Lair Hill Park is hidden underneath tall trees and can be found across the street and south from…read morethe YMCA on Barbur. Lots of grass to play or nap on and a sweet playground for the kids, including a metal merry-go-round, swings, slides, monkey bars. You'll probably see dogs running around off leash but their owners are tops when it comes to cleaning up after them and there is also a tennis court.

Imagine an idealized version of a neighborhood and you pretty much have Lair Hill Park. Most of the…read morepark is shaded beneath big-leaved maple and chestnut trees that light up in yellow and orange and red, making fall a wonderful time to enjoy the park. It's not big; a small neighborhood square block, but it has everything a park needs. It has a nice playground, including one of those metal carousel things that parks don't have anymore because they are too dangerous. There are nice swings, and benches to enjoy the scenery. On one of the grassy knolls sits a chunky metal sculpture weirdly reminiscent of Stonehenge. There is a dilapidated backstop so you can play Butt's Up, the only game I've ever played on a backstop (an activity that took place solely in 5th grade and forgotten until now.) There's a decent looking tennis court, and the park is just across the street from Duniway track and some good running trails. On the outskirts of the track are some historic buildings to remind you of what the neighborhood once was. A beautiful brick building was, if memory serves, once a nurses' dormitory for OHSU, or something like that. And the interesting brown-trimmed building in the corner was one of the first libraries in the area (it is now something else, and a little run down.) A great place to sit, play, swing, and enjoy the world.

I've always loved carousel horses. I wanted a full size one for my dream living room when I was…read moreyoung. I did collected small carousel horse ornaments for my Christmas trees. So, when I realized Albany had a carousel with a museum I had to go. The place is amazing and more than horses. There is no entrance fee. I checked out the painting studio, then the carousel, with its snack bar. I saw all those animals featured on their website go round & round and up & down in three dimensional real life. I took lot of pictures and video. I joined a tour led by a volunteer. Learning about the local lady that started it all. Saw more carousel animals in basement along with the carving shop while three artists worked on future animals to be. I purchased a token to ride the carousel ($2) and nearly walked around the whole menagerie before deciding on an animal to sit upon. After debating salmon, elephant, orca, bear, zebra etc; I wound up on a horse named Calapooia. I didn't notice any xmas ornaments in the gift but I did buy a tee-shirt of Guardian the Hippocampus and a post card of Calapooia. They had post cards for all the animals on the carousel. I also got to press a penny while I still could. I had a great time. I was a kid again, all the people were happy. It was like visiting a small Disneyland. And for those happiest smiles I gladly left a donation for their future endeavors.

Oh, I loved this. My BFF lives in Salem, so I know they have a carousel since we've visited with…read morethem. But I don't even know how I found out Albany had a carousel a couple weeks ago and I'm really glad we did. It was worth the 50 minute drive from Eugene. We went on a Wednesday, because they have happy hour on Wednesdays from 3-4 p.m. (they close at 4). Rides were half off (usually $2 per ride token). Some of the concessions are half off as well which was nice! And don't sleep on the concession stand; it's got a great menu and it's reasonably priced. Since I was there with my toddler, an adult was required to ride with her to make sure she was secure (there are not restraints on the animals) and for that reason, the accompanying adult was free. My sister and I took turns on baby duty, though we did all go on at least once (so that used two tokens). And they do a free ride as the final ride, so we all had fun on that one too. This place is run by volunteer power. So thankful for them all so we can have a great time! The historic part of the carousel is that the mechanism is a Dentzel 1909 piece donated by the great-grandson of the founder of Dentzel Carousel Corporation and the National Carousel Association. The objective was to enchant people with the finest carousel in the world, and they may well have met the brief here. There is a menagerie of animals here and they are all beautiful. The outside animals are stationary, and the inner two rows are "jumpers" (they move up and down). The animals are all hand-carved. I think I heard on the video playing in the souvenir shop that the outer animals cost $10,000 and $7,500 for the jumpers, and they're worth it because of the beauty and labor expended. Downstairs there's a museum, which we didn't have an opportunity to visit this time. But I am really looking forward to checking it out. The gift shop (also volunteer-run) has some really nice items, from carousel-specific to more generic gift items. I just wish they had more for smaller children, because I wanted to buy a t-shirt for my toddler but had no luck. But there is a sticker for every one of the animals on the carousel! I bought a couple stickers for the two my daughter rode on. Each of the animals has names, too, which would have made my search easier but I managed. They have a few rooms for rent, so you can have parties or events here. You can also join as a member at one of several levels and get a variety of benefits, one of which is unlimited rides. I can imagine this would be a magical place for a birthday party. I really have to applaud the thought and care that went into creating this attraction. They have some fantastic events; their 21-and-older Derby Day event is sold out weeks in advance. They have weekly story time events, and if we're in Eugene when they happen we may drive up for it. There was a tea, and a Mother's Day event is planned (with a free ride for the moms!). They even have a weekly sensory friendly period, when the carousel runs quiet (yay for DE&I!). I really appreciate the focus on inclusivity here, from the aforementioned sensory days to weight inclusion. There's even a Tea-Rex dinosaur themed tea party coming up! They also give back to the community, such as their carving program for teens to learn the craft. It's simply wonderful. There's free street parking on the blocks around the carousel. Besides that, parking gets a little tricky so you'll want to consult their webpage to see what the parking options are. I cannot wait to visit again with my daughter for more fun rides and to explore the museum. (Review #2400, May 8, 2026.)

