Washington Park, Urban park in Portland, United States

Washington Park covers more than 458 acres (185 hectares) on wooded hillsides rising from 200 feet at West Burnside Street to 870 feet at SW Fairview Boulevard. Its 241.45 acres of designated city parkland adjoin the 64-acre Oregon Zoo and the 153-acre Hoyt Arboretum. Terraced beds edged with clipped hedges and a low red brick wall with steps appear on the sloping grounds.

Portland bought 40.78 acres from Amos King in 1871 for $32,624, a price considered high at the time; the tract, called City Park, was brushy wilderness where cougars roamed. Park keeper Charles M. Meyers, a former seaman from Germany, laid out roads, lawns, clipped hedges and flower gardens in the 1880s. John Charles Olmsted advised on entrances and paths in 1903, and the name changed to Washington Park in 1909.

The International Rose Test Garden holds thousands of rose varieties from around the world and draws people who come to see how different types bloom in one place. The garden shows what roses are being developed and tested for gardens elsewhere.

The park is accessible by MAX light rail, buses, and a free shuttle, with paid parking available. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended since the terrain is hilly with considerable distances between different areas.

The World Forestry Center Discovery Museum features a petrified tree stump from ancient times and explains how wood can turn to stone over millions of years. This unusual display draws visitors curious about forest history and geological transformation.