A Family Guide to Portland, Oregon

Until we had a child of our own, my partner and I had never thought of Portland, Oregon, as a particularly family-friendly destination. Our first Portland vacation was a purely 21-and-over adventure: We had a blast catching a Portugal The Man concert, sampling IPAs at 10 Barrel Brewing, touring a recreational cannabis dispensary and spending an afternoon peddling a Brewcycle to local breweries and bars around town.

So when planning our second jaunt to the city, we thought: “What in the world are we going to do with a 5-year-old?” Turns out, quite a bit. 

Play at PDX’s New Terminal

The chill Portland vibes we remembered from our previous trip started the moment we stepped off the plane and into Portland International Airport’s (PDX) main terminal, which unveiled a $2.15 billion renovation this fall. The terminal is designed to make visitors feel like they are strolling through a Pacific Northwest forest and was created in partnership with four Native American tribes from the region.

What results is truly a work of art. An ornate trellised ceiling with effortless curves and diffused light warms the space, while more than 5,000 live plants and trees soften corners and walkways. As part of the renovation, more local stores and restaurants have opened their doors, including Portland’s women-owned, women-run distillery Freeland Spirits and the Hello From Portland gift shop, which showcases the work of minority and LGBTQ+ makers.

Always finding a way to play, our daughter, Zoe, loved the terminal’s new circular benches outside security that double as slides. The adults, meanwhile, were lured to Stumptown Coffee Roasters and browsed the Powell’s Books’ kiosk — featuring bestsellers, used books and kids’ toys — while waiting for our drinks. Even though we didn’t end up buying anything, Powell’s gave Zoe a free sticker. This was the first time we remembered deliberately spending extra time in an airport terminal for no reason other than it seemed like a cool place to be. 

Glamp, Play Games and Get Gleeful at Kimpton Hotel Vintage

We chose downtown’s Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland as our home base due to its prime location and family-friendly amenities. I read on the hotel website that kids would be greeted with a complimentary toy at check-in, and sure enough, the receptionist brought out a box for our kiddo to choose from. But what really sealed the deal for me was the hotel’s glamping package for littles, with a play tent set up in the guestroom’s living room, complete with popcorn, local treats and movies. In the morning, Zoe headed straight for her tent and proceeded to quietly play there for nearly an hour while we slept in. If that’s not reason enough for parents to book this hotel, I don’t know what is.

At 650 square feet, our Reserve Suite Spa felt palatial. It featured a wet bar, a pair of stools that resembled champagne corks, a gorgeous wooden dining table, a sectional sleeper sofa and a jetted tub so deep it was almost comical. Another amusing design choice reared its head when I closed the bathroom door and revealed a gigantic, wallpapered face of surrealist artist Salvador Dali; he stared back at me with wide-eyed wonder. The hotel certainly has a sense of humor and sent the message that this was a safe space to be a bit silly and have a good time.

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And that we did. In the hotel’s game lounge, we taught Zoe how to play shuffleboard (and she taught us a modified version, with curiously evolving rules). The pool table came with a cue stick that was perfectly kid-size, and Nintendo games such as Mario Kart kept us busy. We loved grabbing a complimentary glass of Oregon wine from the lobby (Kimpton is famous for its nightly social hour from 5 to 6 p.m.) and enjoying it in the second-floor game room. We usually had the whole place to ourselves.

Build Your Own Pancakes at Slappy Cakes

What’s more fun than chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast? At Slappy Cakes in Portland’s Belmont neighborhood, you’ll find a griddle in the center of each table and a menu of pancake batters (pumpkin, chocolate, buttermilk) and all the fixings (berries, cookie crumbles, sprinkles, bacon). The batter comes in squeeze bottles, making it easy to create shapes, designs or your kid’s name. Pro tip: Order both chocolate and buttermilk batter to get extra creative with animal faces and other details. Zoe gave this restaurant two thumbs way up, which I can assure you is the critic’s highest rating.

Operate a Giant Kaleidoscope While Sipping a Margarita at Hopscotch

Hopscotch in Southeast Portland is a permanent immersive art gallery like no other — and this is high praise coming from someone who has visited nearly a dozen similar offerings. What’s different? At Hopscotch, each of its large-scale exhibitions is both visually arresting and surprising, and interacting is the only way to unlock its full potential. The end-to-end experience was unrushed, and we didn’t experience any wait times to dive into its 14 exhibitions and snap the perfect photo.

Part of its success is by design. While entry times are spread out over 15-minute increments, there is no time limit once you’re inside. Further inviting visitors to slow down, the first room is a lounge with comfortable couches and a bar serving adult Capri-Suns, frozen cocktails and non-alcoholic treats. Zoe recommends the Celestial Unicorn, a sparkling lavender lemonade with butterfly pea syrup and edible glitter.

