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Salem, OR Attractions
Though it is sometimes easy to forget, Salem is a river town. On the western edge of downtown, you'll find Salem's Riverfront Park, which features a state-of-the-art playground, amphitheater, carousel, and meandering pathways. It is also home to the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village. Here in the park, you'll also find the dock for the Willamette Queen (tel. 503/371-1103; www.willamettequeen.com), a paddle wheeler that cruises the Willamette River. Cruises range from basic 1-hour outings to lunch, brunch, and dinner cruises. Prices range from $12 ($6 for children 4-10) for a 1-hour cruise to $48 ($28 for children 4-10) for a 2-hour dinner or brunch cruise. Reservations are required.
From the carousel, a stroll up State Street will take you past some of Salem's most interesting shops and boutiques. To see the work of local artists, stop in at Mary Lou Zeek Gallery, 335 State St. (tel. 503/581-3229; www.zeekgallery.com).
A Nearby State Park & Two Wildlife Refuges
Eight miles north of Salem you'll find Willamette Mission State Park (tel. 503/393-1172; www.oregon.gov/oprd/parks), which preserves the site of the first settlement in the Willamette Valley. It was here that Methodist missionary Jason Lee and four assistants established their first mission in 1834. Today there are 8 miles of walking, biking, and horseback-riding paths through the park, which is also home to the largest black cottonwood tree in the country.
If it's bird-watching that interests you, two national wildlife refuges in the area are excellent places to observe ducks, geese, swans, and raptors. Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge is 12 miles south of Salem off I-5 at exit 243. Basket Slough National Wildlife Refuge is northwest of the town of Rickreall on Ore. 22, which passes through the north end of downtown Salem. Fall through spring is the best time of year for birding here. For more information, contact the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex (tel. 541/757-7236; www.fws.gov/WillametteValley/complex).
Especially for Kids
The younger ones will likely enjoy a ride on Salem's Riverfront Carousel, 101 Front St. NE (tel. 503/540-0374; www.salemcarousel.org), which is a modern carousel with 42 hand-carved horses. The carousel has its own building in Riverfront Park and is within walking distance of A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village. June through August, the carousel operates Monday through Saturday from 10am to 7pm, and Sunday from 11am to 6pm; other months the carousel closes 1 hour earlier Sunday through Thursday. Rides are $1.50.
Blossom Time
Every year between mid-May and early June, the countryside around Salem bursts into color as commercial iris fields come into bloom. During blossom time, the two biggest growers open up their farms to the public.
Cooley's Gardens, 11553 Silverton Rd. NE, Silverton (tel. 503/873-5463; www.cooleysgardens.com), which showcases more than 500 varieties of bearded irises each spring, is one of the world's largest bearded-iris growers. This farm is open daily from 8am to 7pm between mid-May and early June. To reach the gardens, take the Market Street exit and drive east to Lancaster Drive; at Lancaster turn left and drive north to Silverton Road, where you make a right turn. It's less than 10 miles on Silverton Road.
Schreiner's Iris Gardens, 3625 Quinaby Rd. NE, Salem (tel. 800/525-2367 or 503/393-3232; www.schreinersgardens.com), an equally impressive sight, has 200 acres of iris fields and a 10-acre display garden. To reach Schreiner's, take the Chemawa exit (exit 260) off I-5 north of Salem, drive west on Chemawa Road, turn right once you're west of the freeway, and follow signs to Volcano Stadium. Continue north past the stadium and turn right on Quinaby Road.
Also in the area are Adelman Peony Gardens, 5690 Brooklake Rd. NE, Salem (tel. 503/393-6185; www.peonyparadise.com), which has 8 acres of fields and sells more than 160 varieties of peonies. Bloom season is from May to mid-June, and during this time, the farm is open daily from 9am to 7pm. From the Brooks exit, go east on Brooklake Road.
From late March to early May, you can see more than 40 acres of tulips and daffodils in bloom at Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, 33814 S. Meridian Rd., Woodburn (tel. 800/711-2006 or 503/634-2243; www.woodenshoe.com). Throughout the blossom season, there are wooden-shoe-making seminars, steam-tractor demonstrations, live music, and lots of other activities.
