Such a cool historical building!…read more The firehouse is open to the public Wednesdays and every second Saturday of the month. I believe you can schedule tours and private events at other times, and they do some special events (like photos with Santa). If you're local or enjoy Portland history, I think it's worth a visit. It won't take you all that long. The official tour takes an hour but we walked through in about 15 minutes. It's a great indoor activity for the fireman-loving kid or to assist in a fire safety talk with your children. Things inside the firehouse include: -An emergency response simulator -A fire pole that kids can slide down (!) -A dispatch board exhibit -An exhibit about the destructive power of fire -Antique equipment like hoses, carts, water tanks, etc -Info about the building's history including chew marks from the horses that used to be stabled here

They are only open every Wednesday and the second Saturday of each month. In September 2024, that…read morefell on the same day as the Belmont Street fair. This museum was quite amazing. I did not get a chance to really talk to any of the people working. There was just so much to look at. My favorite was the cab of the firetruck that is a simulator of what it is like to be in the truck when called out for an emergency. Free admission, I recommend this for anyone in the area.

Local area historical FACTS..... in plain sight! Thank you! A place to do some serious research…read moreon Clark County. Great window to the past.

We stopped in on a rainy day and spent about an hour & a half going through their various displays…read more It's only $5 per adult, and worth a visit. The lady at the front desk was very nice and gave us an overview of the museum so we'd know our way around. I'm not sure how often they change themed displays, but when we visited they had 4 themed sections set up: local brewing & info on Prohibition in the area, influential women of Clark County, local music, and the waterfront/naval shipping. Our only disappointment was many of the displays consisted of nice printed placards/signs with information for you to read and photos printed on them, with some actual objects and a few photos for you to view. It was truly a lot of reading. Don't get me wrong, it was all very interesting, but I'd like to see more actual objects/artifacts to see in person, or replicas, with some signage to go along with it rather than mostly signs. But it was still worth of visit, and nice to learn more about the local history since we're relatively new to the area. They also have a research library in the basement you can access (I'm not sure what the fees are). They do ask that you make an appointment to access the research library.

I've visited multiple times, and my pro tip is to visit when the blacksmith shop is open. It's…read morestaffed by volunteers and they work on projects including parts for doors, etc for the fort as well as other NPS sites. It's cool to watch them work, but even better, if you ask them nicely, they might even give you a hand-forged nail to take home! The rest of the fort is nice to stroll around. Sometimes there are heath cooking demonstrations with fruit and vegetables from the nearby garden. Don't forget to check out the Pearson Air Museum. It's a free museum that houses many artifacts related to aviation history tied to Pearson Field and Vancouver Barracks. Quite interestingly, the museum discusses the Spruce Mill (which is located quite literally on the ground you're standing on) which produced lumber for planes during WWI. It ran 24/7. There's a small visitor center and gift shop if you want more guidance on what to do on your visit.

If you are anywhere near Vancouver and have even the slightest appreciation for history, do…read moreyourself a favor and walk the waterfront, then wander over to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and soak it all in. Right nearby sits Old Apple Tree Park, home to what was known as the oldest apple tree in the Pacific Northwest. I remember seeing the old tree standing there like some weathered pioneer that had witnessed centuries pass by. The original trunk finally died, but shoots from its living roots were replanted, and the tree lives on through its offspring. Considering apple trees were not native to this land and had to be brought across oceans and continents, there is something downright incredible about standing next to the very beginning of Northwest orchard history. Fort Vancouver itself is fascinating. Established by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1825, it became the center of trade, farming, and industry in the Pacific Northwest long before Washington or Oregon were even states. Back then this place was a bustling multicultural settlement with trappers, traders, farmers, blacksmiths, sailors, and families from all over the world. They cultivated massive gardens, orchards, and farmland here to feed thousands of people traveling through the region. It was essentially the headquarters of the Pacific Northwest during the fur trade era. Walking through the fort today feels like stepping into another century. Between the wooden palisades, parade grounds, river breeze, and views of the Columbia, you can almost imagine canoes arriving loaded with furs while smoke curled from fireplaces inside the fort walls. It is peaceful now, but this place once shaped the entire region. I honestly think one of the best afternoons you can have in Vancouver is to stroll the riverfront, grab a coffee, walk through the historic reserve, and end up here reflecting on how much history happened on this patch of ground. Relish it. So much of the Northwest rushes forward so fast that we forget where it all began. Fort Vancouver reminds you.

The Portland Puppet Museum is not to be missed! It's one of those quirky, local flavor kind of…read moreattractions that make Portland the wonderful and creative place it is. Don't get me wrong, just because it's quirky doesn't mean the collection isn't impressive. The team here has taken great care in curating a magnificent collection that gives an overview of the history of puppeteering. The one hour presentation, if you take the guided tour, is both informative and highly entertaining. John deserves an award for best museum docent if that exists! Be sure to check out the workshops and presentations on the schedule here, these events are not to be missed!

Visiting Portland amd had to make a stop for this little gem. John was an incredible guide and was…read moresuper knowledgeable about all the puppets on display. I've been to a couple of puppet related museums but this one is by far the most charming and well rounded. Nothing beats hearing some antidotes of our childhood favorite puppets. Would recommend anyone to pay a visit if they're in the area. Puppetry is such a beautiful artistry!

Great little museum! My kids and I stopped in for fun, today and learned a lot about the hard…read moreworking men and woman who helped build the historic highway. The woman at the front desk was very sweet and mapped out a route for us to view more of what this area has to offer! There is even a little area for the kids to learn and explore that me two kids really enjoyed. Definitely recommend stopped in!

