for Your Next Visit
The Pittock Mansion signifies all that is everlasting. It also represents all that is ever changing. There are many exciting reasons to visit again and again. We have new, fascinating exhibits to present; lovely renovations to complete; and ongoing events and activities well-suited for students, educators, tourists, business professionals and the public.
Recent & Upcoming Events at Pittock Mansion
“Shadow & Light”: Plein Air Paintings Exhibit - March 1st-June 30th
Behind the Scenes Tour - June 14th
Outdoor "History of Roses" tours - June 14th - FREE!
“Rooms in Bloom”- June 19-22
"Oh, How We Danced!" - The Pittock Anniversary Party Fundraiser - June 20th
Free ‘History of Roses’ tours at Pittock Mansion
Saturday, June 14th, 11a.m. - 2p.m.
Oregon State University Master Gardeners kick off a season of garden tours at Portland’s historic Pittock Mansion with special tours celebrating the Portland Rose Festival. In honor of Georgiana Pittock’s interest in civic beautification, roses and their history in Portland will be the tours’ subject.
These special outdoor tours will take place at 11 a.m., noon and 1:00 p.m. Admission will be free.
As part of the History and Roses tour with the Portland Rose Festival, the mansion provides a stunning location for roses and other blooms on the surrounding grounds. The view of downtown Portland and the greater Metro area is one of the best in the city.
Take a tour through the homey Gate Lodge on the grounds and put yourself in the shoes of Pittock Mansion chauffer, Herman Hawkinson, who occupied the Gate Lodge from 1914-18, and then the gardener, James Skene and his family, who lived there from 1918 until 1953.
Venture into the mansion to take a regular guided tour through the house. General admission to the mansion is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors 65 and over, $4 for youth 6 to 18, and free for Pittock Mansion members. The mansion’s current exhibit, Shadow and Light, features remarkable original paintings of the mansion and its gardens by local artists.
Behind the Scenes at Pittock Mansion
Special tours set for June 14, 2008
In honor of Father’s Day and for anyone who ever wondered “What’s behind that door?” while visiting Portland’s historic Pittock Mansion, “Behind the Scenes” tours will be offered at the mansion Saturday, June 14th.
From 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., mansion guides will lead groups of 10 through areas of the mansion not ordinarily open to the public during regular tours offered daily at the celebrated home west of Portland. Father’s are admitted free.
The special tours will include underground hallways that lead to the original furnace room, the mansion’s vault, electrical panels and the elevator maintenance room. The tour also will take note of early 20th century innovations incorporated when the home was built in 1914 by the forward-looking industrialist and Oregonian publisher Henry Pittock and his wife Georgiana.
The tour will then wind up the servants’ stairs to the mansion’s third floor, which is rarely open to visitors. Third floor rooms include Henry Pittock’s private den, the servants’ bathroom and storage rooms, plus a peak into the home’s cavernous attic.
The special tours will be offered in addition to the mansion’s regularly scheduled tours. Visitors are encouraged to take both tours. Behind the Scenes tour will take about 45 minutes: regular public tours are an hour. The Behind the Scenes Tour times are: 10:30 a.m,12:00 noon, 1:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m.
Admission for “Behind the Scenes” tours is $15 per person, which covers admission and also includes the regular public tour. For members the fee is $5. Father’s are free. Not recommended for children under ten years of age. Reservations and prepayment are required because of demand.
Rooms In Bloom
Pittock Mansion features extravagant floral displays June 19-22, 11a.m.- 4 p.m.
Pittock Mansion is the stage for Rooms in Bloom, a floral extravaganza featuring more than 20 lavish arrangements designed and displayed by the Portland Council of Accredited Judges under the Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs. This distinguished group will provide collections of flowers from their gardens and place them decoratively throughout the rooms of the Mansion.
This annual exhibit of abundant blooms has drawn many interested in floral design shown in a home setting, gathering ideas and adapting for their own settings. Everyone is welcome to vote for their favorite display and to be a judge.
The show is included with general admission to the mansion.
“Oh, How We Danced” ~ The Pittock Anniversary Party
Friday, June 20th, 2008, 6-10 pm
A summertime party at Portland’s renowned Pittock Mansion will celebrate two milestones in Portland history: the June 20, 1860, wedding of Henry and Georgiana Pittock, who built the mansion in the early 1900s, and the 40th anniversary of the Pittock Mansion Society, which was founded in 1968 as an extension of the Pittock Acres Retention Committee, to assist the City of Portland in the operation, preservation and restoration of the Mansion for public benefit.
(click to enlarge)
“Oh, How We Danced” will feature catered hors d’oeuvres, live music, dancing, and a silent auction offering such items as golf packages, a bed-and-breakfast wine-tasting experience, jewelry, an evening aboard one of the famed Christmas ships that cruise along Portland’s rivers during the holidays, and a guided climb of Mt. St. Helens.
Other highlights:
- A “Wall of Wine” featuring more than 50 varietals at one low price per bottle
- Music by “The Ruby’s,” a four-piece band named for the traditional 40th anniversary gemstone
- Wedding cake for dessert
Evening attire is suggested. To donate items for the silent auction, call Sharon Tracy at 503-679-8222 or 503.639-5703, or email to stracypdx@comcast.net.
Tickets are $50 for Pittock Mansion members, $60 for non-members.