals in action. See p 15, bullet ❷.
At 
Playdate PDX’s 7,500-square-foot indoor playground, you can enjoy a panini and coffee while your progeny run wild on a multistory castle with ropes, swings, and slides. Admission isn’t cheap—$8 to $12 per kid, $4 to $6 ages 3 and under—and it can get packed; but on a rainy day it’s a real stress-reducer. 1434 NW 17th Ave. ☎ 503/227-7529. www.playdatepdx.com. Daily 9am–8pm. $.
Birds-eye views from the Portland Aerial Tram.
❺ Portland Aerial Tram. A fun trip to the hospital? Yes, when it involves a ride in a space-age pod that sails 2⁄3 of a mile (and 500 ft. up) from Oregon Health Science University’s Center for Health & Healing at South Waterfront to the main OHSU campus up on Marquam Hill (also known as Pill Hill). On nice days, the $57-million tram offers views of Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, and, of course, the river and downtown. 30 min. Departs every 6–10 min. Lower terminal and ticket kiosk at 3303 SW Bond Ave. www.gobytram.com. Admission $4.50 round-trip, children 6 and under free. Mon–Fri 5:30am–9:30pm; Sat (May–Sept only) 9am–5pm; Sun 1–5pm; closed major holidays. Streetcar: OHSU Commons. Bus: 35 or 36.
In the heat of the summer, the irony of cavorting in water in such a damp city evaporates like puddles on concrete, and kids pack Portland’s many public water fountains. Even if it’s too cool or cloudy to splash, they’re still fun to see. Just don’t take a drink; they all use chlorinated, recycled water. Fountains generally flow from spring through fall.
Ira Keller Fountain. If you can’t make it up the Columbia Gorge, this fount ain in the heart of downtown is the closest you’ll come to a waterfall: an abstract rock face of edges and drop-offs spilling 75,000 gallons of water. Too steep and slippery for climbing, this fountain is more for visual enjoyment and wading. SW 3rd Ave. & SW Clay St.
Jamison Square Fountain. One of Portland’s most popular hot-weather destinations fills half a block in the Pearl District. The shallow wading pool is geared toward toddlers and babies, while older kids can clamber up the steps of the cascades. The other half of the park consists of grass and trees for lounging in the shade. NW 11th Ave. & Johnson St.
Bill Naito Legacy Fountain. Actually two fountains at one end of Waterfront Park’s new Portland Saturday Market plaza, this small amphitheater features a series of water arches and a flat plaza under a glass roof with dozens of vertical jet “blowholes.” The latter is turned off and filled with vendors during the market. SW Naito Pkwy. & SW Ankeny St., in Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
Salmon Street Springs. The most distinctive and impressive of the city’s fountains anchors the southern end of Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Concentric circles of 185 jets spout water in every imaginable pattern, controlled by an underground computer that changes the pattern every 20 minutes. Almost 5,000 gallons of water a minute gush at peak volume—so older toddlers, grade-schoolers, and pre-teens will enjoy it most. SW Naito Pkwy. & SW Salmon St. in Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
Teachers Fountain. The newest public square downtown, dedicated to educators, has a gentle fountain with low jets and burbles feeding into a shallow pool ringed by benches. SW Yamhill & SW Park aves.
❻ ★★ Tilikum Crossing Bridge. Right next to the aerial tram, catch the newest extension of the Portland Streetcar (A Loop) and take a ride over the Willamette River via the city’s brand-new Tilikum Crossing Bridge, which opened in 2015. The distinctive cable-stayed “Bridge of the People” is the first in the country designed exclusively for pedestrians, light-rail, streetcar, and bicycles only. (No cars allowed.) You can also walk across and pick up the streetcar to OMSI on the other side; along the way you’ll enjoy some great views west toward downtown. 30 minutes. Streetcars depart every 15–20 min. Streetcar: A Loop from OHSU Commons. Fares: adults $2, seniors/ages 7–17 $1.25.
The new Tilikum Crossing Bridge.
