Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Among the square's many features is also one of Portland's most photo-
graphed landmarks,
Allow Me,
J. Seward Johnson's bronze statue of a
man holding out his umbrella. Under the water fountain below Star-
bucks—Portland's first, opened in 1989—you'll find the Travel Port-
land Visitor Information Center. The arched wrought-iron gate at the
opposite end of the square was originally part of the Hotel Portland (see
Back Story
). Beyond the gate and across the street is the historic Pion-
eer Courthouse, which opened in 1875 and serves the U.S. Courts' 9th
Circuit.
Take SW Yamhill St. one block to SW Park Ave. and turn left. At SW
Salmon St. turn left again, then turn right onto SW Broadway. This
block is dominated by the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and its epic
neon
PORTLAND
sign, which used to say
PARAMOUNT
. If you hesitate to
walk underneath it, your fears are not unfounded: in the mid-1980s, the
PARAMOUNT
sign fell to the street during a disassembly and was re-
placed with the current
PORTLAND
sign). “The Schnitz,” as it's called, is
the home of the Oregon Symphony and several other performing-arts
groups. Originally a vaudeville hall, then a movie house (the Para-
mount), then a concert venue, it's now a great place to see just about
any performance. The ornate Italian Rococo Revival interior and ro-
mantic lighting make even the most mundane lecture seem fancy.
Turn right up SW Main St. and then left on Park Ave. to reach The
Oregon Historical Society. In addition to a stellar Oregon his-
tory-themed bookshop and an extensive archive of photos, maps, and
documents, the OHS is also a museum with exhibits about various peri-
ods from the state's history. Objects and artifacts on display include
Oregon's first car, the Benson auto, cobbled together in a garage in
1904; meeting minutes from the earliest days of the Emanuel Hospital
board, written in Swedish; and a massive guestbook from the Lewis and
Clark Centennial Expo in 1905 (so huge it gets wheeled around in its
own custom-made transporter box). There's also a gallery of Northwest
art, an exploration of the state's geology, and temporary exhibits.
Across the South Park Blocks from the OHS is the Portland Art Mu-
seum. PAM was founded in 1892; by 1913 it had gained enough traction
to be one of the stops on the tour of the New York Armory Show, which
rocked the art world of the time. The museum complex includes a num-
ber of buildings and galleries, as well as the Northwest Film Center.
