Family Fun in Oregon's Willamette Valley
Visit a Willamette Valley winery, and you'll feel at home from the get-go. The whole family is welcome to sit on cozy tasting room couches to soak up sweeping vineyard views. Yes, you may be put to work stomping grapes—and will definitely leave with the resident dog's hair all over your pants—but hey, you're family now.
If wine isn't at the top of your whole family's wish list, not to worry. We've got plenty of events and attractions for everyone in your group. We welcome you to hop on a waterslide that begins inside an actual airplane, scale the heights of old-growth trees, pick ripe berries at the peak of freshness, and so much more. Here are a few top family activities in the Willamette Valley.
Open March through September, the Enchanted Forest has been a family tradition since opening in 1971 near Salem.
The locally owned theme park brings classic fairy tales and cherished stories to life with several themed areas—including Storybook Lane and the Tofteville Western Town—as well as several rides, including a log flume and roller coaster. You're welcome to bring your own food for a picnic, but options within the park include pizza, grilled snacks (such as corn dogs and chicken strips), basic barbecue dishes, and—of course—ice cream.
Learn more about the history of the Enchanted Forest.
Throughout the year, farms open their fields and welcome visitors for memorable u-pick experiences—an idyllic activity for kids and kids at heart.
Typically between Memorial Day and October, crops ripe for u-pick outings include several varieties of berries, apples, pumpkins, peaches, and even colorful flowers. Many of these farms also have on-site cafés and markets that sell pre-picked produce and other farm-grown fare.
Get the skinny on the top u-pick farms in the Willamette Valley.
Grab a rental from Rainy Peak Bicycles in Cottage Grove, near the southern edge of the Willamette Valley, and take a ride on the 36-mile Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway.
What makes this route special is that it's largely flat, making it accessible for younger riders, and that you can turn around at any point if 36 miles feels like a bit much. If you follow the entire paved bikeway, which traces the route of an old rail line, you'll pass a handful of covered bridges that date back decades—and can ride through two.
For more fun, check out family-friendly activities around Cottage Grove and Eugene.
If your travels bring you to the Willamette Valley in the heart of fall, get to know the farmers of the Willamette Valley at our many harvest festivals.
Each event has its own unique offerings, but you can generally expect a u-pick pumpkin patch, corn maze, hayrides, children's games, and the chance to meet (and occasionally feed) each farm's resident animals.
Of course, the fun also includes seasonal fare like apple cider donuts and caramel apples; at some festivals, you can even bring home a jug of fresh-pressed cider.
No celebration of family activities is complete without a nod to the Historic Carousel & Museum of Albany.
So after you've visited a few wineries around Salem and Albany, head downtown for a few spins on the historic attraction. There, more than 40 animals and creatures adorn the carousel; each was hand-carved and hand-painted by local volunteers. Beyond the carousel, you can view artifacts at an on-site museum, browse the carving station downstairs, and support the carousel with a visit to the gift shop.
For more, learn about five things to love about the Historic Albany Carousel in Albany.
Just 30 miles southwest of Corvallis, in the Oregon Coast Range foothills, the Alsea Falls Recreation Site offers an easy and unforgettable escape into nature.
The undeniable highlight is the namesake waterfall, which measures 30 feet tall and cascades over a rocky shelf in the South Fork Alsea River. A short, family-friendly trail ascends to its base. Other attractions across the Alsea Falls Recreation Site include a longer hike to Green Peak Falls, mountain biking trails, and nearly two-dozen campsites.
If you're up for other outdoor adventures nearby, check out hiking trails and wildlife-watching opportunities in the Willamette Valley's national wildlife refuges.
What kid doesn't love climbing trees? Give your little ones an experience they'll always remember with Tree Climbing at Silver Falls, which operates within Silver Falls State Park and helps climbers of all ages ascend old-growth stands of Douglas fir—sometimes reaching heights of 200 to 300 feet above the ground.
Each excursion includes instructions, safety tips, and all the necessary gear—and each trip won't take anyone higher than they're comfortable with.
Get the skinny on Tree Climbing at Silver Falls. For more ground-bound fun, learn about accessible hikes around Salem and McMinnville nearby.
Museum? Water park? You can do both in McMinnville.
Start with a visit to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, where several types of airplanes and spacecraft are on display—including a Mercury Space capsule and Howard Hughes' mammoth Spruce Goose—which boasts a massive 320-foot wingspan. Other attractions include flight simulators and a space-themed playground just outside.
Next door, the Wings and Waves Waterpark nearly a dozen waterslides and a jubilant wave pool. One especially notable waterslide begins in a genuine Boeing 747 on the building's roof before spiraling three stories down to an indoor pool below.