This is a really great park sitting along the Willamette River. The park has a nice large…read moreplayground; it would only be better if there was a fence but there are steps so that slows a kiddo down. The Riverfront Park includes the playground and just grassy area (which is nice for all the folks we saw picnicking), and the carousel, plus food trucks congregate in the amphitheater area sometimes. The day we were there there were three of them and plenty of space for a couple more. Nice option to go grab a snack. There were a few picnic tables and we were able to claim one of them. The bathrooms were pretty gross. There was no soap or anything in them and one was in yucky shape. That led us to the port-a-potty, which was pretty gross but a little less gross than the permanent toilets. There's a large parking lot here since they must have lots of various activities taking place here. I'm glad we visited here (at a friend's recommendation) and got to enjoy this (mostly) well-kept park.

My 4 year old and I came down to Salem to tsp the Enchanted Forest. So the day before we explored…read moreSalem. This park was worth the afternoon stop. A carousel ($2 person-go to gift shop to buy the coins) Large grassy areas to run or let the dog roll around (on leash). Really large area of outdoor play area with climbing, swings and slides. Of course the iconic walking bridge. Recommend: pick up some bbq from The Back Porch on Edgewater (5 min drive) and picnic. See review of restaurant

The workers didn't seem like they knew what was going on and weren't familiar with the promotions…read moregoing on. They did have a all you can bowl package which was nice. I would like to go back again in the future to see if it would be a better experience. It has the potential to be a fun place for a date night. I'll check it out the next time I'm in the area with some friends.

We came here for a day trip to Oregon. The service was great! We had two servers because of a shift…read morechange but both were very kind! We ordered the shrimp tacos, the BLT sandwich, and the charcuterie board. I ate the whole charcuterie board myself which was certainly a choice by me. But I wish there was some guidance about what paired with what. I've never really had a charcuterie board before but I was combining everything together and it seemed like nothing went well together. Overall not that good but I liked the almonds. The strawberry jam is very sweet. The sandwich had a lot of bacon and my friend told me she liked it. The shrimp tacos were not as good as we were hoping. The surroundings were so silly. Loved the ambiance and my friend loved the sports games that were playing. There were a lot of different ones so there was surely one that you would be interested in. I was facing away from the bar so I couldn't see the games, but I'm not really a sports fan anyway. Overall 5/5 service, 5/5 ambiance, 3/5 food. Would come back to try a burger because it looked really good!

I drive by so often I sometimes forget how freaking great Gabriel Park is. The place is huge,…read morenicely laid out, and it is IMO a lovely place to spend an afternoon or even a weekend. Plus it's got a little bit of everything; paved walking paths, or dirt trails if you like; basketball courts; lots of picnic tables; tennis courts; two baseball fields; two dog parks; a skate park; an old growth forest (no joke!); open meadows; an up to date playground, and I'm sure a bunch of other things I'm missing. There's a small parking lot and usually plenty of on street parking if you're driving here, and Multnomah Village is just over the hill. And it's all free.

There is so much to do at this park and multiple parking spots and access points. Tennis courts,…read moreplayground, bathrooms, basketball court, soccer field, skate park, dog park, trails, community garden, baseball diamond and more! Large rolling hills with expansive grassy areas for picnics and views. If you are looking for recreation, you can find it here. Beautiful day and evening.

We drove an hour to visit Hidden Creek West Park in Hillsboro, and it was absolutely worth the…read moretrip! This park is a total gem--thoughtfully designed, beautifully shaded, and perfect for families. There are plenty of swings and a great variety of play equipment to keep kids engaged for hours. One of the things I appreciated most was the visibility--there's seating thoughtfully placed all around the park, so no matter where your child is playing, you can easily keep an eye on them. There's even a grassy area under the trees where you can lay out a blanket and relax. Even on a hot day, the metal slides stayed cool thanks to the shade, which is a rare and welcome surprise! The kids there were all friendly, and the parents seemed attentive and involved, creating a really positive, safe vibe. My kids had a blast and would've stayed much longer if I hadn't forgotten snacks--lesson learned! We'll definitely be back, this time with a picnic and more time to explore.

First of all the park is huge and the activities available for the kids are wonderful. Multiple…read moreswings, rotating ball, and great big climbing structure with slides and rock climbing wall. There is a fountain for the summer time and outdoor picnicking and grilling. Nice little trail to walk around. Across the street is 3 futbol piches and more park. The community center features indoor courts for basketball, badminton, track, and a gym. Staff is sorry nice and welcoming and the place is clean and inviting.