❼ ★ Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. From the Omnimax dome theater to the submarine docked in the Willamette, the earthquake simulator and the pint-size science playroom for kids 6 and under, OMSI is 219,000 square feet of interactive learning and educational fun. See p 67, bullet ❷.
❽ Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden. Fans of the famous children’s author will find statues of three of her most beloved characters—Henry Huggins, Ramona Quimby, and Henry’s dog, Ribsy—in Grant Park, which appears in several of her books. The statues are just south of the playground near Grant High School, which Cleary also wrote about. Across 33rd Street, the grade school she attended as a child now bears her name. (In the public library branch at NE Tillamook and 40th Ave., a large map of the neighborhood marks more local landmarks in her books.) 15 min. NE Brazee St. & NE 33rd Ave. Bus: 73.
❾ ★★ Oaks Amusement Park. A fun-filled time warp on the bank of the Willamette River near Sellwood, Oaks Amusement Park opened in 1905 to accompany the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. The oldest continually operating amusement park in the country, it has two dozen modern rides, including the Scream-n-Eagle and the Looping Thunder Roller Coaster, along with classics like a Ferris wheel, a Tilt-a-Whirl, go-karts, and a miniature train that chugs along the waterfront. Nostalgists appreciate the 1912 carved carousel, midway games, and wooden roller- and ice-skating rink with a suspended pipe organ. There’s no charge to enter the park and use its picnic grounds, where a path leads down the bluff to the river’s edge. 2 hr. 7805 SE Oaks Park Way. ☎ 503/233-5777. www.oakspark.com. Hours vary. Rides usually Mar–Oct Sat & Sun noon–7pm; June–Aug Tues–Sun noon–9pm. Skating rink open year-round Tues–Sun in afternoon and evening sessions. Free admission to grounds; ride tickets $2.50 each, unlimited ride bracelets $13–$16, go-karts $5 driver, $2 passengers, skating $6.50–$7.75, skate rental $2.50–$6. Bus: 70.
The Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden.
“Keep Portland Weird” isn’t just a ubiquitous local bumper sticker; here it’s a way of life. Whether it’s the long cloudy winters or the concentration of creative types (or both), Portland has a streak of strange it wears proudly. There’s plenty here to amuse your inner oddball, from one-of-a-kind museums to kooky and chaotic annual events. START: Bus 17 to NW Thurman Ave. & 22nd Pl.
❶ ★ Peculiarium & Museum. Part museum, part art gallery, part gift shop, and part ice-cream parlor, the Peculiarium lives up to its name. Here you’ll find skulls, vampire-killing kits, and a 10-foot Sasquatch, just for starters. There’s an interactive alien autopsy and a motel room painted entirely in glow-in-the-dark paint, plus changing exhibits on things like spontaneous human combustion. The in-house magician sometimes gives lessons and live shows. Finish off your visit with something from the ice-cream bar, but be warned: The Bug-Eater’s Delight is not a descriptive metaphor. 30 min. 2234 NW Thurman St. ☎ 503/227-3164. www.peculiarium.com. $5 for all; dogs in costume get in free. Open Thurs–Sun 11am–6pm. Bus: 17.
Weird but true: the Zoobomb monument.
❷ ★ Zoobomb monument. One of the proudest and definitely most unusual traditions in this bike-mad city is the weekly Sunday evening ride—and I use the term loosely—from the zoo down the West Hills. It’s the strangest peloton you’ve ever seen, full of tall bikes, kids’ bikes (ridden by adults), skateboards, and essentially anything wheeled and human-powered. Some riders dress in outlandish costumes, and everyone has a blast. If you don’t have your own bike, don’t worry: Outside the American Apparel store at 13th Avenue and West Burnside Street is a monument (read: pile on a pole) of bikes, including some spares, chained up and waiting for Sunday night. A gold-plated minibike tops the public artwork, also known as the “People’s Bike Library of Portland.” Zoobomb riders meet here every Sunday around 8:30pm. Bring a bike if you have one, as well as a helmet, MAX fare, and lights. 15 min. 13th St. & West Burnside Ave. www.zoobomb.net. Bus: 20.
