18 Best Things to Do in Grants Pass, Oregon

By VacationIdea Staff on July 11, 2022 - Updated

just.b creative/stock.adobe.com

Situated near the Applegate Valley in Southern Oregon’s Josephine County, Grants Pass is a newly revitalized city with a bustling downtown area, many historic buildings, and a tight-knit arts community. The city offers much to see and do, ranging from white-water rafting on the Rogue River and wine-tasting in the surrounding Applegate Valley to exploring the Oregon Caves National Monument and enjoying community events such as Concert in The Park. The city is also home to plenty of farm-to-table restaurants, craft breweries, and art galleries, and the outskirts of the town of numerous outdoor and recreational activities.

We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.

1.Wildlife Images Rehabilitation & Education Center

Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center was founded in 1981 by famous wildlife rehabilitator J. David Siddon as a non-profit corporation and facility to provide care and treatment for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. Based on 24 acres of land next to Oregon’s famous Rogue River, the center features an animal sanctuary, a veterinary clinic, and education center which focuses on educating and encouraging an interest in the local environment and the wildlife that calls it home. Visitors to the working rehabilitation center can take self-guided tours of the sanctuary and learn more about the animals in situ through interpretive signs and friendly docents.

11845 Lower River Rd, Grants Pass, OR 97526, Phone: 541-476-0222

2.Schmidt Family Vineyards

Schmidt Family Vineyards is a family-owned and operated winery that produces a range of fine wines, including Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon, along with international varietals such as Albarino, Tempranillo, Barbera, and Malbec. In addition to fertile wine-producing vineyards, the estate also boasts several acres of herb and flower gardens, a large picturesque pond, pretty gazebos, and winding walkways. Schmidt Family Vineyards has an elegant tasting room designed in a craftsmen style where visitors can sample some of the winery’s best wines and enjoy delicious farm-to-table fare prepared with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

330 Kubli Rd, Grants Pass, OR 97527, Phone: 541-846-9985

3.Evergreen Federal Bank's Bear Hotel

Evergreen Federal Bank's Bear Hotel is a one-of-a-kind artwork museum and community center that showcases Evergreen's community art projects. Named after the famous art project called ‘BearFest,’ which featured 182 fiberglass bears created by 85 artists and displayed in downtown Grants Pass, the museum is home to a permanent art collection and array of art projects, including the bears. The Bear Hotel hosts a variety of community events throughout the year that highlight the beauty and artistic expression of Southern Oregon, such as ‘the Southern Oregon Adventure,’ ‘BearFest,’ ‘An Old-Fashioned Celebration of America’ and ‘Magical Christmas Murals.’

2101 NE Spalding Ave, Grants Pass, OR 97526, Phone: 541-479-3351

4.Troon Vineyard, Grants Pass, Oregon

Established in 1972, Troon Vineyard is a Demeter Biodynamic® and Organic Certified wine estate in the heart of the Applegate Valley that is spread over 40 acres and produces over more than 20 varietals from wine-growing regions in Southern Europe such as Madiran, Cahors, Bandol, Languedoc, and Sardegna. Nestled halfway between Grants Pass and Jacksonville, Troon Vineyard features a stylish Mediterranean-style tasting room with a lovely shaded stone patio and a grassy area for picnics. Friendly and knowledgeable staff offer guided tastings of the winery’s award-winning wines.

1475 Kubli Rd, Grants Pass, OR 97527, Phone: 541-846-9900

5.Wooldridge Creek Winery, Grants Pass, Oregon

Wooldridge Creek Winery is a family-owned and operated wine estate that has been producing award-winning wines since the 1970s. Spread over 180 acres of land, 56 acres of which are planted with vineyards, the winery produces a limited range of single-varietal wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Riesling and Zinfandel, among others. The modern tasting room is located at Wooldridge Creek and offers guided samplings of hand-crafted wine, cured meats, and artisan cheeses against a backdrop of breathtaking views over the Applegate River Valley from the front patio or the surrounding gardens. Visitors can also enjoy guided tours of the farm, the hillside winery, and the farm creamery and charcuterie.

