Oaks Amusement Park
In a world filled with head-spinning, gut-spewing, body-slamming amusement parks with astronomical prices, dear old Oaks Amusement Park may seem like a quaintly antiquated anomaly. That’s exactly why I like it and am including it here. Oaks is one of the 10 oldest amusement parks in the country, built in 1905 to coincide with the Lewis and Clark Exposition that put Portland on the map. It has a quiet, low-key, old-fashioned charm and a wonderful location right above the Willamette River in Sellwood. The rides? A Tilt-a-Whirl, a Ferris wheel, a roller coaster, go-karts, spinning teacups and a 1917 merry-go-round with a menagerie of handcarved animals. There are carnival games and a miniature golf course, too. The park is home to a famous roller rink (see website for open rink hours) and a dance hall from 1910. Picnic tables are set up on the bluff and from Oaks Park you can walk down to a rare natural beach on the Willamette River and the nearby Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. This is a great excuse to visit the historic Sellwood neighborhood, which was once a separate city.
In a world filled with head-spinning, gut-spewing, body-slamming amusement parks with astronomical prices, dear old Oaks Amusement Park may seem like a quaintly antiquated anomaly. That’s exactly why I like it and am including it here. Oaks is one of the 10 oldest amusement parks in the country, built in 1905 to coincide with the Lewis and Clark Exposition that put Portland on the map. It has a quiet, low-key, old-fashioned charm and a wonderful location right above the Willamette River in Sellwood. The rides? A Tilt-a-Whirl, a Ferris wheel, a roller coaster, go-karts, spinning teacups and a 1917 merry-go-round with a menagerie of handcarved animals. There are carnival games and a miniature golf course, too. The park is home to a famous roller rink (see website for open rink hours) and a dance hall from 1910. Picnic tables are set up on the bluff and from Oaks Park you can walk down to a rare natural beach on the Willamette River and the nearby Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. This is a great excuse to visit the historic Sellwood neighborhood, which was once a separate city.
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