What to Do in Portland on a Rainy Day

Rainy days are gentle in Portland, with a hushed drizzle rather than cats-and-dogs downpour. No need to stay indoors, but make sure you pack your rubber boots and waterproof jackets, and you’ll fit right in. Step into any one of Portland’s exciting indoor activities conveniently located near several Portland hotels, and you may decide you don’t want to leave.

Science Museum

Ready for a submarine tour? A planetarium sky show? The Portland Museum of Science will knock your kids' socks off, while the five interactive exhibit rooms—including ecology, science lab and human body themes—delight and occupy the adults in your group as well. As the rain falls outside the museum's huge windows, you'll be engrossed in an educational or mainstream film at the facility's giant dome theater.

Pittock Mansion

Cab it up to the top of the West Hills to explore the Pittock Mansion—once the home of the owners of The Oregonian newspaper—with its greenhouse, Italianate gate lodge servants’ residence and million-dollar view. Your family can soak up Portland history and, even in light rain, get blown away by the mansion's panoramic overlook of the city backed by iconic Mount Hood. If you drive, find free parking just beside the Mansion.

Portland Art Museum

Start with art on a rainy day by gathering your clan at Portland's Art Museum. All kids under 17 get in free. Ogle its fine collection of over 500 Native American prehistoric and historic artifacts. Take in the visual pulse of the region at the museum's vast exhibit of Northwest art, including the ever-changing contemporary Northwest artist exhibition happening in a sky-lit hall on the fourth floor. When you become art saturated, your group can enjoy snacking on Japanese-style appetizers at the Behind the Museum Cafe.

Rainy Day Zoo Visit

On rainy days, you can get up close and personal with the animals in the Oregon Zoo. With fewer zoo visitors, you and your clan get more viewing room—and locals claim the animals are more active in cooler weather. Watch the De Brazza's monkeys catching lizards, check out the Egyptian fruit bats roosting in the Amazon Rain Forest, and laugh at the antics in the Pengiunarium. Don't miss the state-of-the-art Elephant Lands exhibit, with its "Forest Lights" installation of wood, steel and color-shifting glass by artist Catherine Widgery. Go the second Tuesday of the month for special admission rates, or get group discounts if your crowd numbers 20 or more. Don’t forget the poncho!