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      • three women walk through rows of rosesView All Things to Do in Portland
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Salimatu Amabebe

three people on a park bench, a couple sits at the end with a black dog a couple with a dog and another person sit on a park bench
i
Views from Laurelhurst Park are lush and green — the perfect place to be with nature.
Credit: Ashley Anderson
Things to Do in Portland / Parks & Gardens

Laurelhurst Park

This spacious Southeast Portland park boasts a duck pond and an array of free public events.

Updated Apr. 30, 2025 3 min read Belmont

Salimatu Amabebe

Just north of Portland’s Belmont neighborhood sits Laurelhurst Park, one of the city’s most scenic escapes. This 31-acre (12.5 ha) park really does have something for everybody to enjoy.

The central lawn is the perfect spot for an afternoon picnic, with public restrooms and drinking fountains located just across a paved pathway looping through the park. Along the pathway, you’ll find a kids’ playground, a scenic duck pond and tennis and basketball courts. Pull up a seat in one of six picnic areas or hang with your pup in the designated off-leash dog area. 

a family stands next to a public art statue
Public art is part of the landscape at Laurelhurst Park.

Credit: Ashley Anderson

The tree-lined hillside makes for a great spot to hang a hammock or just lay in the grass and look up at the park’s rich foliage. See if you can spot one of Laurelhurst’s five Dawn Redwoods —this species of tree, Oregon’s official state fossil, was once considered extinct!

History of Laurelhurst Park

Once part of the estate of two-time former mayor William Sargent Ladd, the 31 acres (12.5 ha) that comprise Laurelhurst Park were purchased by the city in 1911. Horticultural expert and Portland Park Superintendent Emanuel Tillman Misch began designing the park in 1912 after working with the Olmsted Brothers architecture firm. (If the name “Olmsted” rings a bell, it’s likely due to the prominence of Frederick Law Olmsted, who co-designed New York’s Central Park and is widely considered one of the most influential modern landscape architects.)

Inspired by Olmstead’s methods, Misch designed Laurelhurst Park to highlight the natural landscape. His design created a 3-acre (1.2 ha) lake by deepening the spring-fed pond and adding more than 250 trees to the 100 conifers already in place.

Summer Events Round-Up

When the sun finally comes out, Portlanders celebrate their favorite things: festivals, music, beer, art and food.

summer fun

Visiting Laurelhurst Park

Since 2019, Laurelhurst Park has also hosted the Portland Water Lantern Festival, an evening event where attendees receive rice paper lanterns that they can decorate with their own messages. After sundown, the paper lanterns are lit and set afloat, illuminating the duck pond with hundreds of beautiful, glowing lanterns.

Warmly lit paper lanterns float on dark water with a silhouette of trees against a cloudy sky at night.
Hundreds of paper lanterns sail across the pond at Laurelhurst Park for the Water Lantern Festival.

Laurelhurst Park is open from 5 a.m.–to 10:30 p.m. daily. From June to August, Laurelhurst hosts family-friendly activities as part of Summer Free for All, a citywide public park program featuring free concerts, films and more. Portland Sunday Parkways also makes an annual ride by the park. Kickstand Comedy presents Comedy in the Park on Friday evenings over the summer months, and the performance troupe Original Practice Shakespeare hosts free plays on the lawn several times each summer.

Kickstand Comedy Brings Laughs to Portland’s Laurelhurst Park

Friday evenings in the summer grab a picnic and head to Portland’s Laurelhurst Park for Kickstand Comedy in the Park, a series of free outdoor shows featuring local and national standup comics.

laugh along

Where to Eat Near Laurelhurst Park

Need a sweet treat or a bite to eat after an afternoon lounging in the park? Take a short walk east to find one of Portland’s famous food cart pods, home to FOMO Chicken, among others. Stop for a meal at the cart that most suits your appetite, or visit the torta shop Güero. House specialties include the Torta Ahogada (“ahogada” translates to “drowned” in English): A deliciously messy sandwich packed with habanero slaw, cilantro and pork and topped with a rich, spicy achiote tomato sauce. 

Two people sit at a table in a busy coffeeshop
Crema Coffee + Bakery is a longtime favorite in Southeast Portland.

Credit: Ashley Anderson

If you’re in need of a pick-me-up, swing by airy Crema Coffee for coffee and a freshly baked pastry. Laurelhurst Market has house-made charcuterie, locally-stuffed sausage and a full drink menu less than a five-minute walk away on Northeast 32nd Avenue and Burnside. Flying Fish has fresh eats and fish for you to take home, cook and enjoy! If you’re looking for the catch of the week, you can sign up for their mailing list to be in the know.

Attractions, Parks & Gardens

28th Avenue

Spend a day dining, drinking and exploring along the lively restaurant row on Portland’s Northeast 28th Avenue.

Eat on This Street

Local Favorites

After spending time with nature, hit the streets around the park for food, fun and more.

  • Laurelhurst Theater

    Built in 1923, this Portland landmark features local beers on tap, wine by the glass, fresh pizza slices and salads, and a steady stream of second-run and revival screenings in four auditoriums.

  • Music Millennium

    Music Millennium is the oldest record store in the Pacific Northwest. They have an impressive collection of new and used CDs, vinyl records, DVDs and other music-related products. They also host special concerts and events.

  • Oblique Coffee Roasters

    This small artisanal coffee-roasting operation is housed in one of the oldest remaining mercantile buildings in the Portland area, lovingly restored by the owners in 2007.

  • Baby Doll Pizza – Southeast

    Baby Doll Pizza offers authentic New York-style pizza featuring dough, sauces and cheeses made in house by classically trained chef and owner Travis Miranda.

  • Avalon Theatre & Electric Castle’s Wunderland

    Family-owned and -operated since the first location opened in the 1960s, this combination arcade and theater offers family-friendly fun — enjoy affordable second-run movies, a wide variety of redemption games, video games and more.

Nearby Neighborhoods

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Belmont

Located a few blocks from Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, Belmont, a once sleepy residential street boasts its own mix of vintage and indie shops, coffee houses, bars and food carts.

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Hawthorne

Southeast Portland’s laidback, bohemian district is filled with local artisans and flare. Hawthorne Boulevard is a walkable street with block after block of vintage shops, boutiques, cafes, and historic venues.

A historic movie theater with an ornate facade

Hollywood

This historic corner of Northeast Portland is home to an array of treasured Old Portland gems.

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