Portland is United State's undisputed Capitol of Weird. From museums dedicated entirely to old ladies' hats to mysterious underground Shanghai tunnels, it's hard to go anywhere in Portland without stumbling across an offbeat travel gem... and lucky for you, we've got the best ones collected right here.
From strip clubs to Catholic shrines? You must be in Portland! The Grotto is one of the city's most visited churches, and for good reason. The 62-acre shrine is a beautiful refuge for any weary traveler. At the very heart of the peaceful shrine is a rock cliff with a life-sized marble replica of Michelangelo’s Pietà at the very center, known as Our Lady's Grotto.
Tip: Admission is $5, but trust us, take the elevator up to the meditation room. You won't find another view like it in Portland.
With collections that range anywhere from novelty, retro, vintage and international, The Hat Museum has one of the most intensive collections of head-gear accessories in the country. You don't even need to be a hat nerd to appreciate the fashionable collection. One of the most popular exhibits is the 1910 Craftsman-style collection of hats, which is home to vintage Nurse's caps, deerstalkers (the kind of hat Sherlock Holmes wears) and retro Stetsons.
Tip: Thanks to some funky ticket pricing, the Hat Museum is best seen with a group. It'll run you $75 for a group of 1-6, so the more people you can wrangle, the cheaper the overall cost.
Not only has Starks been selling people vacuums since 1932, they also own and curate the Starks Vacuum Museum. The walls of the museum are completely covered with over 300 different vacuums that range anywhere from 19th century models to that space-age cleaner your grandmother used to own in the 1960s.
Tip: The Vacuum Museum is located inside an actual vacuum shop, so don't get scared off if a salesman approaches you. Just tell him what you're looking for and he'll point the way.
Mr. Frank Kidd was a lifetime collector in the field of children's toys. His obsession started off with vehicular toys, and eventually grew into The Kidd Toy Museum.
Today the museum is home to hundreds of still banks, planes, character toys, badges, railroad locks, and even early Oregon memorabilia... and that's just the tip of the iceberg. The toys come from as far back as 1869, and are pretty much guaranteed to grab anyone's curiosity.
Tip: You can't beat the price of the Kidd Toy Museum - it's FREE! Their only request is that you sign their guestbook.
Is it any surprise that something as quirky as the world's smallest park is in Portland, Oregon? The little recreational area known as Mill Ends Park is a minuscule 452 inches square, and it's located on SW Naito Parkway's median strip. Unfortunately, there's enough room in the park for just one visitor at a time.
The tiny little park first sprouted up in 1948-- it was originally intended to be the site of a light pole, but when the pole didn't arrive, the hole dug for it became overgrown with weeds. On St. Patrick's Day in 1948, Reporter Dick Fagan held an official dedication for his new park, which he called "Mill Ends"... he also claimed that it's home to a leprechaun named Patrick O'Toole!
Cargo Imports isn't just an antique store, it's mixture between an art gallery and retail warehouse, where importers from around the world put their uncommon objects on display. The store is stocked floor-to-ceiling with folk art, quirky furniture, handmade jewelry, and pretty much any weird treasure your heart could desire. Just be prepared to leave with a lighter wallet.
Tip: Adding to the magical charm of Cargo Imports is their staff palm reader, just in case you need your fortune read while you browse.
Moberi is the original bike-powered smoothie bar, where the bikes literally powers the blenders. What's better than grabbing a protein shake on a busy day? Blending your own on one of Moberi's man-powered bike blenders! Not only are the shakes delicious, you're guaranteed to get a great workout while you're at it.
Tips: Don't worry, if you don't want to pedal for your smoothie, they're happy to do it for you. Parking can get tight at this location, but you shouldn't have a problem a block or two down in any direction.
No offbeat road trip to the land of the weird would be complete without a stop at The Freakybuttrue Peculiarium. Not only do they have a 10-foot tall Bigfoot, a zombie brain, and an interactive alien autopsy, they also serve up Bugeaters Delight Sundaes with dried mealworms and scorpions on top. Sounds gross, but if you can down the whole thing in one sitting you're a club member for life!
Tip: Admission is FREE! Be sure to browse the collection of oddities for sale: most of them were locally made!
Now that you're prepared, your trip is guaranteed to be as weird as possible... which lets be honest, isn't too hard when you're in Portland.