Weird portland history Aug 22, 2025 · In this article, we will delve into the origins of this quirky moniker, explore the unique characteristics that define Portland’s culture, and highlight the various factors that contribute to its reputation as one of the weirdest cities in the United States. Had a great time on the Weird Portland tour led by Todd! I'm always a little uncertain about going drinking in pubs and bars as a solo female traveller, so this was the perfect way to join some other people for the evening and get to experience Portland's microbrewery scene with lots of great beers to try! Which city was weird first? Believe it or not, the “Keep Portland Weird” concept didn't start in Portland, it started in Austin, Texas with “Keep Austin Weird,” a motto intended to increase traffic to local businesses. 2. Oct 1, 2025 · Portland is the Oregonian city where food carts are haute cuisine, there's no such thing as bad weather (only bad clothes), and being “weird” is a badge of honor. “Keep Portland Weird” is the city’s unofficial motto for good reason. It originated from the "Keep Austin Weird" slogan and was originally intended to promote local businesses, though it has since evolved into an all-encompassing slogan that secondarily promotes individuality, expressionism, local art, as well as atypical lifestyle choices and leisure activities. From the captivating exhibits at the Portland Museum of Art to the maritime heritage showcased at the Maine Maritime Museum, each museum provides an enriching experience for visitors of all ages. Here's what you'll find here: A weekly newspaper column published in about a dozen Oregon community newspapers; An archive of columns we've published since 2008, with pictures (arranged by date of first publication); A daily podcast (7 to 12 minutes long Feb 7, 2024 · Exploring the unique museums in Portland, Maine, offers a fascinating journey through the city's rich history, diverse culture, and artistic expressions. I've attended lectures by the amazingly talented Poison Waters, the founder of The Peculiarium, and Rojo the Llama. Portland is not the largest city in Maine: While many people assume Portland is the biggest city in Maine, it's actually the second largest. Here are the best things to do and see in this quirky, cool city from a local insider. Sep 10, 2025 · Discover 10 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Portland from International Cryptozoology Museum to Maine Lobsterman Statue. 8 hours ago · With help from a limited-edition whiskey, a Portland icon and a local distillery are teaming up to keep Portland’s spirit alive and are making things weird along the way. Here’s why we think it’s one of America’s strangest but greatest cities. In my two decades Feb 7, 2021 · A PORTLAND ICON'S QUEST TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT CREATIVITY A man in a Darth Vader costume riding a unicycle and playing flaming bagpipes can only mean one thing: you’re in Portland. The mixture of historic… Sep 22, 2022 · From creepy clown bars to a a plethora of pinball parlors, here's what to do in Portland where things are delightfully weirder than ever May 16, 2021 · PORTLAND, Ore. Aug 20, 2012 · Why only weird? Let's keep Portland passive-aggressive too! Portland is weird. Some key Portland history behind the nickname, Rip City: Back in the Portland Trail's Blazers' first season in 1970, the team was very much as it is today, which is comically uncoordinated. Dec 2, 2019 · Introduced in 2003 as an initiative to support local businesses, “Keep Portland Weird” has fast become Portland ’s unofficial motto. Sep 28, 2025 · Portland is celebrated for its food and a vibrant creative culture. In my two decades May 3, 2019 · For my first entry to into A Walk on the Weird Side – we’re visiting Portland’s Roseway Neighborhood. Feb 15, 2017 · While perusing the Keep Austin Weird website I came across a quote that probably best sums up what the “Keep Austin Weird” and “Keep Portland Weird” mottos really stand for: “If the way Earth's quirkiest little museum - filled with cryptids, strange artifacts, weird underground Portland and Pacific Northwest history, original art and gifts, and fun, funky stuff to see and do. Weird Portland United is a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States. But it’s also celebrated for being weird. See you there! If you’re tired of cookie-cutter city tours packed with dry history—and you want to experience Portland’s uniquely eccentric vibe—then the Weird Portland Pub Tour might be just what you’re looking for. February 8, 1851 . Since then, like Portland's residents, Austin's citizens use the slogan to refer to all aspects of their city. The honor goes to the capital city of Augusta. Oct 24, 2018 · Let's face it, the Rose City was weird long before "Keep Portland Weird" became its unofficial slogan. The Old Port is a historic Strange-but-true stories out of Oregon: Heroes and rascals, shipwrecks and lost gold | Offbeat Oregon History Sep 3, 2020 · Portland has a reputation for being a liberal utopia. They invite guest speakers to discuss their creative endeavors in Portland. It’s a town that attracts people of all kinds. Weird Portland United presents a monthly networking and educational event called Weird Portland Creatives. Portland is loaded with these gems! Weird Portland United is the only nonprofit dedicated to keeping Portland weird. The history of the city of Portland, Oregon, began in 1843 when business partners William Overton and Asa Lovejoy filed to claim land on the west bank of the Willamette River in Oregon Country. The organization helps discover, promote and nurture the day dreamers and creative types who want to offer something new and weird to the city. Sep 15, 2023 · Portland, Maine is a charming city with a lot of interesting lesser-known facts. Dig deep and you’ll find a treasure trove of the unusual and the unique. Black activists want to puncture that image. According to fawning members of the media, "Keep Portland Wierd" has become something of an "unofficial motto" for the city, and the phrase has spawned many Jan 11, 2020 · At the Portland Puppet