The wacky Peculiarium & Museum.
❸ ★ 
Pioneer Courthouse Square. The most trafficked block in the city still has a few tricks up its sleeves. Throughout the plaza are bricks engraved with the names of donors who helped fund the space—or pseudonyms. See if you can find Mr. Spock, Sherlock Holmes, Jesus Christ, and Bilbo Baggins. (You can order your own for $100.) The small amphitheater in the northwest corner, below the bronze chess boards, is an echo chamber; if you stand on the central marble stone and speak, it creates a huge echo that only you can hear. Next to the amphitheater is a pole-mounted weather machine. A series of lights show the temperature, and every day at noon, a fanfare announces the weather prediction, indicated by an icon that pops out of the globe on top: a heron for light rain, a dragon for heavy rain, and a sun for, well, sun. On the 6th Avenue side of the plaza, a milepost indicates the distance to places like Mt. Hood, Moscow, Timbuktu, and Tipperary (“a long way”). See p 9, bullet ❶.
Shanghai Tunnels
In the late 19th century, when Portland was the second-biggest port on the West Coast, miles of underground tunnels were built to move goods from the riverside docks into the city. Unfortunately, they were also used to kidnap thousands of drunks and transients from bars, brothels, and boardinghouses to press into service on large sailing ships. Hired thugs used opium knockout drops and trapdoors to grab their prey, receiving payment for each warm body they delivered. At its peak, Portland was said to lead the world in the practice, called Shanghaiing because victims often woke up at sea on ships headed to Asia. The tunnels were sealed in 1941, but you can tour them today with Portland Walking Tours (☎ 503/774-4522; www.portlandwalkingtours.com). Tours meet outside Old Merchant Hotel at 131 NW 2nd Ave. (at Davis St.) at 11am and 2pm daily April to November; December to March Friday and Saturday. The tour costs $20 adults, $17 seniors 65 and over and youth 11 to 17, $9 children 5 to 10.
❹ ★ Mill Ends Park. Portland isn’t just home to one of the largest urban parks (Forest Park) in the country; it also boasts the world’s smallest, a patch of flowers 24 inches across in the median of SW Naito Parkway at Taylor Street. It started in 1948 when a newspaper journalist, whose office overlooked the road, planted flowers and began writing whimsical columns about a leprechaun named Patrick O’Toole who lived there with his family. It was formally recognized as a city park in 1976—on St. Patrick’s Day, of course. MAX: Yamhill District. Bus: 15 or 51.
❺ ★ 
Voodoo Doughnut. If one place embodies Portland’s culture of comestible eccentricity, it’s this Old Town eatery where the art of deep-fried pastry circles is taken to new extremes. Doughnuts crusted with Cap’n Crunch and Fruit Loops sit next to Bacon Maple Bars (topped with real bacon) and the person-shaped Voodoo Doll, filled with raspberry jelly and impaled on a pretzel. If you can eat the giant Texas Challenge in under 80 seconds, it’s free. Open 24 hours, Voodoo is popular with late-night revelers, and you can sometimes catch live music or a real live wedding going on, catered with (what else?) coffee and doughnuts. A second location opened in 2011 at 1501 NE Davis St., complete with a bridge-crossing ceremony to transport the hallowed deep-frying oil. 30 min. 22 SW 3rd Ave. ☎ 503/241-4704. www.voodoodoughnut.com. Open 24 hr. MAX: Skidmore Fountain. Bus: 12, 19, or 20.
❻ ★ Stark’s Vacuum Museum. Did you know they made vacuums out of cardboard during the Great Depression? You will after a visit to this display of powered cleaners through the ages, part of Stark’s Vacuum Cleaner Sales & Service. Most of the 300 models were donated by locals, including hand-pumped ones from the 19th century (including one that took two people to operate) and retro-futuristic models from the space-age ’60s. Careful—you might just be inspired to leave with a modern Hoover or Dyson. 30 min. 107 NE Grand Ave. ☎ 800/230-4101. www.starks.com. Free admission. Open Mon–Fri 8am–7pm; Sat 9am–5pm; Sun 11am–5pm. Bus: 6, 2, 19, or 20.
