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Snap the perfect selfie at one of Portland’s many popular photography spots, like Pioneer Courthouse Square.
No filter is needed at these photo-friendly local landmarks.
5 min read
Emma Mannheimer
Emma Mannheimer is a Seattle-born, Portland-based writer and editor. Read More
We’ve all heard the saying: “Pics or it didn’t happen.” Luckily for you, we’ve collected Portland’s most Instagrammable spots to ensure your photographs capture PDX from its best angle. From mansions to flowers to doughnuts (this is Portland, after all), these picturesque destinations are sure to spark envy in your many friends and followers.
To see (and share) more great local photos, follow @travelportland on Instagram and tag your photos #PDXNOW.
Can’t-Miss PDX Instagram Spots
Portland Oregon White Stag Sign
Perched atop Old Town Chinatown’s White Stag Building, the Portland Oregon sign (also known as the White Stag sign) serves as a twinkling salutation to one and all. A snap of this informal city beacon — which looks spectacular day or night — guarantees instant nostalgia for your trip to the Rose City.
Where to Shoot
The sidewalk on the north side of the Burnside Bridge affords the best view.
Champagne Poetry Patisserie
Getting so many great snaps can work up an appetite. Treat yourself to a pastry at Champagne Poetry Patisserie on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard — while you’re at it, earn the admiration of fellow foodie photographers with some shots of luxurious cakes, tarts, doughnuts and more.
Where to Shoot
There’s not a bad seat in the house for capturing these colorful, eye-popping pastries — the stylish patisserie makes a perfect backdrop.
International Rose Test Garden
Perhaps the dreamiest spot in all of Stumptown, the International Rose Test Garden is a hotbed of Instagram activity for locals and visitors alike. The world-famous, century-old garden features more than 600 varieties of roses, not to mention sweeping views of the city. Don’t miss the park’s special Shakespeare Garden, where visitors can see and sniff botanical beauties mentioned in the Bard’s works.
Where to Shoot
Capture the skyline from the eastern edge of the garden; the amphitheater is great for group shots.
Cathedral Park and St. Johns Bridge
Believed to be a landing spot of Lewis and Clark, leafy Cathedral Park is gorgeous any time of year. The juxtaposition of this North Portland waterfront park with the gothic St. Johns Bridge provides photographers with gorgeous sights. Capture the slender suspension bridge’s teal supports in the background, and you’re sure to rack up those likes in no time.
Where to Shoot
Get ground-level shots in Cathedral Park and be sure to walk onto the bridge to capture its iconic spires.
Voodoo Doughnut
If the iconic pink boxes, bubblegum-colored brick wall and neon sign aren’t spectacle enough, then let the notorious delicacies at Voodoo Doughnut capture your camera’s vision. Cereal-coated cakes, bacon-bedazzled bars and voodoo doll-shaped doughnuts filled with jelly “blood” are just the beginning.
Where to Shoot
From the line snaking along Southwest Third Avenue to the cramped interior, you can’t go wrong.
Keep Portland Weird Sign
While you’re in Voodoo’s neighborhood, pop across the street to the iconic Keep Portland Weird sign — painted on the back of Dante’s — and snap a selfie proudly featuring the city’s unofficial mantra. The “Portlandia” fans among your followers will surely recognize the sign from the television show’s opening credits.
Where to Shoot
Find the Dante’s parking lot, just across Southwest Third Avenue from Voodoo Doughnut. Bonus points for a Unipiper sighting!
(Looking for more public art? Portland is known for its abundance of stunning murals and street art — find them with our handy Near Me Now app.)
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Credit: Ashley Anderson
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Credit: Travel Portland
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Credit: Regional Arts & Culture Council; copyright owned by artist(s)
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Credit: Tuck Woodstock
Mt. Tabor Park
There’s nothing like spending the afternoon on a dormant volcano to get those creative juices flowing. With 190 acres (77 ha) of trails, trees and reservoirs to explore, Mt. Tabor Park guarantees a perfect photo for every kind of Instagrammer. Be sure to check out their summer concert listings to make the most of your visit.
Where to Shoot
The reservoirs offer a great foreground for the skyline, while the summit offers more expansive views.
Pittock Mansion
Once the home of pioneering The Oregonian publisher Henry Pittock, historic Pittock Mansion promises panoramic views of downtown Portland and unparalleled glimpses of Mount Hood. You’ll find plenty of lavish details to document inside the French Renaissance-style chateau before heading outside to its expansive public grounds for a picture-perfect picnic.
Where to Shoot
Shoot the city from the viewpoint on the east side of the mansion grounds, then turn around to get a shot of the mansion itself.
Portland Japanese Garden
Share the quiet power of the Portland Japanese Garden with your followers by snapping photos that encapsulate the garden’s tranquil beauty. Snag footage of the mesmerizing koi fish swimming beneath your feet, or take a silent still of the meticulously groomed Sand and Stone Garden.
Where to Shoot
No matter where you point your camera, shots of this Portland treasure will provide digital bliss.
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