Portland, Oregon: Weather Machine
Built in 1988, the machine plays a trumpet fanfare, sprays mist, then "announces" the weather by revealing one of three designs to forecast sun, storm, or drizzle for the rest of the day.
- Address:
- 720 SW Broadway, Portland, OR
- Directions:
- In Pioneer Courthouse Square, in the northwest quadrant, in front of the Starbucks. It's a pole with the brass ball on top.
- Hours:
- Every day at noon. Local health policies may affect hours and access.
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Within a beautiful plaza, the weathervane pole is easy to miss if you don't know to look for it. At noon the fanfare noises start, a burst of water, and movement at the top. All three symbols (sun, blue heron, and dragon) appear briefly and the symbol of the predicted weather returns for the next 24 hours. The machine also has a thermometer and air quality measurement shown by colored lights, which I didn't notice on the sunny day.
The Weather Machine seems to be well known by some who sat in front of it just to be close, while others were caught off guard when the action started. A plaque near the machine provide the details of the sculpture and how it works.
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