In this Park Facility
Inclement Weather Policy and Closures
Safety is our top priority. For the latest information about cooling centers, tips for staying safe and updates to city services, please visit this page:
Stay Safe during the Heat
PP&R classes, activities, rentals, and sports events may be canceled due to inclement weather, such as ice, snow, or extreme heat. Call 503-823-2533 or visit portland.gov/parks/closures for the most current information. Some recreation programs may run as conditions and staff availability allow. Safety is a major factor in determining operations at each PP&R facility. PP&R facilities, our social media outlets, and our website will all feature operating information including opening and closing times.
WE'RE HIRING
Portland Parks & Recreation is looking for team-oriented, enthusiastic, and qualified staff! Join our team today.
- Summer Day Camps, Camp Counselors Age 15+,
- Summer Free For All Age 17+
- Adaptive & Inclusive Recreation, Inclusion Assistants Age 18+
- Customer Service Representatives
Learn about all of our employment opportunities
Access Pass - Reduced Pricing
Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) believes recreation is for everyone. We know that the price of programs and activities prevents some community members from being able to participate. Thanks to the Parks Local Option Levy (Parks Levy) we can offer new payment options for people who live within the City of Portland. City of Portland residents can register for a free Access Pass to receive an ongoing discount of 25, 50, 75, or 90% based on financial need. The pass is valid for 12 months from the date of enrollment. No proof of income is required.
Learn more about the Access Pass
Free North Portland Pass
Starting December 1, 2022, all North Portland residents are eligible for a free North Portland Pass at Matt Dishman Community Center. This pass allows free access to the center's fitness room and drop-in pool activities.
To get your free North Portland Pass:
- Call the Customer Service Center line at 503-823-2525
- Call Matt Dishman Community Center at 503-823-3673
- Visit with the front desk staff at Matt Dishman Community Center.
* The North Portland Pass is available only to North Portland residents. Passes must be renewed annually at no cost. The registration period does not end. Residents must have a photo taken on their first visit to create a membership card.
**Residents who register for a North Portland Pass can also receive a free Tri-Met bus pass for access to Matt Dishman Community Center. Tri-Met passes are mailed weekly only to those who indicate needing such during registration.
Admission Fees and Pass Options
Gain access to drop-in activities during their scheduled times. Amenities include the fitness center, group exercise classes, water fitness and lap swim, whirlpool spa, play swims, and open gym times.
- 20-Visit and Month Passes can be used at Charles Jordan, East Portland, Matt Dishman, Mt. Scott, and Southwest Community Centers. The fees listed reflect pricing for City of Portland residents. Non-residents are charged more to account for City of Portland taxes that support Portland Parks & Recreation.
- Teens (age 10-20) are encouraged to sign up for a TeenForce pass, which provides access to FREE TeenForce activities at Charles Jordan, East Portland, Matt Dishman, and Mt. Scott Community Centers.
- Children age 0-2 are FREE
- Ask your insurance provider if they offer any of the following programs which cover the cost of a pass: Silver & Fit, Active & Fit, Silver Sneakers, One Pass, or Renew Active.
Drop-In Admission
- Youth (age 3-12): $4
- Teen (age 13-17): $5
- Adult (age 18-59): $6
- Senior (age 60+): $5
20-Visit Pass
- Youth (age 3-12): $77
- Teen (age 13-17): $85
- Adult (age 18-59): $106
- Senior (age 60+): $85
- Senior Couple (both age 60+): $85
Month Pass
- Youth (age 3-12): $29
- Teen (age 13-17): $33
- Adult (age 18-59): $41
- Senior (age 60+): $33
- Senior Couple (both age 60+): $49
- Family: $66
Month Pass | You can choose to sign up for an Auto Renew Pass, which will allow you to simply pay your first monthly fee upon registering, and all future monthly payments are deducted directly from your debit or credit card (requires a valid card to remain on file). You may also choose to purchase a single month pass, which will expire 30 days from purchase (no debit or credit card necessary).
Sign Up for Activities
General Registration: Register online, over the phone through the Customer Service Center
(503-823-2525), or by calling or visiting a recreation or arts center.
Fall activities take place from October 2 through December 29
- Wednesday, September 6— Register beginning at 12:30pm for fall activities that start on or after September 6.
- Thursday, October 12— Register beginning at 9:30am for fall activities that start on or after November 6.
View and sign up for activities online
View PP&R's Fall 2023 Activity Guide
View and sign up for youth camps at Matt Dishman Community Center
Portland Parks Preschool
Now enrolling for the 2023-2024 school year. Discount options are available. View schedules and learn more about Portland Parks Preschool at portland.gov/parks/preschool.
Drop-In Activities
- Monday
12:00–2:00pm —Adult Basketball (age 18+) - Wednesday
12:00–2:00pm—Adult Basketball (age 18+) - Friday
12:00–2:00pm—Basketball (age 18+)
TeenForce Drop-in Activities
FREE TeenForce Pass and activity sign-in is required. TeenForce waiver and orientation are required for use of Fitness Center.
Monday through Thursday
3:00–7:00pm—TeenForce Fitness Center
3:00–7:00pm—TeenForce Game Room
5:00–7:00pm—TeenForce Open Gym (no open gym on Wednesdays)Friday
3:00–10:00pm—TeenForce Game Room
5:30–7:30pm—Pre-Teen Night (age 10–13)
6:30–9:30pm—Teen Night (grades 6 – 12) *second and fourth Fridays of every month
Fitness
Matt Dishman Community Center’s fitness program offers a wide range of amenities and classes for all levels.
