This beautiful zoo features a primate reserve, a 'penguinarium' and a large African animals area, among many other impressive exhibits and a train that does a 1-mile loop around the grounds. Enclosures are spacious and seminatural. Big-name concerts take place on the zoo's lawns in summer.

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Oregon Zoo
West Hills
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
2.07 MILES
This popular riverside park, which lines the west bank of the Willamette River, was finished in 1978 after four years of construction. It replaced an old…
Forest Park
2.63 MILES
Abutting the more manicured Washington Park to the south (to which it is linked by various trails) is the far wilder 5100-acre Forest Park, an urban…
Japanese Garden
0.74 MILES
Often called the most authentic Japanese garden outside Japan, this tranquil escape recently underwent a $30-million expansion under the guidance of…
Pioneer Courthouse Square
1.78 MILES
The heart of downtown Portland, at the heart of Portland’s retail district and the city’s transit system, is a multi-tiered brick plaza nicknamed Portland…
Washington Park
0.45 MILES
West of the city, Washington Park is a lush destination with 410 acres of green space, well-manicured gardens and forested trails. Within the parkland are…
Saturday Market
2.31 MILES
The best time to walk along the Portland Waterfront is on a weekend, when you can catch this famous market showcasing arts and crafts, street entertainers…
International Rose Test Garden
0.79 MILES
These gardens practically gave Portland its 'Rose City' nickname. They sprawl across 4.5 acres of manicured lawns, fountains and flowerbeds, and on a…
Hoyt Arboretum
0.61 MILES
Twelve miles of trails wind through this 189-acre ridge-top garden above the city zoo. It's home to over 6000 native and exotic plants and trees…
Nearby West Hills attractions
1. Portland Children's Museum
0.24 MILES
Parents can seek solace at this museum, a great place to keep kids busy with interesting learning activities and exhibits. There's a clay studio, a…
2. World Forestry Center
0.3 MILES
This center highlights the importance of the world's forests, with a focus on those of the Pacific Northwest. Exhibits delve into wildlife and climate as…
3. Washington Park
0.45 MILES
West of the city, Washington Park is a lush destination with 410 acres of green space, well-manicured gardens and forested trails. Within the parkland are…
4. Hoyt Arboretum
0.61 MILES
Twelve miles of trails wind through this 189-acre ridge-top garden above the city zoo. It's home to over 6000 native and exotic plants and trees…
5. Japanese Garden
0.74 MILES
Often called the most authentic Japanese garden outside Japan, this tranquil escape recently underwent a $30-million expansion under the guidance of…
6. International Rose Test Garden
0.79 MILES
These gardens practically gave Portland its 'Rose City' nickname. They sprawl across 4.5 acres of manicured lawns, fountains and flowerbeds, and on a…
7. Pittock Mansion
1.18 MILES
This grand and beautiful 1914 mansion was built by pioneer-entrepreneur Henry Pittock, who revitalized the Oregonian newspaper; his wife, Georgiana, also…
8. Portland State University
1.31 MILES
This pretty campus is at the southwestern corner of downtown. There's a good farmers market here on Saturday, and several food carts around.