818 Slagle Creek Rd, Grants Pass, OR 97527, Phone: 541-846-6364

6.Rogue Creamery Dairy Farm

Rogue Creamery dairy is a USDA Certified Organic dairy with 68 certified organic grazing acres that has been producing award-winning cheese for the past 80 years. Drawing inspiration from the surrounding beauty and flavors of Southern Oregon’s Rogue River Valley, Rogue Creamery handcrafts cheddar cheese, blue cheese, and TouVelle using certified organic whole milk. Nestled along the banks of the rugged and scenic Rogue River, the creamery has an onsite cheese shop that sells a variety of the creamery’s products, cheese-related merchandise, and kitchen accessories and gift boxes.

6531 Lower River Rd, Grants Pass, OR 97526, Phone: 541-471-7292

7.Fort Vannoy Farms, Grants Pass, OR

Fort Vannoy Farms is a working farm that produces a wealth of produce in the rich, fertile soil in the Rogue Valley. The Farm Stand Market is at the center of the farm and sells the seasonal farm produce picked from the farm, ranging from berries and other fresh fruit to vegetables and homemade honey. Fort Vannoy Farms celebrates the Harvest Season with a variety of activities for children such as a corn maze and a pumpkin patch, and there are plenty of lovely places for picnicking with picturesque views.

5791 Lower River Rd, Grants Pass, OR 97526, Phone: 541-479-3765

8.Boatnik, Grants Pass, Oregon

Boatnik is an annual boating festival held in Riverside Park in Grants Pass over Memorial Day Weekend. Hosted for over 60 years, the festival begins on Thursday evening and offers a wealth of activities for the whole family from boat racing, Bingo, carnival rides, and arts and crafts to Papa John's pizza-eating contest, Chevy Drive It Home Golf Shoot-Out, Monday Sundaes, and numerous children's activities. Other fun activities at the festival include a spectacular fireworks display, the Boatnik Brewfest; the Davis Shows Carnival, live entertainment and music concerts, and the World-Famous Tom Rice Memorial White Water Hydroplane Race, which is held on Memorial Day along with a jet flyover.

Grants Pass, OR 97528

9.Grants Pass Caveman, Grants Pass, OR

The Grants Pass Caveman is an imposing representation of primitive man that guards the entrance to Grants Pass just north of the Redwood Highway. Erected in 1971 by the town's ‘Caveman Club,’ the statue stands 17 feet tall on a rock pedestal and is constructed of fiberglass. It was sponsored by International Fiberglass and put up to celebrate a strange brand of town boosterism where locals would wear animal skins and furs and march down the Main Street brandishing their ceremonial spiky caveman clubs to promote the caverns at nearby Cave Junction.

NW Sixth St., Grants Pass, OR

10.Grants Pass Museum of Art

Located in the heart of the historic old town, the Grants Pass Museum of Art highlights local and regional artwork and hosts an array of art-related events such as poetry readings, music events, and workshops. The museum provides visitors with the opportunity to gain a more in-depth insight into different cultures from around the world with a variety of permanent and eight rotating exhibitions featuring art from local and international artists. The museum also hosts art and poetry workshops, live music performances, poetry readings, life drawing lessons, and other signature events.

229 SW G St, Grants Pass, OR 97526, Phone: 541-479-3290

11.Barnstormers Theater

The Barnstormers Theater is a community theater and drama center in the scenic village of Tamworth that is one of oldest professional summer theaters in the United States. Founded by Francis Cleveland in 1931, the Barnstormers is one of three equity theatres in New Hampshire that presents a variety of performances throughout the summer.

112 NE Evelyn Ave, Grants Pass, OR 97526, Phone: 541-479-3557

12.Rosella's Vineyard and Winery

Located in the heart of the Missouri Flat area of the Applegate Valley, Rosella's Vineyard and Winery is a small family-owned and operated vineyard that produces a limited range of award-winning wines for all palates. Established by Howard Whitaker, the man who developed the trellising, the vineyard is one of the only dryland farmed vineyards in the Applegate Valley and produces a range of varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Zinfandel. Named after the current owner’s mother, the vineyard’s wines feature Hawaiian names in tribute to her and can be sampled in the modern tasting room.