The most atmospheric coffeehouse in town, and one of the oldest, 
Rimsky-Korsakoffee House fills a former Victorian home with oddball art, moving tables, and decorated bathrooms you have to see to believe. The waiters are fun and sassy and the desserts, especially the sundaes, to die for. Some say the place is actually haunted. 707 SE 12th Ave. ☎ 503/232-2640. $.
❽ ★ Kidd’s Toy Museum. Fans of antique playthings will love this private collection of hundreds, if not thousands, of toys, games, banks, and other trinkets dating as far back as the 1850s. Frank Kidd has filled one section of his auto parts warehouse with row upon row of vintage trains, soldiers, cars, and trucks. His mechanical cast-iron banks are worth a museum in themselves, with models that show a dentist extracting a tooth or kids peeking at a bathing beauty. (Parent alert: Some items are quite un-PC by modern standards.) Nothing is labeled, not even the building—look for a paper sign taped to the door—but Frank, who’s often on site, can give you details on just about anything in his singular collection, which includes dolls and teddy bears his wife has collected. 1 hr. 1301 SE Grand Ave. ☎ 503/233-7807. Free admission. Hours are officially Mon–Thurs noon–6pm; Fri 1–6pm; weekends by appt. Bus: 6.
❾ ★ The Hat Museum. One of the country’s largest collections of headgear fills a 1910 home in Ladd’s Addition, once the home of a talented hatmaker. Over 1,300 hats for men and women, from antique Stetsons to modern tea hats, make up five distinct collections that span the globe. The tour (required) by owner Alyce Cornyn-Selby includes a wealth of detail on the history of hats and their creation, plus a $5 credit toward anything in the gift shop. Don’t miss the novelty models, like the Thanksgiving table hat that sings and others that fold or hide things inside. The house itself is a curiosity, with secret spaces, mermaid ceiling paintings, and a couch made from a 1966 Cadillac. 11⁄2 hr. 1928 SE Ladd Ave. ☎ 503/232-0433. www.thehatmuseum.com. Daily 10am–6pm. Tours required, $5 for groups of 1 to 6 by prior appointment only. Bus: 10.
❿ ★ Mike’s Museum of Motion Picture History. Film buffs know that Movie Madness is the best place in town to find videos and DVDs of classic, independent, and cult movies. It’s also home to a collection of costumes and props from famous films, like the baby carriage from the stairway shootout in The Untouchables and an alien creature from Mars Attacks. Look for Julie Andrews’ dress from The Sound of Music and Orson Welles’s jacket from Touch of Evil, a classic 1958 film noir. 45 min. 4320 SE Belmont St. ☎ 503/234-4363. www.moviemadnessvideo.com/museum. Daily 11am–11pm. Free admission. Bus: 15.
At certain times of year, Portland’s peculiarity spikes with annual events that celebrate the eccentric in each of us. On the first Saturday in March, the Urban Iditarod replaces huskies with people, sleds with shopping carts, and 1,000 miles through Alaska’s frigid wastes with a 4-mile route across downtown Portland. (The event was cancelled in 2015, but never say die; it might occur again.) Outlandish costumes are the rule and everyone’s a winner. In mid-June, the 2-week annual bike festival known as Pedalpalooza includes Portland’s contribution to the World Naked Bike Ride, consisting of thousands—that’s right, thousands—of unclothed riders taking a lighthearted (and often chilly) spin around town. As seen below, the mid-August PDX Adult Soapbox Derby (www.soapboxracer.com) updates the classic gravity cars of childhood with PhD-level engineering, museum-quality art, and lots of beer. More than 5,000 people gather on the slopes of Mt. Tabor to watch cars hit speeds of over 50 mph, competing for prizes in decoration, velocity, and crowd-pleasing.
