"Like Portland itself, the Portland Art Museum is just the right size—approachable, and not overwhelming. Comprised of two buildings connected below ground—one designed in 1932 by renowned Italian-born Portland architect Pietro Belluschi, the other a 141,000-square-foot renovated Masonic temple—the museum sits on a quiet stretch of the elm- and oak-lined South Park Blocks, once home to grand Italianate mansions housing some of the city’s most affluent residents. Founded in 1892 (making it the Pacific Northwest’s oldest art museum), the museum's permanent collection includes more than 42,000 pieces, and is known for its extensive Native American, Asian, European, American, and English silver holdings. Be sure to tour the graphic arts and Northwest arts centers, and check the Northwest Film Center calendar to see if there’s anything interesting screening in the Whitsell Auditorium, especially in March, when the annual Portland International Film Festival takes place." - Jen Stevenson
