Early City
On the Early City tour, you will join your guide for a walk through one of Portland’s oldest business and residential districts. This area is noted for having the second largest collection of mid-Victorian cast iron architecture in the world. You will see the refurbished New Market Theatre, which was built in 1872 and marked the beginning of Oregon’s cultural heritage. Another historic landmark you will visit is the Merchant’s Hotel, which was built in the 1880s and is noted for its light well that provides interior light to the restaurants and shops that it currently houses. Other interesting sights along this tour are:
- Skidmore Fountain – originally built as a drinking fountain for men, horses, and dogs
- Portland’s Chinatown – a glimpse of the refurbishing of this area
- The waterfront area, including the Japanese American Historical Plaza
- The high-water mark of the 1894 flood
Life in the City
The Life in the City tour introduces you to the flavor of a Pacific Northwest city. Emphasis is placed on the historical as well as the expanding skyline of Portland. As you travel from the city’s cultural district to its business and government center area, historic and contemporary works of public art are highlighted. Some of the sights you may see are:
- The First Congregational Church
- Portland Center for the Performing Arts
- Portlandia
- The restored City Hall
- Mark Hatfield Federal Courthouse
Becoming a City
The Becoming a City tour enables you to follow the history of the city’s architecture, from its first skyscraper to Big Pink. You will see the terra cotta details on historic buildings, the classical works of the early 20th century and the sleek modernism of the present. The transit mall, the hub of the Tri-Met system, is a gallery of fountains and sculpture, which lead you to Pioneer Courthouse and Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland’s “living room.” Also featured are:
- Historic banks
- Benson Hotel
- Central Library
- Big Pink
- Embassy Suites Hotel
- Pioneer Courthouse