Pittock Mansion

"History on the Hill The mansion and grounds around this Portland icon are impeccably kept and constantly visited. It was even featured recently on CBS's Amazing Race. The views are stunning and if you're into hiking, there is access to the Wildwood Trail which traverses the crest of the West Hills. Park down at the Oregon Zoo or Hoyt Arboretum and follow the winding path up to one of the best viewpoints in the city. There is also plenty of parking and a gift shop with limited hours of operation. The history of having tea on the lawn on Sunday afternoons in summertime may be long past, but the Mt Hood view is still spectacular. The former tearoom is now the Gate Lodge and open for free tours during regular hours. These days the hours vary depending on the season and the all-volunteer efforts in keeping the Pittock public. The mansion tours take you back to the days when Portland was first finding its heady way as a city. Find your path to the Pittock and take in Portland's past."

"History on the Hill The mansion and grounds around this Portland icon are impeccably kept and constantly visited. It was even featured recently on CBS's Amazing Race. The views are stunning and if you're into hiking, there is access to the Wildwood Trail which traverses the crest of the West Hills. Park down at the Oregon Zoo or Hoyt Arboretum and follow the winding path up to one of the best viewpoints in the city. There is also plenty of parking and a gift shop with limited hours of operation. The history of having tea on the lawn on Sunday afternoons in summertime may be long past, but the Mt Hood view is still spectacular. The former tearoom is now the Gate Lodge and open for free tours during regular hours. These days the hours vary depending on the season and the all-volunteer efforts in keeping the Pittock public. The mansion tours take you back to the days when Portland was first finding its heady way as a city. Find your path to the Pittock and take in Portland's past."

"Get a first-hand glimpse at how the affluent lived and partied in the 1900s at this 16,000-square-foot French Renaissance masterpiece, which was built between 1912 and 1914 and commissioned by Henry Pittock, the London-born publisher of the Oregonian and the original Portland Renaissance man. Special rotating exhibits like "Dining in the Gilded Age" display the tableware and tools necessary to throw a proper early-20th-century shindig; you can also sign up for fun, hands-on talks like "They Ate What?," which covers the popular food trends of the Pittocks' era, like cold-pressed meats, mushes, puddings, and jellied delicacies—tastings included." - Jen Stevenson