Portland, Oregon: World's Smallest Park

One must remember this park is located in an urban environment and small enough to go unnoticed by some locals. I was approached by an upset young man and accused taking pictures of his wife as she walked past. Bystanders came to my rescue and explained I was shooting a true tourist attraction. It's there -- behind the motorcycle mirror.

Went to Portland in April of 2007 and saw the listing in a guide book for Mill Ends Park and decided I had to find it. Missed it the first time driving down the road and had to turn around and try again driving very slowly. Got a pic of it that gives a little better idea of what it looks like.

Today we ventured downtown to snap a couple of pictures. I jumped out to get a shot of the tiny park and couldn't. Currently the entire street is torn up, and so is the World's Smallest Park.

This is a very very very small park. It's in the middle of a traffic island, next to Waterfront Park in Portland, Oregon. There is a plaque (bigger than the park itself, stationed on the side of the road near the traffic island) explaining the park's origins. When I visited, there was a small tree in the park and that's about it.

Portland is home to the smallest park in the world (452 square inches--about 20 inches by 20 inches). The park was created by Dick Fagan in the 1940s. Over the years, items have been added like a tiny swimming pool and diving board for butterflies, a miniature Ferris wheel and more.