# Things to do with toddlers and little kids in Portland: the parent guide

> Portland’s easiest toddler days pair Washington Park with the museums along SE Water Avenue.

- Last checked: 2026-10-28
- 5 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/guide/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/index.md
- Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/visiting/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/llms.txt

## Kid-friendly restaurants

### Elephant Ears at the Oregon Zoo (Elephant Plaza, inside the zoo)

- The zoo’s cinnamon-sugar fried dough, sold for more than 35 years.
- Price level: $
- Good for: A treat in the middle of a zoo morning.
- Skip if: you want a sit-down lunch.
- Website: https://www.oregonzoo.org/visit/food

## Indoor play and rainy days

### Multnomah County Library (Citywide and East County)

- Free baby, toddler and family storytimes at almost every branch, in English, Spanish, Mandarin and more.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: A free weekday morning.
- Skip if: you need a weekend-afternoon plan; most storytimes are weekday mornings.
- Website: https://multcolib.libnet.info/events

## Museums, zoos and big outings

### Oregon Zoo (Washington Park, 4001 SW Canyon Road)

- The zoo sits in Washington Park with its own MAX stop. In November it runs shorter days, and Fall Discount Days (Nov 2–8) cut admission to $13.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: kids 2–11 $21; adults $26; Under 2
- Hours: Nov 1–30: daily 9:30am–3:30pm (last entry 2:30pm), closed Nov 26; Dec 1–17: Fri–Mon; Dec 18–Jan 3: daily, closed Dec 25
- Good for: A dry morning with a stroller.
- Skip if: you arrive after 2:30pm in November; that’s last entry.
- Price source: https://www.oregonzoo.org/visit (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://www.oregonzoo.org/visit

### OMSI (Central Eastside, 1945 SE Water Ave.)

- Portland’s science museum on the river. Kids under 3 get in free but still need a ticket, and Curiosity Kids mornings are aimed at preschoolers.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: kids 3–13 $14.50; adults $21.50; Under 3 (ticket required)
- Hours: Tue–Fri 9:30am–5:30pm, Sat 9:30am–7pm, Sun 9:30am–5:30pm; closed Mon
- Good for: A rainy afternoon with a curious 4-year-old.
- Skip if: it’s Monday; it’s closed.
- Price source: https://omsi.edu/visit-omsi/ (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://omsi.edu/visit-omsi/

### Oregon Rail Heritage Center (Central Eastside, 2250 SE Water Avenue)

- Three historic steam locomotives and a working machine shop, a short walk from OMSI. Admission is $4 for kids, and under 3 is free.
- Price level: $
- Tickets: kids 3–13 $4; adults $6; Under 3
- Hours: Thu–Sun 1–5pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day
- Good for: Train fans on a weekend afternoon.
- Skip if: it’s Monday to Wednesday; it opens Thursday to Sunday afternoons only.
- Price source: https://orhf.org/visit-us/ (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://orhf.org/visit-us/

## Free things to do

- Multnomah County Library

## Best for under 3s

- **Oregon Zoo**: Free for kids under 2.
- **OMSI**: Free under 3 with a ticket.
- **Oregon Rail Heritage Center**: Free under 3.
- **Multnomah County Library**: Book Babies storytimes at many branches.

## Things to do with a baby or a 1-year-old

### Baby and lap-sit storytimes

- **Book Babies** (Multnomah County Library): Thursdays at 10:15am · Woodstock Library. For babies and a grown-up. https://multcolib.libnet.info/event/16110713
- **Book Babies** (Multnomah County Library): Thursdays at 11:15am · Gregory Heights Library. For babies and a grown-up. https://multcolib.libnet.info/event/16258503
- **Book Babies** (Multnomah County Library): Thursdays at 10:30am · Kenton Library. Followed by Book Babies Playtime at 11. https://multcolib.libnet.info/event/16776337
- **Book Babies** (Multnomah County Library): Fridays at 10:15am · Midland Library. For babies and a grown-up in East Portland. https://multcolib.libnet.info/event/16680858
- **Book Babies** (Multnomah County Library): Mondays at 10:30am · Northwest Library. Monday morning in Northwest Portland. https://multcolib.libnet.info/event/16048099
- **Babytime** (Washington County Cooperative Library Services): Wednesdays at 11:30am · Cedar Mill Library. At the Cedar Mill library. https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/events/6a809f472dac6e00371f4b7d
- **Book Babies/Libros para bebés** (Washington County Cooperative Library Services): Sundays at 10:15am · Hillsboro Public Library, Shute Park. Bilingual English and Spanish, Sunday mornings in Hillsboro. https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/events/6ae29fe9035faf0033dfd324

### Babies get in free

- **Oregon Zoo**: Under 2. https://www.oregonzoo.org/visit
- **OMSI**: Under 3 (ticket required). https://omsi.edu/visit-omsi/
- **Oregon Rail Heritage Center**: Under 3. https://orhf.org/visit-us/

## Library storytimes

- **Multnomah County Library**: Most weekday mornings. Free Book Babies, toddler and family storytimes, many in Spanish, Mandarin and other languages. https://multcolib.libnet.info/events


## Happening this week

- **Halloween in Multnomah Village** (Sat 3:30–5:30pm) at Multnomah Village. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/#e-halloween_in_multnomah_village
- **Woodstock Spooktacular** (Sat 3–6pm) at Woodstock Community Center. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/#e-woodstock_spooktacular
- **Trick-or-Treating at Kennedy School** (Sat Trick-or-treating 3–5pm; party 5–6:30pm) at McMenamins Kennedy School. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/#e-trick_or_treating_at_kennedy_school
- **Monster Mash in Lake Oswego** (Sat 2–5pm) at Christ Church Parish. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/#e-monster_mash_in_lake_oswego
- **Toddler Costume Storytime (Hollywood)** (Thu 10:15–11am) at Hollywood Library. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/#e-toddler_costume_storytime_hollywood

Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/index.md

## Holiday pages

- [Santa in Portland: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/santa/index.md)
- [Christmas lights in Portland for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/christmas-lights/index.md)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is Portland good for toddlers?
Yes. The Oregon Zoo, OMSI and the Rail Heritage Center are all easy with little kids, and library storytimes run most weekday mornings.

### What’s free for little kids in Portland?
Library storytimes, OMSI and the Rail Heritage Center for kids under 3, and the zoo for under 2.

### What can we do in Portland on a rainy or cold day with a toddler?
Go indoors: Multnomah County Library. They’re all under one roof, and most work for a short visit around nap time.

### What can we do with a baby, 1-year-old or 2-year-old in Portland?
Oregon Zoo: Free for kids under 2. OMSI: Free under 3 with a ticket. Oregon Rail Heritage Center and Multnomah County Library are also easy with a baby or toddler. Free for the littlest: Oregon Rail Heritage Center (Under 3). See [best for under 3s](https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/guide/#under3).

### Where are the free storytimes in Portland?
Multnomah County Library: Most weekday mornings. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See [library storytimes](https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/guide/#storytimes), and this week’s dated sessions are on the [Portland weekly list](https://littlesweekly.com/portland-or/).

### How do you choose the places in the Portland guide?
Every one of the 5 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 3 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 28, 2026. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).

### How much is the Oregon Zoo for a toddler, and who gets in free?
Under 2; kids 2–11: $21; adults: $26. We checked this on [its official site](https://www.oregonzoo.org/visit) on Oct 28, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.