Museum, you can learn the history of puppets, visit a workshop where puppets are made, and catch a puppet performance! Visit the Portland Puppet Museum at 906 SE Umatilla Street in Portland Oregon. The Austin Independent Business Alliance began using the slogan Keep Austin Weird to promote small businesses, which is pretty much how it was first used in Portland too. Nestled in NE Portland, Roseway Neighborhood is approximately 0. Tucked away in the quiet Mount Tabor neighborhood, this hidden gem celebrates the bizarre, the beautiful, and the downright fascinating. Portland sort ripped-off the phrase from Austin, Texas. Jan 5, 2025 · Weird - Some key Portland history behind the nickname, Rip City: Back in the Portland Trail's Blazers' first season in 1970, the team was very much as it is today, which is comically uncoordinated. [1] . The mixture of historic… Sep 22, 2022 · From creepy clown bars to a a plethora of pinball parlors, here's what to do in Portland where things are delightfully weirder than ever Jul 9, 2025 · If you're on the hunt for something delightfully weird in Portland, The Zymoglyphic Museum is an absolute must-see. In fact, if you want to transition an item from mundane to extraordinary you only need to showcase it with some lights and a written history, and… POOF! You’ve got a museum. In 1845 the name of Portland was chosen for this community by coin toss. At the The history of Portland’s Chinese and Japanese settlers is well documented, but little told. (KOIN) — With so many questions surrounding Portland’s reputation in the current moment, some may wonder, is the city still “weird?” “I think our reputation is tattered in Feb 7, 2024 · Exploring the unique museums in Portland, Maine, offers a fascinating journey through the city's rich history, diverse culture, and artistic expressions. Keep Portland Weird! is one of my favorite slogans (and my vote for official city motto) so I thought it might be fun to put it in a historical context. This 3-hour walking adventure takes you through some of Portland’s most colorful neighborhoods—Hawthorne and Division—and combines craft beer tastings with local tales, murals Jul 17, 2021 · The art on the wall of a building saying “Keep Portland Weird” is the memory that comes to mind of our visit in 2014. From 24-hour coin-operated churches worshiping the King, to contraband ringed pastries laced with over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, to a thriving underground organic wrestling scene, Portland has a weird history and we are proud of it. Let's delve into some of them: 1. Which one of these do you want to visit? We hope you enjoyed this article on some of the most quirky Oregon museums. And many Portlanders are proud enough of that fact to proclaim their hope for the persistence of such weirdness in bumper sticker, t-shirt, or even mural form. 81 square miles and borders on Cully Neighborhood. Provisional Government of Oregon district boundaries drawn in 1843, showing eventual U. Mar 28, 2016 · "Keep Portland Weird" is Portland's motto. For adventurers looking beyond the conventional tourist trails, Portland offers a plethora of odd and intriguing activities to explore. Both groups faced intense racial discrimination and even violence, but they persevered and made large contributions to Portland culture and prosperity. It was an amazing evening. Brian Kidd, who is known as the Unipiper, founded the collective in 2018 in an effort to "Keep Portland Weird". At the time, the Los Angeles Lakers were on a tear to the Western Conference Finals. This blog is dedicated to Feb 7, 2021 · A PORTLAND ICON'S QUEST TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT CREATIVITY A man in a Darth Vader costume riding a unicycle and playing flaming bagpipes can only mean one thing: you’re in Portland. Jun 10, 2019 · Not every museum is a showcase for grandiose works of art, or priceless artifacts. Anyone who’s been to the city or watched cult TV show Portlandia will know that the phrase has been taken to heart, and Portland is proud to be, well, a little bit quirky. Oct 24, 2018 · Below we offer a loving and somewhat random sampling of quirky local people, places and incidents from those bygone days when, outside Oregon, the name "Portland" somehow conjured images merely It represents the fun, quirky nature of Portland where individuality is celebrated. Roseway was one of those neighborhoods I’ve driven through many times to get somewhere else, but after doing a little research, I decided it was time for me to park the Heroes and rascals shipwrecks and lost gold Welcome to Offbeat Oregon History, a public-history resource for the state we love. With a fascinating past of orchestral music, art, culture, and unexplained activity, the haunted hotel continues to attract many visitors. May 16, 2021 · PORTLAND, Ore. border and states. Aug 2, 2024 · Haunted Portland The Heathman Hotel is a luxurious yet unique stay in the heart of downtown Portland that stays true to its pioneering & characteristically “weird” Portland history. S. Oct 14, 2025 · Discover 64 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Portland from The Witch's Castle to Wishing Tree. It was actually inspired by the Keep Austin Weird sign, and brought to Portland in 2003. (KOIN) — With so many questions surrounding Portland’s reputation in the current moment, some may wonder, is the city still “weird?” “I think our reputation is tattered in Heroes and rascals shipwrecks and lost gold Welcome to Offbeat Oregon History, a public-history resource for the state we love. Here's what you'll find here: A weekly newspaper column published in about a dozen Oregon community newspapers; An archive of columns we've published since 2008, with pictures (arranged by date of first publication); A daily podcast (7 to 12 minutes long Keep Portland Weird! While working on my latest book -- Murder and Mayhem in Portland, Oregon due out from the History Press on April 16, 2013 -- I realized that my city has some very odd stories in its history. However, Portland is still the most populous city in the state. viuvf2pm yejxj dszd e6khlh nt6c zh37 bfsqjp tm26l knq 4fpn1w