19 Indoor Activities In Portland To Try Next Time It Rains (2024)
- Date: July 8, 2024
- Topic: Events
- Contributors: Written by Peerspace Staff
Source: Peerspace
If you live in Portland, OR then you’re used to frequent rainy days. Any outdoor party needs a backup plan; fortunately, we at Peerspace are here to help! The City of Roses has all kinds of activities to enjoy; even lifelong locals will find something unique on this list of indoor activities in Portland. From fine dining to arcade games, there’s something for any event you have planned!
1. Check out the Freakybuttrue Peculiarium and Museum
Portland has all of the major museums you’d expect from Oregon’s largest city. But how about something a bit more niche? We think you’ll love the aptly named Peculariarium, a Portland museum filled with the weirdest exhibits around! From zombie brains to an unsettling dollhouse, the horror theme runs strong here.
2. Host an art & wine night
Rainy days are a great chance to work on your painting skills or enjoy a glass of wine with good company…But did you know that it’s very easy to do both? Portland has art and wine events where you can bring a master artist over to instruct while you enjoy a glass of wine with strangers or friends.
You can even make an art & wine event a part of a wedding reception or other special event if you have your own venue to host it. Peerspace is here to help you out with that, as we have party venues in Portland where you can host an art & wine event for dozens of guests! This event barn in nearby Vancouver, WA, is the perfect space for an elegant art & wine event that’s part of an anniversary dinner, wedding reception, or other major event!
3. Enjoy kombucha on tap
Wine and beer get all of the press when it comes to tasting rooms and events. But Portland has something truly unique to try: SOMA, a kombucha brewery using locally sourced ingredients. SOMA has three locations in the metro area where you can enjoy a bottle of this healthy, probiotic beverage.
4. Visit the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
From educational films about dinosaurs to interactive exhibits, the Oregon Museum of Science (OMSI) is a delightful indoor activity suitable for all ages! Admission includes a rotating collection of exhibits and access to several halls and labs. On the last Wednesday of each month, you can also check out OMSI After Dark, where each night is themed. Enjoy kids-free evenings with adult beverages, local vendors, music, and other special events!
Love creating unique content? Then you need to see these sick Instagram location ideas in Portland next!
5. Try indoor skydiving at iFly Portland
Put on a flight suit and experience free fall at iFly Portland, an indoor skydiving experience like no other! Instead of leaping out of a plane you can enjoy free fall inside of a wind tunnel; perfect for anyone scared of heights. iFly Portland is accessible to all ages and ability levels; plus you can hold parties and other special events here!
6. Get cultured at the Portland Art Museum
If you want an indoor activity in Portland that’s educational and cultured, check out the Portland Art Museum. Founded in 1892, the Museum has spent the past 130 years collecting nearly 50,000 pieces, including one of the world’s best Pacific NW indigenous people art collections. You’ll also find post-WWII American photography, rotating exhibitions from historic painters, educational films, and more!
7. Shop at The Portland Night Market
If you want a little something of everything, there are few better places to go than the Portland Night Market. There are over 175 vendors here, selling locally produced art, food, clothes, and more. While you shop you can taste cheese samples, enjoy live music, and discover new beauty products. When making your plans, don’t forget that the Portland Night Market is only open on Fridays and Saturdays from 4pm onwards!
8. Drink and game at an arcade bar
Video game arcades are a great place to indulge in your love of the games from your childhood. But you’ll find more than just standup arcade and console games in many of them. Some venues, including Ground Kontrol, are arcade bars where you can enjoy a drink and a meal along with your games! Ground Kontrol has a selection of games that takes you back to the 1970s and into the present with Jurassic Park, pinball, and more.
9. Explore vintage clothing stores
Vintage clothes are all the rage in PDX! Whether you need an outfit for an upcoming 80s-themed party or wear vintage accessories all of the time, Portland has one of the West Coast’s best selections of vintage stores to explore. Start your search with Wink Vintage; their selection of handmade new goods includes all of the best retro fashion choices other stores might be sold out of!
10. Check out an independent bookstore
Indie bookstores are struggling across the country but Portland has some of the best physical print retailers in the nation! Powell’s City of Books is one of the best in PDX and one of the largest in the USA. Sit in their cafe and catch up on your reading the next time it rains. You’ll find a wide selection of both new and used books to enjoy here!
