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Where is Oregon City located?
- Situated at the confluence of the Clackamas and Willamette Rivers, Oregon City is a small metropolis 13 miles south of Portland.
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What historical and cultural attractions can visitors find in Oregon City?
- Oregon City is home to a variety of historical and cultural attractions, including several interpretive centers and museums that focus on the Pioneers of America.
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What is Oregon City known for?
- Once the beating heart of the region’s lumber, flour, wool, and paper mill industries, Oregon City is famous for being the first State Capitol and the end of the Oregon Trail.
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Why should visitors explore Oregon City?
- Take a trip back in time with a visit to this quintessential little American town.
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1. Oregon City Municipal Elevator
The Oregon City Municipal Elevator is a 130-foot outdoor municipal elevator that was built to link two neighborhoods in Oregon City. Only one of four in the world, the original outdoor elevator, was built in 1915 and connected two neighborhoods that had a dramatic 90-foot difference in elevation. The elevator was rebuilt in 1954 and still stands today with an observation deck that looks like a flying saucer and boasts beautiful views of the Abernethy Bridge, the Oregon City Bridge, and the Willamette Falls. Surrounded by murals of the history of the Oregon Territory, the Oregon City Elevator is free to ride, and visitors can take a lifetime free pass home as a souvenir.
6 Railroad Ave, Oregon City, OR 97045, Phone: 503-496-1197
2. End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
The End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is an interpretive center that documents the heritage and the history of Oregon City, the Oregon Territory, and the Western Terminus of the Oregon Trail. The center features self-guided interactive exhibits, hands-on arts and craft demonstrations, feature films, outdoor guided tours, and educational activities such as frontier camping, wagon packing, and looking for prairie wildlife. The center also offers exclusive history talks twice daily that provides in-depth insight into a variety of rotating topics, ranging from the history of the region to the local fauna and flora.
1726 Washington St, Oregon City, OR 97045, Phone: 503-657-9336
3. Willamette Falls
The Willamette Falls is the second largest waterfall in the United States after Niagara Falls, fed by the Willamette River, which flows north through some of the most fertile lands in the Pacific Northwest. Located about 15 miles south of Portland between Oregon City and West Linn, the horse-shoe shaped falls are 40 feet high and 1,500 feet wide, plummeting straight down the height of a four-story building on reaching Oregon City and offering spectacular views. The Willamette Falls can be viewed from viewpoints on the bluffs above Oregon City, from the Oregon City Bridge, or boats on the river.
Oregon City and West Linn
4. Museum of the Oregon Territory
The Museum of the Oregon Territory is a regional museum that explores the history of the region how Willamette Falls transformed the area’s industry. Located on the second floor of a building overlooking Willamette Falls, the self-guided museum features a range of interactive exhibits, including displays of Native American petroglyphs and artifacts, a piece of the Willamette Meteorite, the early 1900s Kaegi Pharmacy, and 1851 San Francisco plat maps. Seasonally changing exhibits in the Murdock Gallery feature thousands of artifacts, photographs, and documents that reflect the culture and history of Clackamas County.
211 Tumwater Dr, Oregon City, OR 97045, Phone: 503-655-5574
5. McLoughlin House
The McLoughlin House in Oregon City is a grand house museum that was once home to Dr. John McLoughlin, who was known in Oregon City as the ‘Doctor’ and the ‘Father of Oregon' was renowned for being a trained physician who assisted exhausted American emigrants arriving into the region via the Oregon Trail. John McLoughlin later served as the mayor of Oregon City, and his home has been beautifully restored to honor his accomplishments and life. The two-story wood-frame house features significant architectural elements such as a hipped roof, symmetrical double-hung windows, and flanking interior end-wall chimneys, and interiors boasting a symmetrical Georgian central-hall plan. Visitors can explore the museum on self-guided tours or docent-led guided tours.
713 Center St, Oregon City, OR 97045, Phone: 503-656-5151
6. McLoughlin Promenade
Winding along Singer Hill Bluff on the southeast bank of the Willamette River, the McLoughlin Promenade is a scenic pathway with lovely views of the Willamette River, Willamette Falls, and downtown Oregon City. Constructed in the mid-1930s, the promenade forms part of a 7.8-acre linear park located on the bluff above downtown and provides a connection to the Oregon City Municipal Elevator. The Promenade features a concrete walkway lined with several low stone and metal walls in various sections and follows the bluff overlooking the Willamette River, taking walkers on a stroll through history beginning at the 20th century Municipal Elevator.
McLoughlin Promenade, Oregon City, OR 97045
7. Oregon City Arch Bridge
The Oregon City Arch Bridge is a 745-foot steel arch bridge across the Willamette River and connecting Oregon City and West Linn. Designed by Conde McCullough and built in 1922, the bridge is 28 feet wide with a long main span of 360 feet and is the only bridge in Oregon to be encased in gunite to protect from the corrosive sulfur dioxide emissions from the nearby paper mills. The Oregon City Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hwy Bridge, West Linn, OR 97068
8. Stevens-Crawford Museum
Built in 1907, the Stevens-Crawford Museum is a house museum that was once the home of pioneering family and prominent citizens of Oregon, Harley Stevens, and Mary Elizabeth Crawford. Also known as the Stevens-Crawford Heritage House (SCHH), the museum is an excellent example of an American Foursquare home and has retained much of its original Edwardian splendor with many pieces of original furniture, fixings, and other elements. Visitors can enjoy guided and self-guided tours of the home and learn more about Progressive Era inventions and innovations, the history of Oregon City, and how historical events shaped the community.
603 6th St, Oregon City, OR 97045, Phone: 503-655-2866
9. Clackamas Repertory Theater
Located in the Clackamas Community College, the Clackamas Repertory Theater is a professional equity theater company that produces and presents high-quality productions for students, families, and youth in Clackamas County. The theater was established to provide entertaining, educational, and thoughtful theatrical experiences and, in addition to presenting a variety of performances each season, provides Clackamas Community College students with a knowledge base for a career in the performing arts. The Clackamas Repertory Theatre also offers workshops, classes, and summer internships.
Clackamas Repertory Theatre, 19600 Molalla Ave, Oregon City, OR 97045, Phone: 503-594-6047
10. Hopkins Demonstration Forest
Hopkins Demonstration Forest is a 140-acre privately-owned forest that features well-maintained landscapes of riparian forest, young conifer plantations, upland conifer, brushy areas, and mixed stands. The forest features over five miles of hiking trails, including the mile-long Watershed Interpretive Trail, which runs along Little Buckner Creek and has marked posts along the way. The forest has an amphitheater for gatherings, the Cedar Grove Picnic Shelter is perfect for family picnics, and there is an information kiosk near the main parking area.
16750 S Brockway Rd, Oregon City, OR 97045, Phone: 503-632-2150
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