If visiting a quiet retreat with children sounds like a cuckoo idea, I can’t blame you for your skepticism. But read on to see why visiting downtown Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden with kids is not only a brilliant idea; it’s practically a must-do family friendly activity in Downtown Portland and Old Town.

Head to downtown Portland and you’ll find all the features of a big city, but with a PDX twist: Skyscrapers, but with 8-story-high murals decorating one side. Crowded city blocks, but with a pod of food carts in the middle. Busy streets, but with bicycle commuters powering by. Look a little harder and you’ll find something more unusual: The Lan Su Chinese Garden, where you can find peace and natural beauty in the middle of downtown Portland.

Lan Su Chinese Garden isn’t large—it takes up about a city block—but inside, you can meander past giant koi, pause in front of a waterfall, sip a cup of tea and even get your fortune told. Visiting Lan Su Chinese Garden with kids might not sound like a natural fit, but this peaceful oasis actually welcomes children. It includes family friendly features, and the Lan Su Chinese Garden with kids actually makes perfect sense:

When your family is visiting downtown Portland and you need a break from the city’s sensory overload, the Lan Su Chinese Garden is your go-to refuge.

Here’s how to best enjoy visiting the Lan Su Chinese Garden with kids.

Don’t miss out on the Lan Su Chinese Garden with kids

Heading to the Lan Su Chinese Garden with kids is not only a peaceful break for parents; it’s also a great opportunity for children to experience another culture in an interactive way.

We visited the Chinese garden in downtown Portland on a recent weekend—and this is one hidden gem you don’t want to miss when you visit Oregon.

An authentic Chinese garden in downtown Portland

The Lan Su Chinese Garden was built by artisans from Suzhou, home of famous classical gardens that have been named a World Heritage Site. This peaceful spot was designed to be a quiet place for contemplation and connection with nature.

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As you and your family walk along the many paths in the Chinese garden, you’ll catch glimpses of downtown Portland’s high rises outside the garden—which almost seem out of place. It’s easy to forget there’s a bustling city just outside the garden walls.

As a classically designed Chinese garden, Lan Su includes walking paths, ornate traditional architecture, a pond, a waterfall, a teahouse and many secluded nooks where people meditate or relax.

Can I visit Lan Su Chinese Garden with kids?

Yes, absolutely!

Look, I get it that using words like “refuge,” “peaceful” and “meditation” doesn’t make the Lan Su Chinese Garden sound particularly kid-friendly. But when my family visited, we felt entirely welcome.

The girls did have to scale back their usual climb-everything and run-around-shouting habits while we visited the garden. But focusing on the things they could do kept me from repeating no no no no. Read on below for all of the family friendly features at this hidden gem.

Level 10 travel tip: Bring some blank paper and crayons so kids can make rubbings on all the different textures throughout the garden. My girls loved this activity—and it distracted them from wanting to use the fences as a balance beam!

Family highlights at the Lan Su Chinese Garden

Family self-guided tours

As you walk into the Lan Su Chinese Garden, pick up one of the laminated packets. One kid-friendly handout is like a scavenger hunt for things throughout the garden. Can your kids find a paving stone shaped like a Chinese coin or a kite shaped like an animal?

Koi pond

My girls’ favorite part about visiting the Lan Su garden was seeing the koi. Some of these carp were almost as long as my arm, and they congregated around a bridge that crosses the water. The girls insisted on returning to the bridge several times throughout our stay and pointed our their favorite fish.

Chinese fortune sticks

So I was actually more excited about this than my kids, but one room in the garden has traditional fortune-telling sticks that will tell your and your children’s future! You shake out a stick which has a number on it, then pull your fortune out of a drawer that corresponds to that number. The good news: My kids’ future is bright (though I didn’t necessarily need a fortune to tell me that!).

Quiet places to discover

One of the wonderful things about visiting the Lan Su Chinese Garden with kids is discovering the hidden nooks and crannies throughout the garden. My kids loved turning a corner and stumbling upon what seemed like a secret spot just for them.

Plant scavenger hunt

When I arrived at the Lan Su Chinese Garden with kids, I picked up a laminated booklet of the garden’s many plants. When my kids and I were walking around, we matched what we saw to the plants in the books. That way we learned new plant names.

This kid-friendly activity will be something we do every time we visit the Lan Su Chinese Garden. This Portland refuge is designed to change throughout the seasons, so there will be something new to see whenever we visit.

Special events

The Lan Su Chinese Garden is more than a pretty place to walk. It is also like an ambassador of Chinese culture, so you’ll likely have an opportunity to see demonstrations, try out Tai Chi, listen to music or taste new foods.

On a recent day, the garden hosted a calligraphy demonstration; sometimes they’ll write your child’s name in Chinese characters if you ask! Also look for folk art performances, sales of seasonal Chinese treats, family crafts and even story time.

Chinese Teahouse

Inside the Lan Su Chinese Garden, you’ll find a gorgeous Teahouse. More than a restaurant, the teahouse introduces visitors to Chinese foods, teas and ceremony surrounding these traditions.

Run by Portland specialty company The Tao of Tea, the teahouse focuses on teas grown, produced and processed in age-old ways. You’ll find green, black, herbal and other varieties, which are grown in different regions of China.

You can also taste Chinese goodies here. Look for the mooncakes, cookies, dumplings and noodles.

Your off the beaten path family friendly destination in Portland

I travel with kids all the time, so I understand the balance of choosing kid friendly activities and expanding your children’s world through travel. Visiting the Lan Su Chinese Garden with kids is an ideal mix of the two: Kids can wander and explore at their own pace, and they get a taste of Chinese culture at the same time.

Bottom line: Checking out the Lan Su Chinese Garden with kids is an off the beaten path addition to your Portland itinerary. It’s in the center of downtown Portland so is within walking distance of other Portland highlights (including the Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Voodoo Donuts and Powell’s), but many visitors skip this gorgeous refuge.

Don’t miss out. When you need an hour’s break from the sensory overload of the city, step inside this peaceful refuge. You won’t regret it.

Have you ever taken your kids someplace that, at first glance, doesn’t seem kid-friendly? What was your experience?

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