If you happen to see a large group of boisterous Santas careening around town in early December, chances are it’s the latest incarnation of SantaCon (www.pdxcacophony.org), a mix of holiday spirit, performance art, and inebriated rowdiness organized by the Portland Cacophony Society (motto: “Life is short. Mess with someone else’s.”).
The Adult Soapbox Derby.
It’s a fact of life: from fall through spring, and especially in the winter, Portland gets a lot of rain. (More than famously wet Seattle does, in fact.) But that doesn’t mean there still isn’t plenty to do when the clouds roll in and the misty Northwest drizzle starts. Most of the activities on this tour are indoors, for obvious reasons, but a few outdoor ones take advantage of the moody change in atmosphere overcast skies can bring. So get out your rubber boots and rain jackets—Portlanders are notoriously averse to umbrellas—and head out. START: MAX to Washington Park. Bus 63 on weekdays.
Browsing the galleries of the Portland Art Museum.
❶ ★★★ Portland Japanese Garden. Washington Park’s world-class Japanese garden is just as enchanting—maybe more—in the rain as it is in the sun. Like most classical Japanese gardens, it’s designed with the changing seasons in mind, with certain scenes best viewed in the rain (or snow, for that matter). The rough stones, meticulously trimmed shrubs, and placid koi pond take on a different, yet still serene, atmosphere of dripping leaves and rippling water. Just take care with some of the rock steps—they get very slippery. See p 15, bullet ❶.
❷ ★ Portland Art Museum. Spend an hour indoors drying off with Marcel Duchamp, Gustave Courbet, Albert Bierstadt, and Ansel Adams—or at least their works—at Portland’s best-known art institution. Time it right to catch a free gallery tour, lecture, or Midday Art Break. Tours Sun–Fri 12:30pm and occasionally in the afternoon. See p 10, bullet ❸.
❸ ★ 
Central Library. The main branch of the Multnomah County Library, opened in 1913, fills a massive Georgian-style building downtown with 875 tons of books on over 17 miles of bookshelves. Just stepping inside is inspiring, with the sweeping main staircase climbing through a three-story atrium. The Beverly Cleary Children’s Library, named after the famous local author, has a sculpture of Alice in Wonderland and a 14-foot bronze tree covered in carved images from kids’ books like The Wizard of Oz and The Little Engine That Could. On the third floor, the Collins Gallery hosts rotating art exhibits, and the John Wilson Special Collections focus on Pacific Northwest history, children’s literature, and Native American books. 1 hr. 801 SW 10th Ave. ☎ 503/988-5123. www.multcolib.org. Mon, Thurs & Sat 10am–6pm; Tues & Wed 10am–8pm; Sun noon–5pm. Streetcar: A & B Loop. MAX: Library/SW 9th Ave.
❹ ★★★ 
Powell’s City of Books. Satisfy any lingering literary cravings at Portland’s world-class independent bookseller. Browse through 3,500 sections, including an outstanding children’s section in the first-floor Rose Room. The Basil Hallward Gallery, upstairs in the Pearl Room, hosts new art exhibits every month, and the World Cup coffee shop has plenty of seats for browsing and watching the rain fall through the windowed walls. See p 77.
Pinball machines at Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade.
❺ ★ 
Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade. If you spent a good chunk of your childhood weekends in video arcades, this two-story retro game room will whisk you back to the days of honing your skills at Centipede and Donkey Kong. Ground Kontrol has more than 90 cabinet games from the past 40 years, from oldies like Asteroids and Tempest to the newest, like the four-player Pac-Man Battle Royale. And they’re all still only a quarter! Get a workout on Dance Dance Revolution in the back corner, or head upstairs for dozens of pinball machines. A full bar serves drinks and snacks, and DJs spin music in the evenings. Every second Thursday and last Wednesday evening of the month, admission is $5 and all games are free. 45 min. 511 NW Couch St. ☎ 503/796-9364. www.groundkontrol.com. Free admission. Daily noon–2:30am, ages 21 and over only after 5pm. MAX: NW 5th & Couch St.
