Oregon’s Capital City Offers more than a Great History Lesson

Home to the Salem Film Festival, Oregon’s capital city is a fantastic fusion of outdoor adventure and architectural modernity, highlighted by a love for parks and the family-friendly Riverfront Park. Here you’ll find a vibrant dining scene focused around Northwest cuisine, as well as plenty of opportunities to hit the links and trails. Plus, Salem is a student of history, with a bevy of museums ready to educate visitors on the city’s historic roots as part of the Oregon Trail.

Wrapped around the twisting turns of the Willamette River, Salem has an ideal landscape and climate ready to host several sports events, as well as a facility list to rival any town in the region. If you’re in town for a tournament or an event, consider a stay at any of Salem’s fine lodging options, including The Grand Hotel in Salem, Hampton Inn & Suites Salem and the Holiday Inn Salem.

Notable Recent/Upcoming Events

• US Australian Football League – July 26-27, 2019. Held at the Capital Futbol club
• Capital Cup Soccer Tournament – Annual event held the last weekend of June. Held at the Capital Futbol Club.
• Spirit of Oregon Half Marathon – October 6, 2019 Held downtown Salem starts at the Capitol
• 18 A National Firls Fast Pitch Softball -July 25 – 27, 2019 Wallace Marine Softball Complex
• Senior Softball USA Jim Sherman Memorial NW Championships – July 9-14, 2019 Held at Wallace Marine Sports Complex.

What is There to Do in Salem, OR ?

Big-city and small-town Oregon collide in downtown Salem, where lively nightlife and culture, vintage theaters and a thriving restaurant scene abound in the state’s capital. Easily accessible with plenty of parks to explore, downtown Salem is a departure from the hustle and bustle with plenty to see and do.

Originally the home of the National Toy Hall of Fame, the Gilbert House Children’s Museum is an interactive children’s museum named after American inventor Alfred Carlton Gilbert. Kids will love plenty of space to play and learn in while engaging in STEAM-focused activities.

Salem’s Riverfront Park is the city’s premier urban event park, located near numerous businesses, restaurants, entertainment and other trails and parks. Located along the Willamette River, the park hosts The World Beat Festival, 4th of July celebrations, summer movies in the park and more events on an annual basis.

The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Crops Community Center is a community hotspot. This LEED-certified center features a waterpark with a junior Olympic competition pool, water slide, lazy river, hot tub and a splash pad. The center also has a fitness center, gymnasium, game room, art studio, library and media center, amphitheater, chapel and performing arts center, event space and full-service catering, making it a perfect place for a fun hangout or party with friends and family.

Inspired by fairy tales like Alice in Wonderland, Mother Goose and Grimms’ Fairy Tales, the Enchanted Forest features several attractions, an English village with a lighted fountain show, the Tofteville Mining Town, a food service court with Bavarian architecture, a haunted house and the Pacific Northwest’s largest log ride.