Search Weird
Diverse dining options, unique outdoor experiences and unexpected attractions make Portland one of a kind.
In Portland, being dubbed “weird” is never an insult. Locals delight in enjoying the pleasantly unexpected, whether it be watching adults zoom down an extinct volcano in soapbox derby cars, joining in on one of the world’s largest naked bike rides, or crafting deliciously strange new types of doughnuts. Do as locals do and embrace the city’s quirky vibes using our guide to Portland’s weird culture.
Weird Portland Food
Portland loves doughnuts, and if you’re in the mood for peculiar flavor combinations, like, say, one topped with Cap’n Crunch Cereal, then make sure to include a visit to Voodoo Doughnut. With multiple locations across the nation, this Portland shop attracts customers with crowd-pleasers such as the Maple Bacon Bar and their more adventurous (and hotter) varieties like the Ring of Fire Doughnut — a Devil’s food cake dusted with cinnamon sugar, cayenne pepper and topped with a whole, dried red chili pepper. Open 24 hours a day, almost every day of the year, Voodoo has one-of-a-kind treats for every taste, served in an iconic pink box.
Credit: Justin Katigbak
If you want a great cocktail in a fun space, Portland has its share of distinctive themed bars. Wyrd Leatherworks and Meadery (pronounced “weird”) is a medieval fantasy-themed hall serving beverages made with local honey in the basement of a vintage Portland building in the Woodstock neighborhood. For the more gothically inclined, Raven’s Manor offers haunted-themed food and cocktails featuring local spirits, an absinthe menu and zero-proof options.
With several small bars and a brewery, McMenamins Kennedy School is an unusual place to get an education in hops and barley. Now home to a 57-room hotel, the decommissioned 1915 schoolhouse features a movie theater and a saltwater soaking pool (they even allow cigar smoking in the “Detention Bar”). And with Portland’s abundance of breweries (including plenty that are gluten-free), there’s no better place to work on your advanced degree in craft beer appreciation.
Credit: Ashley Anderson
Serving up original recipes all over town, hundreds of local food carts also help define Portland’s incomparable DNA, from the Tim Burton-esque Hawthorne Asylum food truck pod to the peanut butter and jelly fries at Potato Champion.
And if you’re craving something daring for dessert, you might find it at Salt & Straw, where they’re serving up scoops of pear and blue cheese ice cream, or Doe Donuts, who offer a BBQ pulled jackfruit doughnut served with coleslaw and house pickles.
Unique Culture in Portland
For a peek into the city's uniqueness, start at these eccentric events and attractions.
Weird Art and Museums
Portland is full of unique arts and culture. From its myriad of street murals to a variety of immersive art offerings, Portlanders love to express themselves. On your visit to town, you might spot a colorful local character like the Unipiper, who’s often seen riding around town via unicycle while playing bagpipes, or Una the Mermaid, who heads the annual Portlandia Mermaid Parade & Festival, a free, annual event celebrating all things aquatic.
At Hopscotch, visitors can wander a neon maze and bounce on a “quantum trampoline” with projected art that responds to visitors’ movements. In St. John’s, find a tee time at Wonderwood Mini Golf, a whimsical, family-friendly nine-hole mini golf experience with characters and environments by Portland artist Mike Bennett. (Be sure to stop by Wonderwood Springs next door for a fantasy-themed “elixir” drink.)
For a day of old-fashioned fun, the Enchanted Forest theme park, located about an hour outside of Portland, keeps the weird spirit alive from March to September. Originally built by hand in 1971 by Roger Tofte and maintained by the Tofte family to this day, this seasonal theme park has a storybook village, a Western town, roller coasters, the Northwest’s largest log flume ride and an indoor trackless target shooting ride, Challenge of Mondor. Be sure to snag a pic standing inside the iconic Witch Head sculpture and slide.
Only-in-Portland Places
These unique attractions offer a look into Portland's unusual (in a good way!) spirit.
Weird Movies and Music
One of Portland’s many independent cinemas, the landmark Hollywood Theatre first opened its doors in 1926 and entertains Portland guests and residents with festivals, events and trivia nights. Showing just how bike-crazy Portland is, the Filmed by Bike Festival at Hollywood Theatre features bike-themed short movies (each no longer than eight minutes) made by independent filmmakers worldwide.
For a show on the go, visitors flying in or out of PDX can catch a rotating slate of short films by Pacific Northwest filmmakers at the Hollywood Theater – Portland Airport, a free 22-seat microcinema located after security in the Portland Airport’s C Concourse.
For film junkies, Movie Madness is a must-visit landmark. It’s an old-school VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray rental store with over 80,000 films to choose from, and features a miniplex with free screenings every Saturday (tickets are free, but reservations are required; visit in-store or call for more information). What sets Movie Madness apart, though, is its in-house museum featuring costumes and props from iconic films like “The Wizard of Oz”, “The Sound of Music”, “Psycho”, “Sunset Boulevard” and “Titanic”.
If you’re craving something musical, look no further. In addition to standard karaoke bars, Portland has several unusual sing-along offerings: Karaoke from Hell (which happens at multiple bars around Portland, including Dante’s and Spare Room) lets you sing with a live band. In Southeast Portland, Baby Ketten Klub features custom mixes of impossible-to-find songs (and was called “America’s greatest karaoke night” by The New York Times.)