- Age 14 and older
- Access is included with daily admission.
- Open for drop-in during regular business hours.
- Teens age 14-17 must have a guardian release form on file and complete orientation prior to access.
Amenities
- Selectorized Strength Equipment
- Treadmills
- Stationary Bikes
- Elliptical Cross Trainers
- Free weight and stretching area
Group Fitness Classes
Strengthen your community, body, and mind with a group fitness class! For people age 14 and older at any fitness level. Access is included with daily admission. All schedules are subject to change.
- Monday
9:00–9:45am—Soulful Movement and Meditation, Tomara
10:30–11:15am—Hatha Yoga, Terri - Tuesday
9:00–9:45am—Zumba® Gold Toning, Michelle/Steve
10:00–10:45am—The Ellové Technique®, Kelly
11:00–11:45am—Hatha Yoga, Sabra
12:00–12:45pm—Kettlebell, Angela - Wednesday
9:00–9:45am—Pilates Mat, Tomara
11:45am–12:30pm—Low Impact 20/20, Angela
3:00–3:45pm—Chair, Stretch, and Tone Terri
4:00–4:45pm—Vinyasa Yoga, Terri
7:00–7:45pm—Soulful Movement and Meditation, Tomara - Thursday
9:00–9:45am—Soulful Movement and Meditation, Tomara
10:00–10:45am—The Ellové Technique, Kelly
12:00–12:45pm—Kettlebell, Angela
Group Fitness Class Descriptions
MIND/BODY
Hatha Yoga
Join in this all-level class that incorporates favorite Hatha yoga positions with just the right amount of deepening into those poses, stretching, and some light flow movement–all with a goal of strengthening our individual yoga practices little by little. A judgment-free, stress-free, & fun class. Newbies are welcome!
Yoga in Chairs
A fun, gentle class of stretching and movement to maintain and increase joint mobility. Influenced by traditional Yoga, this class addresses coordination, balance, and flexibility. Participants also learn basic breathing and meditation techniques to handle stress and promote relaxation.
Vinyasa Yoga: Emphasizes the sequential movement between postures, coordinated with and guided by deliberate breath. The Vinyasa practice becomes a moving meditation that creates strength, freedom and fluidity in the body and mind.
Restorative Yoga: A gentle, slow, still style of yoga that involves long, passive holds in a series of 4-6 restful poses. Yogis are often supported by props to enhance or deepen their experience and achieve a state of total relaxation and release.
Pilates Mat: A full body workout that create long, lean muscles. Pilates Mat is performed on a mat on the floor and achieves results by using gravity and your body's own resistance — and sometimes small props, such as foam rollers, exercise balls, or weights.
Soulful Movement & Meditation: A gentle slow-flowing yoga. Focusing on moving postures with breaths that strengthen and stretch the entire body. Perfect for beginners, easy to follow practice.
CARDIO/STRENGTH
Kettlebell
A high-intensity-ballistic workout that can help meet your toughest fitness goals. It combines functional, compound exercises such as “the swing,” “the clean” and “the press” that will work multiple muscle groups. Beginners welcome!
Low Impact 20/20
This class combines all your favorite aspects of fitness and puts them into one solid workout! With 20 minutes of strength training interspersed with 20 minutes of low-impact cardio, you’ll receive a full-body workout. We’ll utilize free weights and resistance bands in this moderate to high-intensity format.
Step & Sculpt: A upbeat mix of step and floor cardio circuit to build strength.
DANCE FITNESS
The Ellové Technique®
A non-impact conditioning class taught by certified instructors. The pure techniques of ballet, yoga, fitness, and Pilates are set to music in a seamless movement sequence that improves alignment, balance, strength, flexibility, and body awareness.
Zumba® Gold Toning
This class will feature all the fun of Zumba® while adding weight resistance in increasing muscular and cardio benefits. We will use 1-pound toning sticks, weights, water bottles, or your own body to achieve the desired goals. Strength training exercises are essential in preventing loss of muscle mass, atrophy, increasing muscle strength, and toning up. Looking forward to taking you on a trip around the World! Are you ready to party?
The center is located on the site of the former Eliot Grade School. After the school was relocated, PP&R took it over in 1950 and remodeled the building, naming it the Knott Street Community Center. In the late 1960s, the local community lobbied to name the center after Matt Dishman, the first African-American Multnomah County sheriff and police officer in the city of Portland. The pool was added in 1992. In 2009, the fitness center was completely renovated.
In 2016, Matt Dishman’s pool and spa were fully renovated with funding from the 2014 Parks Replacement Bond. Improvements included resurfacing the pool shell to address hollow locations behind the plaster and cracks in the sub-surface of the pool floor, replacement of the spa with a larger capacity spa (expansion funded by System Development Charges) and new major mechanical systems, and the replacement of three fiberglass sand filters for the pool with one high-efficiency filter. In addition to the pool and spa, Matt Dishman Community Center received electrical system upgrades and a new roof in 2019-2020 thanks to the 2014 Parks Replacement Bond.
Installed on the lawn in front of the center is a pavilion sculpted by Jon Gierlich in 1996, aptly titled Angle of Repose. The artist combined traditional porch designs based on the historic Victorian architecture in the area with an urban plaza where people are encouraged to meet and interact.