Join us for a walking tour of Portland's downtown museums. While we're showing you the best routes to get to the Portland Art Museum, the Lan Su Chinese Garden and others, we'll show you great shortcuts and places to take a well-deserved break!

STARTING POINT:
Pioneer Square is a great place to start, since it's considered Portland's living room where everyone and anyone can gather. We'll end up back near here at the end!

WALKING UP BROADWAY:
On this first part of the journey we'll enjoy the scenic splendors of SW Broadway, with its historic buildings, theaters and shops.

THE PARK BLOCKS:
While not a museum, the Park Blocks are a vision all by themselves. Stroll leisurely up the middle and enjoy fresh air, beautiful trees and an occasional statue.

PORTLAND ART MUSEUM:
The oldest museum in the Northwest, the Portland Art Museum is internationally-renowned for exciting art experiences. Located in the heart of downtown's cultural district on the Park Blocks, the Museum's campus includes an outdoor sculpture plaza, a six-level center for modern art, a 33,000-volume library, dedicated photography galleries and historical interiors.

OREGON HISTORY MUSEUM:
Explore Oregon's fascinating history at the Oregon History Museum, located on the historic Park Blocks in downtown Portland. The museum is home to many exhibits, including the award-winning exhibit Oregon My Oregon. Occupying an entire floor of the museum, this exhibit includes two theaters, interactive displays, and an authentic wagon.

SHORT CUT!
At this point we'll give our feet a break by hopping on the next free MAX train for a 3-stop ride. It doesn't matter if the line is green, yellow or a nice rainbow hue, hop on it at the corner of SW 6th and Madison! In this part of town, the train is free in a Rail Free Zone. During the day the trains are quite frequent, and while you might be able to out-walk it, you'll probably appreciate the rest.

SNACK TIME:
After all this sight-seeing, it's time for a break. This section of 5th between Davis and Couch has several nice restaurants and cafes to grab a bite, a drink or a stiff coffee!

LAN SU CHINESE GARDEN:
At this point we'll grab some more wonderful fresh air admist the serenity of the Lan Su Chinese Garden. Built by Chinese artisans from Suzhou, it's the most authentic Chinese garden outside of China. Much more than just a beautiful garden, Lan Su is a creative wonder - a powerfully inspiring experience based on a 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition that melds art, architecture, design and nature in perfect harmony. Once inside the garden's walls, you'll feel as if you've traveled through time to another era in a faraway world.

BACK TO THE PIONEER COURTHOUSE SQUARE:
Time to get back on the MAX on NW 5th between Davis and Couch St. This will head back towards Pioneer Courthouse Square. Same as before, you can grab any MAX that comes along.

And here we are, back at Portland Courthouse Square! DiscoverPortland.net hopes you've enjoyed this tour, please take a look at our other maps and info about Portland.