184 Missouri Flat Rd, Grants Pass, OR 97527, Phone: 541-846-6372

13.Grants Pass Growers Market

The Growers' Market is a community market that sells fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables, fresh flowers and plants, specialty foods, baked goods, gourmet herbs, and seasonings. Founded in 1980, the market is held every Saturday morning and has been serving both locals and visitors with an array of farm-fresh goods for the past 35 years. The market aims to be a gathering space for local artisans, farmers, producers, and growers, as well as the local community, and in addition to farm products and gourmet foods, the market also sells a wide range of handcrafted items such as hand-scented soaps, wind chimes, handmade silver, artworks, local honey, and locally-made clothing and jewelry.

295 Northwest F Street, SUMMER MARKET, Grants Pass, OR 97526, Phone: 541-816-1144

14.Historic Rogue Theater, Grants Pass, Oregon

The Historic Rogue Theater is a community theater that presents a range of theater, dance, music, and film events throughout the year. Founded in 1938, the theater offered the community an escape from the struggle of life during the depression. The theater is based in a beautifully preserved Art Deco building with a stunning exterior and glowing neon marquee and is one of the city’s most prominent historical buildings. Today, the theater still offers a gathering space for the community to enjoy the wonders of the latest cinema technology with state-of-the-art sound and lighting and an array of arts and cultural events that celebrate the human spirit, including theater, concerts, film and dance presentations.

143 SE H St, Grants Pass, OR 97526, Phone: 541-471-1316

15.Schmidt House Museum, Grants Pass, OR

The Schmidt House Museum is a beautiful example of a Craftsmen-style house, complete with manicured gardens, statues, and other early 20th century elements. Owned by the daughters of early Grants Pass homesteaders, Claus and Hannchen Schmidt, the house is a stately, two-story, craftsman-style house with Colonial Revival elements. The rooms in the house feature many original furnishings, a collection of antique toys, a sewing room with a treadle-foot sewing machine, early quilts and other handicrafts, and a kitchen with the original family wood-burning cooking stove.

508 SW 5th St, Grants Pass, OR 97526, Phone: 360-890-2299

16.The Haul, Grants Pass, Oregon

The Haul is the restaurant and taproom of Conner Fields Brewing that serves elevated pub grub, and craft beer served in a hip, industrial space. The tavern-style eatery serves a menu of classic farm-to-table fare made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, including crisp salads, wood-fired pizzas, prime steaks, and other meats, fresh seafood, hearty burgers and fries, and vegetarian dishes. The brewery provides a range of craft beers by the bottle and on tap, as well as casual wines, high-end spirits, and signature cocktails. The Haul has comfortable indoor and outdoor seating and is open for lunch and dinner, Wednesday through Monday.

121 SW H St, Grants Pass, OR 97526, Phone: 541-474-4991

17.LuLu's, Grants Pass, Oregon

Lulu’s is a locally-owned café that serves healthy, farm-to-table fare made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients for breakfast, brunch, and lunch seven days a week. The charming café is spacious and airy and has plenty of comfortable seating and complimentary wireless Internet. The menu features signature dishes like French-inspired Croque Madame and crepes, potato hash, biscuits and gravy, and freshly baked pastries, cheesecake, muffins, scones, and beignets. The delicious cuisine is accompanied by a selection of good coffee and specialty coffee drinks, casual wines, craft beers, and handcrafted cocktails.

237 SW G St, Grants Pass, OR 97526, Phone: 541-295-8627

18.True Juice Organic Juice & Smoothie Bar

True Juice Organic Juice & Smoothie Bar is an organic café that serves hearty and healthy fare for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. The café serves a menu of innovative food made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients with dishes like fresh salads, homemade soups, vegetarian plates, gourmet sandwiches and wraps, handmade quiche, and a variety of freshly baked pastries. The café also serves a range of coffee, including americanos, cappuccinos, mochas, and Chai Turmeric lattes, along with Kombucha on tap, cold-pressed juices, frozen yogurt, and other specialty drinks.

124 NW D St, Grants Pass, OR 97526, Phone: 541-441-4541