11. Make crafts at Creative Cultured DIY
Enjoy milkshakes and DIY crafting at Creative Cultured the next time it rains in Portland! Craft opportunities include woodworking, potted plant arranging, pottery painting, and splatter painting inside of a large studio. You can show up for classes or book a private event for an unforgettable bachelorette party! By the way, the drinks are as creatively inspired as the artwork you’ll be making. Each s’mores, cheesecake, or birthday cake milkshake is designed in an artistic manner, filling a mason jar so that it’s overflowing with flavor!
12. Tour the Pittock Mansion
Do you love history and architecture? Then there’s no better place to visit than the Pittock Mansion on a rainy day! Built in the French Renaissance style, this 46-room mansion is a museum telling the stories of Portlanders, famous and obscure. You’ll find exhibits on the contributions of Chinese and Jewish immigrants, the Pittock family who owned the mansion, and more historical tidbits!
13. Race at an indoor go-kart track
Go-karts aren’t just an outdoor activity; you can satisfy your need for speed at one of the many indoor race tracks Portland has to offer. Have you been to K1 Speed yet? This indoor track is just 30 minutes from downtown Portland. You’ll find electric go-karts sized for adults and juniors, and other activities like a full-service restaurant, air hockey tables, and a video game arcade.
14. Enjoy high tea with friends
Afternoon and high tea aren’t just for the English! Not when Portland has several tea rooms where you can enjoy a cup of the world’s most popular beverage. Tea time is associated with elegance, making it a wonderful event to pair with a bridal shower, birthday, bachelorette party, or other special event. Check out the beautiful Victorian Belle Mansion, where you can enjoy afternoon tea inside a luxurious 1885 estate!
Plan your own tea party menu using these chic tea party food ideas for an elegant affair!
15. Go indoor rock climbing
Rock climbing is one of the best full-body workouts around but a rainy day is going to ruin your plans, right? Not when you live in a city like Portland, whose outdoor focus means there are plenty of backup options. Check out an indoor facility like Portland Rock Gym instead! You can scale a wall of varying difficulty without a drop of rain in a climate-controlled space. Portland Rock Gym also offers classes on climbing, yoga, and fitness!
16. Catch a dinner show
Looking for an unforgettable date night experience? Dinner shows are the perfect way to combine entertainment and a meal in a single evening! Portland is home to the Dinner Detective, a true crime murder mystery event where the actors are mixed in with the dinner audience. Solve clues, witness scenes, and play along as you enjoy a three-course meal together.
17. Enjoy the best pizza in the USA
Portland is one of the top pizza cities in the nation, with food bloggers finding that it even eclipses New York City as having truly amazing pies. Whether you want a wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, a traditional deep-dish Chicago-style pizza, or something else, Portland caters to all tastes. Begin your pizza journey with Apizza Scholls, a NYC-style pizza joint that’s been a Portland fixture for nearly two decades!
18. Go to a skating rink
Roller skating is one indoor activity in Portland that won’t be ruined by a rainy day! Head to the roller rink at Oaks Park, which happens to be as historic as it is fun. The Oaks Park rink is not only the oldest in the country; it also has the largest skating floor west of the Mississippi. You can visit for kid or adult-only hours and rent skates for the day at very reasonable rates!
19. Host a dinner party
Rainy days are a wonderful chance to catch up with friends and family over a delicious meal. All you need is a venue with enough seating for your guest list. Did you know that Peerspace has party spaces for any occasion, including dinner parties? Many of our venues, like this Parisian-themed venue in Southeast Portland, are as much about the decor as the seating! Your guests will have loads of natural light to enjoy inside of the historic Ford Building. With seating for up to 20 guests, it’s an intimate and elegant venue for a dinner party!
Indoor activities in Portland: conclusion
With over 160 rainy days per year, it pays to have a backup plan for events in Portland, Oregon. Fortunately, the city has indoor amenities that offer something for any occasion. Whether you have a birthday dinner, cocktail party, or game night planned, the City of Roses has a space suitable for the day.
If you’d like to make the event extra special, consider booking a venue through Peerspace! We have banquet halls, party rooms, and other spaces that ensure you won’t have to bump elbows with the public while you celebrate in style!
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