Pittock Mansion

We like the fact that Portland isn't overdosing on tourist attractions. No Space Needle, no Golden Gate Bridge. Our attractions are more modest. We've got the world's largest bookstore and the first modern "glass curtain" office building and America's biggest city park. And then there's the Pittock Mansion.

The Pittock Mansion was built by Portland pioneer Henry Pittock when he was already an elderly man. So elderly, he only got to live in the place for five years from 1914 to 1919.

Henry Lewis Pittock traveled on a wagon train from Pennsylvania to Oregon and arrived here penniless in 1853. His major claim to fame is founding Oregon's most boring newspaper, The Boregonian. He was 26 and his wife Georgiana was only 15 when he married her. Today you could go to jail for that kind of thing.

Georgiana helped found the Ladies Relief Society in 1867 and played a key role in building the Martha Washington Home for single, working women. But her real legacy was growing roses and getting Portland started on the rose mania that led to us becoming the Rose City.

The mansion is nicely restored and for a little less than the price of a movie ticket you can walk through and see rooms set up to look very much the way they did almost 100 years ago. You can also read or picnic on the front lawn for free, admire the views of the city below or set off for a hike on the Wildwood Trail.   See more on this unofficial Pittock Mansion video.

The rich folks always live up on the hill, and Pittock was no exception. Nice view!



The grounds make a great place to stroll and relax.

I didn't take any indoor photos. You can find a few here.

The mansion property lies along the Wildwood Trail in Forest Park. From here, you can hike south to the Oregon Zoo,
the Hoyt Arboretum or you can go north to the Audobon Society (a steep walk downhill) and on into the heart of Forest Park.