Patrick Barton, 8,
explores the creekbed.
OUTDOOR
ADVENTURE
Portland Children’s
Museum
4015 SW Canyon Rd
Portland, OR 97221
(503) 223-6500
www.portlandcm.org
Open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.,
closed major holidays
Admission: Under 1 free,
1-54 $10, over 55 and
military $9
Target Free
First Fridays:
free admission from
4 p.m. -8 p.m. Local libraries
also allow you to check out
free admission passes for
the museum.
Outdoor Adventure
is free for members and
included in museum
admission.
PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BARTON.
below are designed for programs, performances
and birthday parties.
In May, internationally renowned artist
Patrick Dougherty, with help from volunteers,
constructed a woven stick sculpture that twists
and turns, perfect for a game of hide-and-seek.
And students from the museum’s Opal School
created art pieces for a large mural of animals and
plants that now graces the side of the building
facing Outdoor Adventure.
My kids and I have visited Outdoor Adventure
once during the grand opening celebration in
April and again in June. Families could easily
spend a couple of hours exploring the exhibit.
Before entering the museum from the exhibit,
visitors pass through The Field Station, an indoor
space to relax and learn more about nature.
During our first visit, it rained pretty hard, and
while many folks hurried into The Field Station
(my 1-year-old daughter and myself included), my
8-year-old son remained outside. After the rain
stopped and we went back outside, he told me,
“I was already soaking wet from playing in the
creek. So I figured I could stay and play in the rain.”
He hit the nail on the head: As Outdoor
Adventure reminds us, when you’re a kid — and
hey, it’s true for grown-ups too — it’s okay to get
dirty, and it’s okay to get wet. n
Parking: Washington Park
pay stations: $1.60/hour;
$4.00 All Day (OctoberMarch); $6.40 All Day
(April-September). Parking
can be paid at any pay
station throughout
Washington Park.
Trimet: Washington Park
and its attractions are
easy to access by light rail
(MAX Red Line and MAX
Blue Line) www.trimet.org.
metro-parent.com | August 2014
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