15 Results
- Cooking Class
A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village
Known as the "man who saved Christmas," Salem's A. C. Gilbert may not be familiar to most people, but the toy he invented, the Erector Set, certainly is. Erector Sets have inspired generations of budding engineers, and it was during World War I that Gilbert saved Christmas. It seems… - Winery/Brewery/Distillery
Ankeny Vineyard
Located south of Salem not far from Willamette Valley Vineyards, this small family-run winery overlooks a national wildlife refuge and is surrounded by neighboring vineyards. Pinot noir and pinot gris are the specialties here, but they also produce Marechal Foch. Prices are generally… Bush Barn Art Center
The Salem Art Association's Bush Barn Art Center includes a sales gallery as well as exhibition spaces that feature changing art exhibits. The focus is on local and regional artists, and the quality is quite high. Every year on the third weekend in July, Bush's Pasture Park is the…- Theme Park
Enchanted Forest
Classic children's stories come to life at this amusement park for kids. In addition to Storybook Lane, English Village, and Western Town, there's a haunted house, a bobsled run, a log-flume ride, and a comedy theater. Rides cost extra. - Winery/Brewery/Distillery
Eola Hills Wine Cellars
Well known in the area for its Sunday brunches, this winery on the outskirts of Rickreall offers everything from cabernet sauvignon to zinfandel -- almost all at reasonable prices. While many of the wines here seem to be crafted for the grocery-store market, there are the occasional… - Historic Site
Historic Deepwood Estate
Set on 5 1/2 acres of English-style gardens and woodlands, this Queen Anne Victorian home is a delicate jewel box of a house. The house, with its many stained-glass windows, golden-oak moldings, and numerous lightning-rod-topped peaked roofs and gables, was built in 1894, and the… - Winery/Brewery/Distillery
Honeywood
This winery, which dates back to 1933, is the oldest in Oregon. The winery specializes in sweet fruit wines, which they do very well. The raspberry, boysenberry, and marionberry wines are all great accompaniments to chocolate desserts. - Winery/Brewery/Distillery
Left Coast Cellars
This winery, set amid large vineyards 13 miles northwest of Salem, is conveniently located right on Ore. 99W north of Rickreall. While they do produce pinot gris and chardonnay here, it is the pinot noirs, including the Latitude 45 and the Suzanne's Reserve, that are the real reason… - Landmark
Oregon State Capitol
Where's the dome? That's the first thing that strikes most visitors to the Oregon State Capitol, which looks as if construction was never completed (perhaps due to a lack of funds in the state budget). However, it was actually designed without a dome, and consequently the building,… - Winery/Brewery/Distillery
Redhawk Vineyard and Winery
Redhawk is mostly known in the area for its inexpensive ($14) and very drinkable Grateful Red pinot noir. The winery, located close to downtown Salem with big views across the valley, also does several other slightly more expensive pinot noirs, as well as pinot gris, chardonnay, and… - Park/Garden
Silver Falls State Park
Located 26 miles east of Salem on Ore. 214, this is the largest state park in Oregon and one of the most popular. Hidden in the lush canyons and dark old-growth forests of the park are 10 silvery waterfalls ranging in height from 27 to 177 feet. The trails are some of the most… - Park/Garden
The Oregon Garden
The Oregon Garden is one of the largest public display gardens in the Northwest and was created to showcase the state's horticultural heritage and the wide variety of plants grown in Oregon's commercial plant nurseries. In addition to an incredible array of plantings, the numerous… - Winery/Brewery/Distillery
Trinity Vineyard
With Joe Dobbes, one of Oregon's top winemakers, producing the wines here, Trinity is one of my favorite area wineries. The location south of downtown Salem is a bit off the beaten path, which makes Trinity something of a hidden gem. Definitely worth searching out. - Winery/Brewery/Distillery
Van Duzer Vineyards
Producing primarily pinot noir, pinot gris, and chardonnay in the Burgundian style, this winery is built on the side of an oak-shaded knoll with a commanding view across the valley to the Eola Hills. The tasting room is small, and only a few wines are available at any given time. - Winery/Brewery/Distillery
Willamette Valley Vineyards
Willamette Valley Vineyards, one of the largest wine producers in the state, sits high on a hill overlooking the Willamette Valley, and with its large facility and fabulous views, it's about as close to a Napa Valley wine-tasting experience as you'll find in Oregon. With nearly 20…
Salem, OR Nightlife
There are regularly scheduled performances by touring companies at the historic Elsinore Theater, 170 High St. SE (tel. 503/375-3574; www.elsinoretheatre.com). Since 1954, Pentacle Theatre, 145 Liberty St. SE (tel. 503/485-3000; www.pentacletheatre.org), located in the West Salem hills, has been bringing live theater to the state capital.