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Guests aren’t tied to consuming their refreshments in the lounge, either. We found high-top tables and shelving throughout the space, allowing us to savor and play at our own pace. Sensory overload while swimming in a ball pit full of thousands of rainbow-lit orbs? No problem. Head back to the lounge to chill out until you’re ready for more.

Hopscotch represents a collaboration of more than 40 international artists, and some of our favorite exhibitions had us bouncing around while chasing comet-like lights (Quantum Trampoline by Kuflex) and altering patterns and colors on giant kaleidoscopes (Light Portal by Tricktronix). With a grid of 7,000 suspended light bulbs, Unknown Atmospheres by Seth Nehil and Parallel Studio plays on Yayoi Kusama’s world-famous Infinity Mirror Rooms. Dance installation VJ Yourself by Playmodes puts participants’ images into a choreographed dance video. We practically had to pull Zoe away.

Enter the Fantasy World of Wonderwood

Wonderwood Mini Golf is a one-of-a-kind, psychedelic journey into the world of the Rat King and other curious creatures. The nine-hole minigolf course is exclusively lit by blacklight and painstakingly designed with more than 750 hand-painted characters and scenery — all dreamt up by local cartoonist Mike Bennett.

Jackalopes with goofy eyes and “fairies” that resemble mischievous flies are just a couple of the curiosities, known as Bennett Buddies, that visitors will encounter along the way. And expect plenty of whimsy (like trick holes that spit out your golf ball) as you weave into new rooms that reveal more complicated landscapes. The artist truly achieves a sense of place — we felt like we were exploring a curious underground lair — and were surprised to learn that Wonderwood occupies a former Bank of America building.

Wonderwood doesn’t take reservations, but clients can check wait times before heading to the St. John’s neighborhood the course is set in. Driving over Portland’s iconic St. John’s bridge is a highlight in itself, and there’s plenty to do to pass the time in the area. The most obvious is Bennett’s similarly playful Wonderwood Springs, which offers large tables for classic board games, loaded soft-serve ice cream cones and themed drinks. The area between Bennett’s restaurant and minigolf course is known as The Dragon Alley and features to-go food and outdoor games. Other neighborhood options include food cart pod St. John’s Food & Beer Porch and StormBreaker Brewing for bites and beer flights served in a replica of St. John’s Bridge.

Enjoy Autumnal Adventures at Topaz Farm

Some 20 miles north of downtown Portland is Sauvie Island, a hot spot for hiking, fishing, wine tasting and farms offering seasonal berry-picking. Since we were visiting in October, we headed to Topaz Farm during its Fall Harvest Festival to take in everything autumnal, from a corn maze and hayrides to an heirloom pumpkin patch.

Halloween was in full effect, and a majority of the kids visiting were in costume as they climbed farm tire playgrounds and munched on caramel apples. Artists dressed like witches offered free face painting, while roosters and chickens ran wild among 130 acres of farmland. While we didn’t find the petting zoo, Zoe was able to get up close to all her farm favorites, including a gigantic spotted pig, baby goats and a donkey. With a cup of hot apple cider in hand, I enjoyed browsing the island’s largest produce market, which also featured homemade treats such as pumpkin hand pies and cheddar chive biscuits.

While absolutely worth it based on Zoe’s experience, our harvest festival visit ended up being surprisingly spendy, with an entry fee of $15 per person (kids under 2 are free) and additional charges for activities such as riding the cow train ($10 for two of us) and operating the mini-digger ($5). Travel advisors would score points with clients by letting them know what’s included and what isn’t ahead of time so they can better map out their day. Another suggestion is to arrange private transfers for clients, as ride-sharing can be scarce on the island.

Getting the Wiggles Out at the Oregon Zoo

Spread across 64 forested acres in Washington Park, the Oregon Zoo is one of Portland’s major family attractions, and it’s easy to see why. In addition to spotting elephants, giraffes and chimpanzees, kids can get the wiggles out in various play zones, including a sandbox and a sculpture garden. Carousel rides and a chance to ride on a very cool, retro-futuristic train from the 1950s were also a hit with the little one. We found that exhibits were mapped out to prevent overcrowding, although certain areas — particularly the African predator section with its big cats — will always be popular.

The draw for me was walking through Oregon Zoo’s tribute to the Pacific Northwest. Through windy paths, we spotted black bears and fluffy mountain goats in what resembled a more natural environment. Tall, moss-covered trees towered over us as birds chirped. With sunlight peeking through the treetops as we strolled downhill, this section of the zoo felt more like a hike in the forest and ended with a chance to see a real-life dinosaur — well, sort of. Lampreys are hideous fish that are actually older than dinosaurs. These toothy, eel-like creatures have inhabited the earth for 400 million years, and conservationists are working to keep them around for 400 million more.

While fewer IPAs were consumed during this visit to Portland, our family of three had a great deal of fun bonding and experiencing the city together. As a result, we gained a newfound appreciation for Portland’s ability to cater to all ages and learned that there’s something for everyone in this vibrant and welcoming city.