In this Park Facility
It includes the city's first public rose garden and first community center, a historically designated bandstand, and Portland's second oldest playground.
Peninsula Park Tree Tour
Map
History
The park was purchased by the city in 1909 for $60,000 with funds raised in a 1908 bond measure. Originally owned by local businesswoman Liverpool Liz, it had been the site for a roadhouse and racetrack for quarter-mile horse racing. An autopark and campground were also included in the original parcel. Planned by renowned Oregon architects Ellis Lawrence and Ormond R. Bean, the park was a result of Portland's 1912 'City Beautiful' movement. Completed in 1913, much remains of the original features, including the lantern-style streetlights, the stone pillars, vast brickwork, and the nearly 100-year-old fountain in the center of the rose garden. Disc #4, a bronze sculpture by Jerry Allen, was installed in 1979 along the west side of the park.
