5 Places To Go For Great Food And Family Fun Near Portland
Are you taking a family trip to Portland and looking for places to go for great food and family fun? Do you live in the Portland area and want something new and exciting to do with your entire family? Look no further!
We know how important it is to spend time as a family together. We also know how redundant doing the same old thing can be. It’s easy to get bored with something when it’s the only place your family ever goes. It may be time to try something new. Here are five places to go to for great food and family fun near Portland.
Oaks Amusement Park
If you’re visiting the Portland area as a family, or if you are raising a family in Portland, Oaks Amusement Park is a staple. Built in the early 1900s, it’s one of the oldest continuously operating amusement parks found in the country. The amusement park hosts a nice mix of classic amusement park rides, as well as thrill rides for all ages.
These rides include an extreme roller coaster properly called Adrenaline Peak, as well as a family-friendly drop called Tree Top Drop. In addition to rides, there’s also miniature golf, arcade games, Skee-Ball, darts, face painting, and a community stage. The outdoor rides do close during the winter months, but the roller rink is open year-round.
What’s an amusement park without a concession stand? From corndogs to pizza to popcorn to ice cream, you’ll find all of your favorite amusement-park foods here. Plus, hot chocolate and cherry or blue raspberry ICEEs are served.
Mt. Scott Community Center and Indoor Pool
The Mt. Scott Community Center and Indoor Pool was once a wood-frame bathhouse built in 1927. The pool has an open swim time every day or you can enroll your child in swimming lessons. The pool isn’t just an ordinary pool—it’s home to two slides, a rope swing, a hot tub, a lazy river, a zero-entry pool, and a six-lane lap pool.
Not only does the Mt. Scott Community Center have an indoor pool, but it’s also home to an indoor roller-skating rink. In addition to this, there’s also a traversing bouldering wall inside that you may climb, as well as an outdoor playground.
While there isn’t a restaurant at the community center, it is home to various happenings, such as holiday bazaars that feature great food. There’s always something going on, so be sure to check the calendar before venturing out!
Portland Children’s Museum
The Portland Children’s Museum is not your ordinary museum—it’s an interactive one. There are many hands-on exhibits that allow children to play while learning. In addition to these hands-on exhibits, there are also rotating exhibits, so every time you go, there will likely be something new for your child to discover.
There’s also an Outdoor Adventure area, which is an outdoor play area that encourages children to connect with nature. Furthermore, there’s a theatre for children interested in all aspects of putting on a play—they can choose to be on stage, backstage, or both.
You’ll also find a make-believe grocery store, construction site, and pet hospital that help children experience the world as adults. And don’t forget to stop by the Clay and Maker Studios, where children can try their hands at creating art using various media, including recycled materials.
Food is allowed in designated areas of the café and Outdoor Adventure. The Counter @ the Museum café serves sandwiches, salads, bowls, and breakfast dishes, and has a special children’s menu that includes peanut butter sandwiches, snack packs, and a chicken dinner.
Punch Bowl Social
This bowling alley is found inside of the Pioneer Place Mall. But it’s not only bowling. There are private karaoke rooms, a pool table, darts, shuffleboard, ping pong, and vintage arcade games. You won’t even realize that you’re still in a mall!
The space is family-friendly every day until around 10 p.m. They even have a Half-Pints menu! Though, all children must be accompanied by an adult.
The bowling alley isn’t your normal bowling alley, as the pins are on a string and the ball return is actually above the ground. The kids are going to love it!
In terms of food, you can’t go wrong eating at Punch Bowl Social. It’s not your normal “bowling alley” food. They have chicken and waffles, crab Rangoon dip, and cauliflower nachos. There are also fun drinks for children of all ages, such as grapefruit soda and malts and shakes.
Bullwinkle’s Entertainment
Last but not least, and our personal favorite go-to for great food and family fun near Portland (not that we’re biased) is Bullwinkle’s Entertainment. Here at Bullwinkle’s, we have everything you need and more. From mini-golf to a zipline to bumper boats, there’s family fun for children of all ages.
That’s not all though. There’s laser tag, aerial adventures, bowling, and 100 different arcade games to play. Furthermore, Bullwinkle’s is open year-round, rain or shine. With activities both indoors and out, it doesn’t matter what the weather is. There’s always fun to be had!
In addition to all of these different activities, we also host a restaurant right in our center with delicious food for you to either share together or eat all on your own. Our extensive menu includes unique items such as our Mega Moose Burger, which consists of a full pound of grilled premium ground beef, and a grilled chicken ciabatta sandwich that’s served with house-seasoned kettle chips.
If you prefer to share, we have tons of shareables, such as super nachos, pretzel bun beer cheese cheddar sliders, and totchos, which are a stack of crispy tater tots covered in beer cheese sauce, shredded cheese, bacon bits, peppers, and sour cream.
If you’re in the Portland area and looking to have great food and family fun together, you can’t go wrong with any of the above options!