The Lan Su Chinese Garden changes moods with the weather.
Serving Stumptown coffee in the ambiance of an old diner, 
Floyd’s Coffee Shop Old Town (there’s another one on the East Side) has comfy seating, inexpensive eats, and outstanding espresso drinks, perfect for a respite from the drizzle. 118 NW Couch St. ☎ 503/295-7791. MAX: Old Town/Chinatown. Bus: 12, 19, 20. $.
❼ ★★★ Lan Su Chinese Garden. Like the Portland Japanese Garden (see p 39), this leafy escape in the heart of Chinatown was designed to be appreciated in any kind of weather. Covered walkways lead between ornate pavilions with names like “Painted Boat in Misty Rain” and “Flowers Bathing in Spring Rain.” Banana plants are positioned under rain gutters to create a distinctive sound when splashed with water. The Chinese Garden is a peaceful place to spend a damp afternoon, particularly the teahouse, where you can linger over a pot of lapsang souchong and contemplate the central lake. See p 17, bullet ❸.
❽ ★ Portland Rock Gym. Rock climbing in the rain? Sure, when it’s inside the state’s largest rock gym. Walls 35 feet high are studded with artificial climbing holds, offering an ever-changing selection of 100 climbing routes of all levels, each flagged with colored tape. In case you’ve never climbed before, they offer instruction and gear rental, as well as a weight room, cardio machines, and yoga and Pilates classes. Ropes are mandatory in the main room, but in the bouldering area you can learn this low-level skill (you’re never more than a few feet off the padded floor) without being “tied in.” Experts can tackle the 16-foot overhang or dozens of lead-climbing routes. 1 hr. 21 NE 12th Ave. ☎ 503/232-8310. www.portlandrockgym.com. Open Mon, Wed, Fri 11am–11pm; Tues & Thurs 7am–11pm; Sat 9am–9pm; Sun 9am–6pm. Day pass $17 adults ($12 before 3pm Mon–Fri), $12 children 11 and under, $9 seniors 62 and older on weekdays. Bus: 12, 19, 20, or 70.
❾ ★ 
Bagdad Theater & Pub. Sometimes all you want to do on an overcast evening is eat pizza, drink beer, and watch a movie. This proud artifact of the Golden Age of Hollywood lets you do it in a little style. Built by Universal Pictures in 1927 for $100,000, it survived the transition from vaudeville to “talkies” and hosted everyone from Sammy Davis, Jr., to Jack Nicholson and Michael Douglas, here for the 1975 premiere of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Since taking over the property in the early 1990s, the McMenamin brothers have restored the movie palace to all its faux–Middle Eastern glory, including wrought-iron fixtures, tiled arches, and paintings. The pub serves pizza, burgers, and handcrafted ales, all of which you can bring into the theater for movies and the occasional comedy show or author reading. (Don’t miss the Backstage Bar behind the screen, with its seven-story ceiling.) 1–2 hr. 3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd. ☎ 503/467-7521. www.mcmenamins.com/bagdad. Tickets $2–$28. Pub open Mon–Thurs 11am–midnight, Fri & Sat 11am–1am, Sun noon–midnight. Backstage Bar open Mon–Thurs 5pm–midnight, Fri 5pm–2:30am, Sat 2pm–2:30am, Sun 2pm–midnight. Bus: 14.
Vintage roller-skating rink at Oaks Amusement Park.
❿ ★ 
Oaks Amusement Park Skating Rink. The weather is an afterthought inside the wooden skating rink at Oaks Amusement Park, open (like the park itself) since 1905. It’s a roll through the halls of nostalgia, circling the lovingly maintained floor beneath the working Wurlitzer pipe organ. You can rent skates, grab a snack, and even take a lesson on weekends. See p 71, bullet ❸. •
