Washington Park Playground

The Washington Park Playground — also known locally as Rose Garden Children's Park — is the dedicated children's play area inside Portland's crown-jewel park, situated right next to the International Rose Test Garden on the western hills.

It's a free, well-maintained playground with multi-age equipment: climbing structures, slides, and swings that serve the 2-11 age range. What sets it apart from a neighborhood playground is the setting: you're playing on a forested hillside with mature trees providing shade, and the adjoining rose garden creates a uniquely beautiful backdrop for a playground visit.

Portland's International Rose Test Garden is one of the oldest rose gardens in the US and is free to visit. In bloom season (roughly May through October), the combination of playground time and rose garden strolling is one of Portland's best free family half-days. The paths through the garden are stroller-friendly.

Practical tip: the Washington Park MAX station makes the park car-free accessible — hop the MAX light rail and you avoid the $2/hour parking fee entirely. For families making regular visits, the MAX is clearly the right choice.

Open 5AM-10PM daily, making this possible for both early morning and evening summer visits — genuinely flexible for Portland's long summer days.