Why You Should Visit Historic Oregon City, Oregon

Oregon City is right between two major Oregon rivers, the Willamette River and the Clackamas River. Where the rivers converge, a park has been developed. Clackamette Park is home to several festivals throughout the year with rides, live music, food booths and more. Camping sites for RVs can be found at the park. There is a skateboard park and playground for local kids at Clackamette Park as well.

Further up the river you will find Willamette Falls. At over 470 feel wide, Willamette Falls is the largest waterfall in the Pacific Northwest. Take a river cruise on the Belle of the Falls to get up close to the falls and you may see some primitive rock drawings made by early Native Americans. Sea Lions and other water mammals sometimes make their way over to the falls, where the fish are plentiful.

If you like history, Oregon City has plenty in store for you. At the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center you will learn about the history of the Pacific Northwest, from the early fur trading business to the advent of railroads. The museum is famous for it covered wagon shaped buildings which have been a trademark in Oregon City since the museum was built in 1995.

Dr. John McLoughlin was considered the "Father of Oregon". He represented the Hudson's Bay Company, which was involved in the fur trade. Fur trading brought permanent settlers to the area and was the first step towards the pioneers coming on the Oregon Trail. When McLoughlin retired he built a mansion in Oregon City. This house is now the McLoughlin House museum. The museum provides visitors with a picture of what life was like in Oregon City in the mid 1800s.

In addition to the McLoughlin house, there are many other historical museums in Oregon City for the public to enjoy. The Stevens-Crawford Heritage House was built in 1908 and is decorated to match that time period. The Museum of the Oregon Territory has exhibits about the early days of the Oregon Territory, an area which stretched from Alaska to California. The Ermatinger and Barclay houses are both homes that were moved from downtown Oregon City to the bluff to be restored as historical landmarks.

Visit the Carnegie Center which was the site of the old Oregon City Library, but now is the site of an art museum and coffee shop. The building was constructed in 1912 and was funded by a grant from the Carnegie foundation. On Thursday evenings in the summer months, the city holds "Concerts in the Park" in the park surrounding the building.

One of the trademarks of Oregon City is the Oregon City Municipal Elevator. The elevator was built in 1955, replacing the original elevator that was built in 1915, and it is still in service today. It provides a free trip from lower Oregon City to upper Oregon City. At the top of the elevator is a viewing platform that provides a lovely view of Willamette Falls, downtown Oregon City and the Willamette River. The viewing platform is decorated with beautiful murals depicting life in early Oregon City.

An easy way to visit all of the above mentioned sites is to travel on the free Oregon City Trolley. The trolley buses run all summer long and make a number of different stops.

While it is easy to stay occupied in Oregon City alone, there is much more to do in the surrounding areas as well. Oregon City is only 10 minutes from Portland, the largest city in Oregon. The Pacific Coast is less than 2 hours away. Mt. Hood, a winter recreation paradise is about a 40 minute drive. The beautiful Columbia River gorge is a mere 30 minutes or so.

There is so much to do in Oregon City. Come and check it out!