I returned to the fair on 8/10/25 to watch the Monster Trucks. I seen the 2pm show and it was good…read more I will defiantly return to watch the Monster Trucks again next year. I returned to the Hog Daddy's tent to get a 4.00 refill in my Fair souvenir cup. I had to leave the Fair early due to the heat. It was 100 degrees out. I already can't wait till next year to visit the Fair again.

I returned to the fair again this year (2026) and must say if the food, rides, and games prices was…read moreas cheap as the admission tickets to get in to the fair, more people would come and/ or return. The price gouging once inside is what keeps people from returning. Let me start off with the pros about the fair. I enjoyed all of the farm animals. Curly the Camel was awesome, Dogstown, The Pirate Parrot Show, Evergreen Dance Academy, Magician Adam the Great, and Tyzen the Comedy Hipnotist was all great shows. Now for the Grandstand I enjoyed seeing Collective Soul, Extreme Bull Riding, Mutton Bustin', and of corse the Monster Trucks never a disappoint. One thing I missed from last year was not at the fair this year is the Budeweiser horses and wagon. I felt the I love the 90's Tour Concert featuring Tone Loc, Young MC, & Vanilla Ice could have been better. They played a couple of there own songs and a whole lot of other singers songs from the 90's. To be honest I have been to lots of concerts in my life and I think this one was the worst one I have ever seen. Looking for a deal on food, I found the Greek Cuisine. For 22.00 tax included you get a Gyro with choice of Lamb or chicken with Garlic Fries and a drink. I wish more restaurants would have a meal deal. The cons about the fair was the prices. I expected prices to be more expensive than outside of the fair but all of the food was outrageously expensive. Large Corndogs for 15.00, corn on the cob for 10.00, Turkey legs for 20.00, Popcorn was 9.00, most burgers started at around 10.00 with no side or drink included. 10.00 don't sound expensive but by the time you add fries and a drink its between 25.00-30.00 What a scam! Even the lemonade was expensive 8.00 for the first one and 5.00 for refills. I wasn't aware lemons, sugar, and water was so expensive. Crazy! Another expensive thing was the rides. 1.00 a ticket and most rides was 7 tickets. And the games was around 4 to 6 tickets. They did sell ride bracelets for 35.00 but if you have little ones that can't ride many rides due to height requirements and are limited. Ride bracelets are not worth it. There was no special discounts or bracelets for the games. Another thing that was new this year i did not like was having to wait till Approximately around 6pm till we could get into the Grandstands to reserve a seat. Security would not let anyone up to sit in the bleachers. All of these prices may not seem expensive to some people, but with a family of 4 or 5 that all adds up quickly. I ate at Philly Diner and had a Philly Cheesesteak and got the worst sandwich I have ever had. It cost 11.00 which wasn't badly priced for Cheesesteak but when I recived it the bun was cut in half and the meat, onion and peppers was very greasy and made the bread soggy and the sandwich was overfilled. I went to take 1 bite and all the cheesesteak fillings emptied out the bottom and was no longer a sandwich anymore. In a Philly cheesesteak the bread isn't supposed to be cut all the way threw so you don't loose all the cheesesteak fillings. I ended up throwing that hot mess away and was very disappointed. Will definitely not be eating there again. Definitely no one working here was from Philadelphia that was for sure! The only things I didn't do at the Clark County Fair was the Midland Country Music Concert, Rough Stock Rodeo, SxS Racing, Tuff Trucks, professor Smart Sience Show, Break-A-Boyz, and Mars Encounter Live Show. Next year I will Probably not doing any rides or games and will bring my own cooler with cold drinks and food in the fair with me. What an expensive scam they are running here. If prices go up again next year it just might be a 1 star rating. I defiantly think it's time for whoever is in charge of the fair to get some new food options and a new ride vendor to come in to the fair and kick the expensive scammers to the curb. And invite local business that won't run off there customers with expensive prices. I actually think that instead of vendors from out of state they should invite local food truck vendors from threw out Clark County and the State of Washington and Oregon to support local business instead of vendors that more than likely came up from California. Butler Amusement is located in Fairfield California. A Local Amusement Vendor is Funtastic Traveling Amusment located in Portland. Very local. I will Yelp and Google Review an update again next year. Hopefully the Clark County Fair improves and stops the expensive scams in there Fairgrounds.

For me this was a great place to visit. As a child my father worked for the Union Pacific…read more Railroad and was often working out of Troutdale. I spent a lot of time in this depot and watching the trains from the platform.

This was such a fun experience for the kids! (Even with the PNW rain) I can see this being more…read moreenjoyable when the weather is nicer but we still had a good time - thanks to the covered caboose! Tickets were sold online and that process was easy. The gravel parking lot is across the street but was filled with lots of big puddles due to the rain making parking a little challenging. The gift shop where you check in is small but has lots of fun train-related books and toys. The gentlemen at the counter were very nice and friendly and the staff running the train operations were all very welcoming and helpful. Now this is probably my fault for not reading everything but I did not realize the train carts were open air. As you can imagine the rain makes it a very wet experience. However! We were able to find seats in the covered caboose so that was such a nice option to have especially with a newborn on board with us. The ride itself was smooth and scenic. The kids loved the constant choo choo noises and the 20-minute stop at the Yacolt Creek Falls. The steps were a little steep especially wet and sleek with the rain but it was very pretty. Overall I would definitely recommend this as a fun experience for the family but I think we would have enjoyed it more in the summertime.

Friendly, helpful staff. Pleasant staff…read more Cost reasonable. Made it ADA accessible to board train, including wheelchairs. Snacks/drinks available, but it's OK to bring your own food. Pleasant views of farmland and forest. Fun theater with some trips having a staged train robbery.