Events

Northeast Portland’s Wilshire neighborhood has long been tied to its neighbor Beaumont. But its history and development followed a very different trajectory. On this Saturday morning stroll, local historian Doug Decker will walk the group through a planned neighborhood that was never developed, explore multiple attempts to create Wilshire Park (which almost failed!), and line up with then-and-now photo points that show dairy pasture and forest stands at the heart of today’s residential neighborhood.

Learn about some of the oldest buildings in the city and the people who built them in this tour of Portland’s only National Historic Landmark District. The area also contains the highest concentration of cast-iron fronted buildings on the west coast and much of that iron was even produced locally. 

Explore the tree-lined streets and beautiful early 20th century architecture of this uniquely planned neighborhood.

Explore the history and architecture of this hillside neighborhood filled with beautiful homes in a variety of architectural styles.

Join Dr. Tanya Lyn March for a captivating look at Portland’s "buildings on wheels."From the triumphant rescues of the Kamm House and Ladd Carriage House to the tragic mid-move calamity of the Ahavath Achim Synagogue, and the failed capital campaign for the restoration of Captain John Brown House, discover the engineering feats and heartbreaks of structural relocation. Explore the evolution of moving technology and gain essential research skills to uncover your own neighborhood's "hidden travelers."

Stroll through historic Irvington, where you'll see fine examples of the work of several important early-20th century architects who helped shape the neighborhood.

Stroll through the beautiful trees in some of the city's oldest parkland, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, all while learning about the rich architectural heritage of the neighborhood.

In late 2025, the City Council requested a report on ways to revise and improve Design Review, including suspending it, based on an assumption that it could hamper housing production. Believing that design review is essential to good stewardship of our urban environment, the AHC launched a series of programs to explore its public benefits. For part 4 of our series, Brandon Spencer Hartle, from the BPS Historic Preservation staff will present the City Staff’s report on Design Review, and the recommendations for Council Action proposed by the Bureau Directors, which includes a proposal to suspend design review for 2 years. Peggy Moretti, the chair of the AHC’s advocacy committee will moderate the presentation. This session is by Zoom only and is at Noon on June 4th. It is also free, but please sign up on the AHC website so that you can get the Zoom link to participate. Free Event

The bridges of "Bridge City" constitute a vital part of Portland's identity. This tour explores their history, construction techniques and the role the Willamette River bridges played in the growth and development of the city as a whole. All of Portland’s Willamette River bridges will be discussed on the tour tough not all of them will be visible along the tour route of approximately 1.5 miles.
Tour guided by John Doyle

Portland, Oregon, in the 1950s was a city at a crossroads. Would it retain the status quo of the first half of the twentieth century or rush headlong into the future? Pitting east side upstarts against downtown traditionalists, the battle over where to build the Memorial Coliseum was at times exciting, controversial, and long-winded. Three very different locations set off a storm of subterfuge and political posturing that included the indictment of a commissioner originally tasked with choosing the site and the rise of an east side used car dealer determined to prevent the city from building the arena downtown. With the future of sports and recreation in the Rose City at stake, city leaders and private citizens sparred in public hearings and Portland’s first ever televised debates. Author Michael A. Orr provides a behind-the-scenes look at the drama and machinations in the battle to build Portland a space for future generations.

Explore the commercial heart of downtown Portland and learn about the architects, designs, and building materials that changed the city dramatically in the early 20th century.

Explore a section of the historic Irvington neighborhood where the streetcar used to run every 5 minutes.

Learn about the amazing residential architecture of one of Portland's most notable architects in this image-filled presentation

Take a walk with the honorable mayor of Oregon City and explore the historic downtown.  On this walk you’ll see views of the Willamette River from the City Elevator and the beautiful arch bridge. Sturdy shoes and sun protection strongly suggested.

Join Alameda neighborhood historian Doug Decker for a history walk that explores the connections between past and present that shape the Alameda neighborhood we know today. This stroll will cover just over a mile with multiple stops focusing on pre-development conditions, planning and construction of the neighborhood, the Broadway Streetcar, architectural house styles, and stories of local interest. Most of this walk is on flat terrain other than a gradual stretch that ascends the Alameda Ridge.

Take a walk through a stunning neighborhood on the west side of Mt. Tabor Park.

Explore the tree-lined streets and beautiful early 20th century architecture of this uniquely planned neighborhood.

Visual Storyteller & Author Don Nelson will be presenting this program of funeral homes of Portland, Oregon from the past into the present day. Many were built into established buildings, while others were erected specifically for their businesses by known architects.

Take a walk through the oldest portion of this historic neighborhood and learn how it has been affected by more than a century of change.

