Shanghai tunnels

The Shanghai tunnels are interconnected basement rooms and passages running beneath the streets, linking former hotels and taverns to the Willamette River waterfront. The pathways wind through several blocks, passing through bricked walls and low ceilings.

The passages took shape in the 19th century when merchants wanted to move goods from ships directly into the basements of their businesses without using the crowded streets. Over the decades, connections between buildings grew until a network of walkways lay beneath several blocks.

The name refers to stories of sailors who fell through trapdoors into the passages and were taken onto ships bound for distant ports. These tales still shape guided walks and conversations in the old buildings of the neighborhood today.

Tours begin in a pizzeria housed in a former hotel building and lead through lit sections of the passage system. The passages are narrow and sometimes low, so comfortable footwear is helpful.

The entire network covers more than 14000 square feet (1300 square meters) and still holds trapdoors in different establishments leading directly into the passages. Some of these hatches sit beneath tables or behind counters in bars and restaurants that remain open today.