VISITING Portland · City of Roses

Visiting Portland with toddlers and little kids: the plan.

Stay downtown or in the Central Eastside. The MAX Red and Blue lines run to the Oregon Zoo, and OMSI and the Rail Heritage Center sit a block apart on the east bank of the Willamette.

Top 2 can’t-miss spots

#1Washington Park, 4001 SW Canyon Road
Oregon Zoo
Last entry 2:30pm in November.
Kids $21Adults $26Under 2
See it in the guide
#2Central Eastside, 1945 SE Water Ave.
OMSI
Closed Mondays.
Kids $14.50Adults $21.50Under 3 (ticket required)Indoor
See it in the guide
Nap breaks built in

One day or two in Portland

A couple of big stops, a real lunch and a nap in the middle. Tap a stop for the full listing.

If you have one day
MORNINGOregon ZooOpens 9:30am · Washington Park, 4001 SW Canyon Road · $21 kids, $26 adultsLUNCHElephant Ears at the Oregon ZooIn Elephant Plaza · Washington Park
NAPBack to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
AFTER NAPMultnomah County LibraryCheck for an afternoon storytime · Citywide and East County · Free
If you have two days

Day 1 is the one-day plan above. Day 2:

MORNINGOMSIClosed Mondays · Central Eastside, 1945 SE Water Ave. · $14.50 kids, $21.50 adults
NAPBack to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
AFTER NAPOregon Rail Heritage CenterThu–Sun from 1pm · Central Eastside, 2250 SE Water Avenue · $4 kids, $6 adults
Where to stay

Kid-friendly areas near the big attractions

Pick the area by the stops you’ll make most, then plan around nap.

EASTSIDECentral EastsideOMSI and the Rail Heritage Center share SE Water Avenue.Near OMSI and Oregon Rail Heritage Center
Eat

Easy restaurants near the big stops

Kids’ menus, quick service and a short drive from the attractions. Prices come from each restaurant’s own menu.

Snack stand · Washington ParkElephant Ears at the Oregon ZooNear Oregon Zoo
Before you go

Practical tips

Parking, strollers, changing tables and the best times to go.

Transit
MAX stops right at the zoo, and ZooLights tickets include TriMet rides.
Strollers
Strollers aren’t allowed on the Rail Heritage Center’s train rides; the center itself is accessible.
Visiting in November or December?

Santa and Christmas lights in Portland

If your trip lands in the holiday season, these two pages have the dates, prices and booking links.

Santa in PortlandBreakfast with Santa, Santa photos and Santa trains, with 2026 pricesChristmas lights in PortlandDrive-thru and walk-through displays, start times and 2026 prices
Good questions

Visiting Portland with toddlers: the FAQ

Is Portland kid-friendly?

For a family with kids under 6, yes. Our Portland guide lists 5 places we checked for little kids, plus 1 free place and 4 picks for babies and toddlers. This page adds 1 easy restaurant near the big stops and free storytimes at 1 library system. This week’s list has 24 dated outings for ages 0–6. See free things to do in Portland and this weekend’s list.

How do we get to the zoo without a car?

Take MAX to Washington Park station, which opens right at the zoo entrance.

What if it rains?

OMSI and the Rail Heritage Center are indoors and a block apart on SE Water Avenue.

Get the list every Thursday.

One short email every Thursday evening with the five things we’d leave the house for in Portland.