Come explore the layers of history in the Vernon neighborhood, from development of Alberta Park, to the fall and rise of neighborhood schools, to patterns of redlining from the 1930s-1950s, the presence of a dairy, a much-loved old synagogue, a popular streetcar and a street full of small businesses. Neighborhood historian Doug Decker walks the group back in time to understand the how legacies of the past have shaped the neighborhood of today.

Explore this former industrial area that has been transformed into one of Portland's most popular commercial and residential neighborhoods.

Explore this gem of a residential neighborhood tucked in between Sellwood, Milwaukie, and the Waverley Country Club.

Stroll through Portland's Oldest Suburb and experience a variety of architecture styles constructed over the last 150 years from a long time resident and architectural Historian.

Local historian Richard Thompson celebrates the lost trolleys that once plied Oregon's small-town streets. Learn of the devastating 1922 fire that scorched Astoria's plank road railways and put a halt to its once-thriving streetcar network. Hear about a beloved white horse named Old Charlie who proved more reliable at pulling Albany's first streetcars than a steam locomotive. Smile at the spectacle of university students being carted back to their dormitories on the Eugene Street Railway’s midnight "drunk express.” Take pride in the tiny town of Cherry Grove, which became the first in the West to embrace new battery technology.

Explore some of the commercial and residential sections of this former streetcar suburb.

Explore the History of Portland's 19th Century Hawthorne Asylum & Lone Fir Cemetery through historic images and stories. Lone Fir Cemetery's history and future will discussed.
Presentation by Norm Gholston

Stroll through one of the oldest eastside residential neighborhoods while learning about house types common to late 19th - early 20th century Portland.

Explore one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, situated on the edge of downtown.

Stroll through historic Irvington, where you'll see fine examples of the work of several important early-20th century architects who helped shape the neighborhood.

Take a stroll through this grand residential neighborhood and learn how it was heavily impacted by nearby development.

Learn about some of the oldest buildings in the city and the people who built them in this tour of Portland’s only National Historic Landmark District. The area also contains the highest concentration of cast-iron fronted buildings on the west coast and much of the iron was cast locally.

Explore the area in and around the Yamhill Historic District with its impressive variety of architecture and fascinating history as home to Portland's first Chinatown.

Explore the landmarks and lesser-known architectural gems in the center of downtown.

Join Dr Tanya March & Norm Gholston AHC Programs Manager for a presentation of the history of Lloyd Center Mall & the history of ice skating in Portland.

Explore a section of the historic Irvington neighborhood where the streetcar used to run every 5 minutes.

Explore the tree-lined streets and beautiful early 20th century architecture of this uniquely planned neighborhood.

Explore some of the commercial and residential sections of this former streetcar suburb.

Take a walk through the oldest portion of this historic neighborhood and learn how it has been affected by more than a century of change.

Stroll through the beautiful trees in some of the city's oldest parkland, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, all while learning about the rich architectural heritage of the neighborhood.

Explore historic and first City Park. Learn the history and visit some well known and not so well known parts of the park. Some up hill walking required to the the International Rose Test Gardens.

See a variety of buildings types and styles in this one-time streetcar suburb on the east side of Mt. Tabor.

Learn about some of the oldest buildings in the city and the people who built them in this tour of Portland’s only National Historic Landmark District. The area also contains the highest concentration of cast-iron fronted buildings on the west coast and much of the iron was cast locally.

Explore the tree-lined streets and beautiful early 20th century architecture of this uniquely planned neighborhood.

Stroll along the tree-lined streets of one of Portland's most beautiful residential neighborhoods, recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Explore some of the commercial and residential sections of this former streetcar suburb.

Learn about the history and culture of this district while viewing masterworks from some of the city's most notable 19th and 20th century architects.

Explore this mid-century suburban style development near Reed College.

Take a walk through a stunning neighborhood on the west side of Mt. Tabor Park.

Stroll through the beautiful trees in some of the city's oldest parkland, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, all while learning about the rich architectural heritage of the neighborhood.

Explore 70 years of architectural controversy and acclaim in downtown Portland.

Join Volga German historian Steve Schreiber and Professor of Architecture Tom Hubka as they guide you on a 2-mile walking tour highlighting some of the remaining churches and homes that tell the story of this ethnic group.

Learn about some of the oldest buildings in the city and the people who built them in this tour of Portland’s only National Historic Landmark District. The area also contains the highest concentration of cast-iron fronted buildings on the west coast and much of the iron was cast locally.

Explore the tree-lined streets and beautiful early 20th century architecture of this uniquely planned neighborhood.

Explore one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, situated on the edge of downtown.

A walking tour of Native American public art in downtown Portland will go from a Rick Bartow statue near Pioneer Courthouse to the Portland Building to several PSU buildings (including the Native American Student and Community Center, which is filled with Native art).