Explore Weird Landmarks
Find art and oddity in every street corner of Portland.
“The Simpsons” Landmarks in Portland
Check out the landmarks that inspired the characters and places in “The Simpsons,” created by Portland’s own Matt Groening.
Explore Southeast Portland’s Little Free Landmarks
Walk or bike through Southeast Portland to visit quirky sidewalk art galleries, little free libraries and more.
Mill Ends Park
Located in downtown Portland, the world’s smallest park is kind of a big deal. The stories of how Mill Ends Park came to be hold a big surprise for 452 square inches.
Weird Games and Sports
For lovers of games and play, Portland has plenty of options for an afternoon of fun. The city’s escape rooms are designed to fill your afternoon with puzzle-solving, while Portland’s many arcades offer a variety of pinball machines and vintage arcade cabinets.
Credit: Ashley Anderson
Follow your team’s wins with a round of board games to accompany your round of drinks at one of Portland’s many board game bars. Grab a beer and select a board game from the free game library at Guardian Games, which features a 21+ area in addition to a regular slate of game-themed nights. In Goose Hollow, Mox Boarding House Portland boasts an extensive menu and bar, with private rentable rooms where you can sip a drink while you roll your 20-sided dice.
Or get rolling in Stumptown at the Burnside Skatepark. Constructed by skateboarders without the city’s permission, the Burnside Skatepark is a massive cement mecca for the sport, located under the Burnside Bridge’s eastern side. Eventually approved by the local government, the rebellious ramps and half-pipes are community-run and packed with skaters — sometimes even pros like Tony Hawk stop by, too.
Travel back in time at Oaks Amusement Park, where the Northwest’s largest roller rink still features music played on a nostalgic old pipe organ. Since its opening in 1905, the park has provided nearly a century of nonstop kid-friendly games, rides, and memories. Oaks Amusement Park is also home to the Rose City Rollers, the roller derby league hitting the flat-track rink in the Oaks Amusement Park hangar since 2004.
If you prefer non-pipe organ music for your roller skating fun, the not-so-secret Secret Roller Disco might be more your scene. This free event happens every Thursday night, rain or shine — festive attire is encouraged no matter the weather. Location and times can change depending on the season, so be sure to check their Instagram for the latest.
Weird Portland Events
To understand the bumper stickers and Old Town mural calling to “Keep Portland Weird,” look no further than the weird ways that Portlanders celebrate. From the thousands-strong World Naked Bike Ride and the summer-long Pedalpalooza to the daredevil antics of the Zoobombers and the Portland Adult Soapbox Derby!
Portland loves weird holidays, and every October, Portlanders embrace the Halloween spirit with pumpkin patches, costumes, theWest Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta and the Spirit of Halloweentown celebration in St. Helens, Oregon, where the classic “Halloweentown” movies were filmed.
If you’re looking for a truly unique souvenir or just want to add a touch of PDX pizazz to your home, Portland has you covered. Closing off 15 blocks of Northeast Alberta Street to cars during summer months, Last Thursday on Alberta has grown fantastically since it started more than 20 years ago. With artists, performers and craftspeople filling the streets and sidewalks, Last Thursday is a great place to get a purely Portland souvenir. And with thousands of people in attendance, it’s also a great place to take in the local flavors.
In the spring and winter, the city celebrates its artists, makers and entrepreneurs at Crafty Wonderland, a biannual art and craft fair with hundreds of local vendors.
Credit: Kathleen Nyberg
Not as weird, but no less distinctive, are the beer festivals held nearly every month (and almost every week in the summer), which include celebrations of specific types of beer, like organic, sour, rye and fruit.
About 40 minutes southwest of Portland, you can find McMinnville’s UFO Festival. The family-friendly UFO Festival includes three days of special events, including live music, expert speaker panels, a colorful parade and a pet alien costume contest.
Weird Outdoor Adventures
Hike your way to the Witch’s Castle, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project built from 1935-1936, in the 5,172-acre Forest Park. As the largest forested natural area within city limits in the country, Forest Park houses more than 100 species of birds and dozens of kinds of mammals. It’s an unparalleled urban wildlife asylum with miles of hiking and biking trails and epic views of Mount Hood.
Credit: Nick Mendez
Near downtown PDX, visit the world’s smallest park, Mill Ends Park, on your way to people-watch at the much larger waterfront. Initially planted in 1946 by a writer whose office window overlooked a hole dug up for a light pole that was never installed, Mill Ends Park (often mistakenly called “Mills End Park”) is now officially maintained by the city. Lore that leprechauns frequent the area incentivizes many passersby to leave offerings, including tiny swimming pools, statues and even a mini Ferris wheel.
Grab a bit of extra luck at the Portland Troll Bridge, a railway bridge trestle where locals have tied, nailed, and zip-tied colorful troll dolls. To reach the bridge, follow NW St. Helens Road and take a left on McNamee Road until you reach the trestle. Or go big and visit “Ole Bolle”, the giant troll sculpture at Nordic Northwest – Nordia House by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. The troll, which is fashioned entirely out of recycled materials, looms large over a cabin.
Portland's Most Unique Events
Don your costumes and bring your cameras for the weirdest, most fun events in and around PDX.
Upcoming Weird Events
Check out our editor's top picks for weird events in Portland.
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