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Portland Japanese Garden Offers Excellent Spring Break Outing for Families Seeking Time in Nature and Cultural Immersion

Posted by Portland Japanese Garden on
A family outing at Portland Japanese Garden. Photo by Julie Gursha.

PORTLAND, Ore., United States—March 31, 2025—Families in search of activities and things to do during spring break should plan a visit to Portland, Oregon! Renowned for its immediate access to nature and vibrant culinary scene, Portland is also home to some of the nation’s best arts and culture institutions, including Portland Japanese Garden. The New York Times recently recommended the Garden as a spring break destination for parents, highlighting our “expansive city views and programming for families.” They also suggested taking a “tea and mochi break at [the] Umami Café.”

The Umami Café. Photo by Portland Japanese Garden.

Portland Japanese Garden was founded more than 60 years ago when Portland civic leaders transformed the abandoned remains of an old zoo into an urban oasis. Opened to the public in 1967, the Garden has helped repair ties between Portland and Japan as well as provide Portlanders and visitors to the area a place to experience inner peace. Proclaimed as the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan, Portland Japanese Garden is also North America’s foremost Japanese cultural organization and provides a bevy of programming and events for all ages to enjoy.

The spring, Portland Japanese Garden is thrilled to share it is implementing new elements to the visitor experience specifically geared toward parents, including:

  • Family Studio. This is a perfect space for visitors of all ages that invites families to sit down, pick an activity, and linger during their visit to the Garden on weekends.
  • Tea and Light Bites from the Umami Café. Floating above a hillside like a treehouse, the Umami Café offers green teas and light bites both savory and sweet. Previously reservation-only, now all guests are welcome to come in, take a seat, or grab things to go for their Garden stroll.
The Family Studio in Portland Japanese Garden’s Cultural Village. Photo by Portland Japanese Garden.

Then there is the everlasting beauty of Portland Japanese Garden. Replete with meandering pathways, streams and waterfalls, and contemplative raked gravel gardens, spring is when some of the Garden’s most cherished flowers bloom including its cherry blossoms, azaleas, and rhododendrons.

Hours and Admission

The Natural Garden. Photo by Portland Japanese Garden.
  • Hours: 10:00am – 5:30pm; Wednesday – Monday (closed Tuesdays)
  • Adult admission (effective 4/1): $22.50
  • Tickets can be purchased at tickets.japanesegarden.org

Visual Assets

The Sapporo Pagoda Lantern. Photo by William Sutton.

Images can be found in this Dropbox folder. Photographer name is in the file name. Please stylize the credit as “Courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden, photo by [fill in name].” If no photographer name is included, “Courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden” will suffice.

Media Contact

The Haiku Stone at Portland Japanese Garden. Photo by Portland Japanese Garden.

Will Lerner
Communications Manager
(503) 542-9351 (desk)
wlerner@japanesegarden.org

About Portland Japanese Garden

The weeping cherry in the Flat Garden. Photo by Portland Japanese Garden.

Portland Japanese Garden is a nonprofit organization originally founded in 1963 as a place for cross-cultural understanding following World War II. A hallmark in the City of Portland, the Garden was founded on the ideals of peace and mutual understanding between peoples and cultures. Portland Japanese Garden is considered the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan and the foremost Japanese cultural organization in North America.