Allison Jones Hunt

Allison Jones Hunt

women pose in front of a wall of white roses
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The gorgeous, plentiful blooms at Peninsula Park Rose Garden present excellent photo opportunities.
Credit: Ashley Anderson

Peninsula Park & Rose Garden

Discover outdoor fun for the whole family — plus thousands of blooms — at Oregon’s oldest public rose garden.

3 min read North Portland
Allison Jones Hunt

Allison Jones Hunt

Tucked under tall banks of trees along a residential stretch of North Rosa Parks Way awaits a community oasis that’s nearly untouched by time. Peninsula Park is a true gem of the Piedmont neighborhood, with emerald green lawns, playgrounds for toddlers and older kiddos, a rainbow-hued splash pad for hot summer days and one of the city’s most beautiful destinations: Peninsula Park Rose Garden.

Know Before You Go

Much of Peninsula Park is wheelchair accessible, including the rose garden, thanks to brick-laid ramps added in 2008 to provide access to all.

(Tip: The grassy paths between flower beds are not easily accessible for wheelchairs or strollers.)

This iconic garden is set below street level and into the earth below, giving visitors the sense of being far away from the bustling city. Summertime brings blooming roses (and plenty of visitors), but the beauty of this historic park is clear year-round.

History of Peninsula Park & Rose Garden

Before it was acquired by the city of Portland in 1909, this 16-acre (6.5 ha) park was home to a private roadhouse, horse racing track and auto park owned by Portland businesswoman Elizabeth Young (also known as “Liverpool Liz”). Developed as part of Portland’s “City Beautiful” movement (which was sparked by the desire to improve the city’s public spaces for the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in 1905), Peninsula Park became the site of the city’s first community center and one of its first public playgrounds.

three women walk through rows of roses
Wander down rows of gorgeous blooms at North Portland’s Peninsula Park Rose Garden.
Credit: Ashley Anderson

Today, the park features an outdoor swimming pool, as well as tennis courts, horseshoe pits, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, reservable covered picnic shelters and a truly beautiful public rose garden.

Peninsula Park Rose Garden

The City of Roses is home to several rose gardens, including the famed International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park, but the stately Peninsula Park Rose Garden’s underdog status make it perfect for a quiet afternoon amongst the flowers — even at the height of blooming season (generally mid-June through October).

The park’s elegant sunken rose garden — the only one of its kind in the state — was designed in 1912 by Emanuel Mische in the style of a formal French parterre knot garden. The gardens surround a wide central fountain and are meant for strolling, ideally under a parasol. (Mische must have known what he was doing, because he later became Portland’s first parks superintendent, and the park retains its glory more than a century later.)

The garden’s flower beds feature 5,000 different rose plants of about 60 varieties, all laid out in a symmetrical pattern. Visitors can explore the intricate design and discover new rose varieties with an annotated map of the garden from Friends of Peninsula Park Rose Garden (PPRG), the nonprofit tasked with preserving the legacy of the garden. Friends of PPRG also hosts public rose care classes and a spring speakers series, along with volunteer gardening opportunities throughout the year. (Guided tours for groups of 10 or more are available for a nominal fee per person. Email volunteers@penrosefriends.org to make arrangements.)

a large fountain sprays in the middle of the park, surrounded by hedges and rose bushes
Kids love splashing in the fountain at Peninsula Park Rose Garden during summertime.
Credit: Ashley Anderson

In addition to the roses themselves, the garden’s original fountain, intricate brick walkways, early 20th century street lamps and octagonal music bandstand overlooking the garden (which is on the register of National Historic structures) make for an old-world escape from modern life that smells as good as it looks.

Visiting Peninsula Park & Rose Garden

Peninsula Park is free to visit and is open daily from 5 a.m.–midnight. The rose garden hours are 7:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. and the splash pads are open daily from May through August from 11 a.m.–7 p.m.

Outdoors, Parks & Gardens
5 To Try

Dining Near Peninsula Park

Work up an appetite strolling through the roses, then head to these recommended nearby eateries.

  • E’Njoni

    E’Njoni serves Ethiopian and Eritrean foods, inspired by Mediterranean and North African influences. Healthy and wholesome dishes are prepared daily with fresh meats and vegetables from local organic farms.

  • Tehuana Oaxacan Cuisine – Killingsworth

    North Portland food cart Tehuana Oaxacan Cuisine specializes in Mexican classics, especially Oaxacan fare. Try heaping tlayudas, tomato-sauce-doused entomatadas and a variety of house-made sauces.

  • Jamaican Homestyle Cuisine

    This friendly North Portland spot serves generous portions of traditional Jamaican dishes like curry goat, jerk chicken and oxtail, along with sides like fried plantain and rice and peas.

  • Enat Kitchen

    This authentic Ethiopian restaurant offers a variety of meat and vegetarian dishes using herbs and spices imported from Ethiopia. In traditional Ethiopian manner, dining is communal and no utensils are used.

  • Horn of Africa

    Vegan-friendly Northeast African spot with a weekday lunch buffet & weekend American breakfasts. The menu features dishes hand-made from fresh, local ingredients and prepared using traditional methods.

Portland Gardens

Discover more of The Rose City's dozens of beloved parks and gardens.

Go To Parks & Gardens
two people admiring a large blooming rhododendron

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

Round out your floral explorations of the Rose City with a visit to Southeast Portland’s lush Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. The park boasts more than 2,500 rhododendrons, azaleas, with blooms from late February -June.

people visiting a blooming Rose Garden in Washington Park

Portland International Rose Test Garden

The oldest official continuously operated public rose test garden in the United States, the Portland International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park features more than 10,000 roses, great views of the skyline and the Cascades.

covered bridge crossing a narrow garden stream

Lan Su Chinese Garden

This year-round wonder taking up an entire city block houses an authentic Ming Dynasty style garden built by Suzhou artisans. Lan Su Chinese Garden offers a peaceful escape in Portland's historic Chinatown district.

large pink and yellow rhododendron are the backdrop for a young woman playing in Portland’s Washington Park.

Washington Park

Beyond picnics and verdant strolls, Washington Park offers up a zoo, two museums, a spectacular rose garden, an arboretum, one of the most authentic Japanese gardens in the world, all lined by one of the largest urban forests, Forest Park.

waterfall in Portland\'s Japanese Garden

Portland Japanese Garden

A haven of meticulously maintained, tranquil beauty, proclaimed one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan, the Portland Japanese Garden offers meandering streams, intimate walkways and an unsurpassed view of Mount Hood.

rows of benches face a rock wall and tunnel surrounded by moss, trees

The Grotto

This serene woodland sanctuary in Northeast Portland features 62 acres (25 hectares) of lush botanical gardens. No matter what time of year you visit, the Grotto offers calm, peace and introspection, transcending boundaries.