Free Things to Do in Portland, OR
Portland, OR's best free activities include Director Park, First Thursday Art Walk (Pearl District), Forest Park, Forest Park (Lower Macleay Trail), and Hoyt Arboretum.
Give your kid $10 in the used section and watch them agonize over the decision for 45 minutes. Saturday storytime at 11am in the Rose Room.
1005 W Burnside St, Portland, OR 97209 · Daily 10am-9pm
The fountain rises and falls like a tide, which means even one-year-olds can safely splash in the shallow end. Ice cream across the street.
810 NW 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97209 · Daily 7am-10pm, fountain seasonal (May-Sep)
Less chaotic than Jamison Square and right downtown. Good backup option when you need to kill 30 minutes between errands.
815 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97205 · Daily 7am-10pm, fountain seasonal (May-Sep)
Combine this with the free Rose Garden and Hoyt Arboretum for a full morning that costs exactly zero dollars.
1700 SW Sherwood Blvd, Portland, OR 97205 · Daily 5am-10pm
Free, gorgeous, and your kids will tolerate it for exactly as long as it takes to walk to the playground. Mount Hood views on clear days.
400 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR 97205 · Daily 5am-10pm
Twelve miles of trails through a living tree collection, all free. The redwood grove makes you forget you're in a city.
4000 SW Fairview Blvd, Portland, OR 97221 · Grounds: Daily 5am-10pm; Visitor Center: Daily 10am-4pm
Tell your kids you're hiking to a witch's castle and they'll practically run the whole trail. Mossy stone ruins at the turnaround point.
2960 NW Upshur St, Portland, OR 97210 · Daily 5am-10pm
Kids 17 and under always free. A legitimate rainy-day option where nobody has to pretend to be interested — the Native American gallery is genuinely cool.
1219 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97205 · Wed-Sun 10am-5pm, first Thu until 7pm · Ages 0–17
The water pump and sand zone will destroy your kid's clothes and they'll talk about it for a week. Bring extra everything.
SE McLoughlin Blvd & Bybee Blvd, Portland, OR 97202 · Daily 5am-midnight
Free storytime nearly every day in half a dozen languages. Your rainy Tuesday just got a plan.
801 SW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97205 · Mon/Wed/Thu/Sat 10am-6pm, Tue 10am-8pm, Sun 12pm-5pm, closed Fri
Free to walk, fun to eat. The elephant ears alone justify the trip. Artists making things in real time keeps kids interested longer than you'd expect.
2 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97204 · Saturdays 10am-5pm, Mar-Dec
The weather machine sculpture activates at noon daily — it's weird and kids love it. Free Art in the Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
701 SW 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97204 · Daily, events vary
Part of the path literally floats on the river. Combine with Tilikum Crossing for a 3-mile car-free loop that toddlers in strollers and kids on scooters both love.
SE Water Ave & SE Caruthers St, Portland, OR 97214 · Daily 5am-midnight
Free, quiet, and full of frogs. The paved trails handle strollers and the interpretive center saves you on rainy days.
15655 SW Millikan Way, Beaverton, OR 97006 · Park: Dawn to dusk; Interpretive Center: check website
Entire city block of books — nine color-coded rooms, free to browse
1005 W Burnside St, Portland, OR 97209 · Daily 10am-9pm
Drink in the old detention room of a 1915 elementary school
5736 NE 33rd Ave, Portland, OR 97211 · Mon-Wed 7am-10pm, Thu-Sun 7am-midnight
250+ artisans every Saturday since 1974 — free admission, waterfront
2 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97204 · Saturdays 10am-5pm, Mar-Dec
Lower grotto is free — $11 elevator ride to 62 acres and Columbia River views
8840 NE Skidmore St, Portland, OR 97220 · Daily 9am-5pm (winter) to 9am-8pm (summer); seasonal hours vary
Witch's Castle glows green after rain — 1.6 miles roundtrip, free
1905 NW 29th Ave, Portland, OR 97210 · 5am-10pm daily
Free — 12 miles of trails, free guided hikes Wed and Sat
4000 SW Fairview Blvd, Portland, OR 97221 · Grounds 5am-10pm daily; Visitor Center 10am-4pm daily
10,000 roses, Mt. Hood views, free — peak bloom June through September
400 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR 97205 · 5am-10pm daily
Walk in free since 1905 — $1 per ride or $22.95-$43.95 all-day bracelet
7805 SE Oaks Park Way, Portland, OR 97202 · Seasonal (Mar-Oct), check schedule
Free wine, free galleries, free museum — first Thursday of every month
Various galleries, Pearl District & Old Town, Portland, OR · First Thursday of each month, typically 5-8pm
Free live music nearly every night — bluegrass, folk, jazz, and more
2958 NE Glisan St, Portland, OR 97232 · Mon-Wed 4pm-midnight, Thu 4pm-1am, Fri 4pm-2am, Sat 9am-2am, Sun 9am-midnight
Massive covered patio with string lights and fire pits — free live music and DJ nights
600 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214 · Daily 11am-2:30am
Video rental store still open + cinema museum with real movie props — peak Portland.
4320 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97215 · Daily 12pm-9pm
Rated the most beautiful urban park on the West Coast — free, with a spring-fed pond.
SE Cesar E Chavez Blvd & SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97214 · Daily 5am-midnight
5,000+ rose bushes in a sunken formal garden — Portland's original rose garden, free.
700 N Rosa Parks Way, Portland, OR 97217 · Daily 5am-midnight