Portland - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 429

53 Portland Center Stage D3
54 Silverado F4
Shopping
55 Halo Shoes D3
56 Hand Eye Supply E3
57 Powell's City of Books D3
58 Tender Loving Empire D4
Pioneer Courthouse Square LANDMARK
MAP GOOGLE MAP
The heart of downtown Portland, this brick plaza is nicknamed 'Portland's living room'
and is the most visited public space in the city. When it isn't full of Hacky Sack players,
sunbathers or office workers lunching, the square hosts concerts, festivals, rallies, farm-
ers markets - and even summer Friday-night movies (aka 'Flicks on the Bricks'; details
at www.thesquarepdx.org ) .
One of Portland's grandest Victorian hotels once stood here, but it fell into disrepair
and was torn down in 1951. Later the city decided to build Pioneer Courthouse Sq, and
grassroots support resulted in a program that encouraged citizens to buy and personalize
the bricks that eventually built the square. Names include Sherlock Holmes, William
Shakespeare and Elvis Presley.
Across 6th Ave is the Pioneer Courthouse . Built in 1875, this was the legal center of
19th-century Portland.
South Park Blocks PARK
Two important museums flank the South Park Blocks, the 12-block-long greenway that
runs through much of downtown. The blocks themselves are a fine, leafy refuge from
downtown's bustle, and host a farmers market and occasional art shows.
The Oregon Historical Society MAP GOOGLE MAP ( 503-222-1741; www.ohs.org ;
1200 SW Park Ave; adult/child 6-18yr $11/5; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat, noon-5pm Sun) is the state's
largest historical museum, and dedicates most of its space to the story of Oregon and the
pioneers who made it. There are interesting sections on Native American tribes and the
travails of the Oregon Trail. Temporary exhibits furnish the downstairs space.