It can be hard to get my teens to agree on anything these days. They reluctantly came along on a weekend staycation in Tualatin Valley, Oregon, about 30 minutes from our home in Portland.
After a cozy weekend in a country farm house, and a whole bunch of new to them activities, they agreed that it was a lot of fun and they even asked to go back.
Here are some teen-friendly activities in Tualatin Valley:
Go Gaming
Just being honest here, there are lots of rainy days in Oregon. Lucky for you, there are some great indoor options to keep your teens amused for hours. There are several fun arcades including:
NextLevel Pinball Museum
(1458 NE 25th Avenue in Hillsboro)
The word museum might give you the wrong impression that this place is boring. Wrong! It’s super fun. There are hundreds of games – both vintage and modern at the NextLevel Pinball Museum. The museum part of the experience is the information you can learn about each game as you play it. Signs are posted above the games with interesting details. It’s also a pop culture museum, with floor-to-ceiling exhibits of lunchboxes, toys, and collectibles. While I found the museum aspect really interesting, my teens were intrigued by the chance to play whatever they wanted for free.
An admission fee is required. An all-day wristband costs $23 per person, kids ages 3-5 years old are $17, kids under 2 are free. There’s a discounted admission day on Thursdays.
Wunderland
(17235 NW Corridor Court in Beaverton)
Wunderland is a family-owned business with several locations in Oregon. The Beaverton location has a nickel arcade and movie theater. There are over 100 games, most games cost one to four nickels per play. Many of the games provide tickets that can be redeemed for prizes.There are also group activities at this location like laser tag.
An admission fee is required, you’ll purchase a fun card to play. Admission is $2.50 for ages 13+, $2 for kids 5-12. Discounted admission is offered on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Movies require an additional ticket.
Claw City
(11945 SW Pacific Highway #206 in Portland)
Is your teen obsessed with claw machines? Or is it just mine? My son loves the challenge of a claw machine. Claw City is a claw machine arcade, each machine is filled with prizes.
There are several Claw City locations in Oregon. No admission is required. You’ll need to purchase a game card to play.
Take a Swing
The only Topgolf location Oregon is in Hillsboro (5505 NE Huffman Street in Hillsboro). If you’re unfamiliar – Topgolf is an entertainment center featuring golf hitting bays, an arcade, and teen-friendly food. A good golf swing isn’t necessary, trust us! We had fun hitting balls from the top deck, you can choose whether you want to play on decks 1, 2 or 3 when booking. As first-timers at Topgolf, 90 minutes was a good amount of time to get familiar with how to play, although we could have stayed longer. Clubs are provided.
There’s no admission fee, however a $6 membership is required for each player. You can book bays in increments of 60 minutes, 90 minutes, or 120 minutes. The cost of play varies widely depending on the day and length of time. Servers will bring food and drink orders to your bay. My kids liked the hole-in-one donuts with injectable flavors.
Do Some Shopping
Two of our teen’s favorite malls are in the Tualatin Valley. These shopping spots are thriving, with new stores opening all the time.
Bridgeport Village (7455 SW Bridgeport Road in Tigard) is an upscale outdoor shopping venue. You’ll find a mix of chain stores and local retailers. We like the food options here, with both counter service and sit-down options.
Washington Square (9585 SW Washington Square Road in Portland) is your traditional mall experience, with indoor shops and a food court. This mall has all of the brand-name stores you’d expect in a mall, plus a nice array of local businesses, too.
KidTripster Tip: If you’re visiting from out-of-state, remember that there’s no sales tax in Oregon. So shopping here is tax-free.
Frolic on a Farm
Don’t let the malls and arcades fool you, there are plenty of places to find some fresh air in Tualatin Valley. This is also farm country and many farms welcome visitors year-round. A few of our favorites include:
Get up close and personal with a pack of goofy alpacas. You can pet and feed them at Alpacas of Oregon (21345 SW Aebischer Road in Sherwood). It’s a fun and personalized experience. You’ll learn everything you ever wanted to know about alpacas and more. Book your one-hour visit in advance. It’s $20 a person.
Fraga Farm (54655 NW Old Wilson River Road in Gales Creek) is all about the goats. There are some hands-on experiences like being a “farmer for an hour” where you can feed and milk a goat, make goat milk soap, or go on a guided goat walk and picnic.
Lee Farms (21975 SW 65th Avenue in Tualatin) is known for its Fall Festival which includes a pumpkin patch, corn maze, hay rides, jump pads, and the opportunity to interact with farm animals. Outside of the fall, Lee Farms hosts other seasonal events, like the Sunflower Festival in the summer and the Christmas Festival during the holidays.
Smith Berry Barn (24500 SW Scholls Ferry Road in Hillsboro) offers u-pick opportunities depending on the season. Kids can also feed the goats and chickens. We recommend ordering a berry milkshake while you’re here.
KidTripster Tip: Just across the street is the South Store Cafe. This is a local gem serving sandwiches, salads, and pastries with lots of gluten free options!
[ Related: Gluten Free Eats in Portland ]
Eat Up
Don’t get me wrong, I love supporting local restaurants and there are lots of amazing local eateries around here. There are also some really fun chain restaurants that your kids will likely love.
(Multiple Locations)
This chicken chain’s exploding in the Pacific Northwest and around the country. You’ll find multiple locations in the Portland-area. My kids like the special menu items. They’re also fans of the popcorn chicken and wings, be sure to pay attention when selecting your spice level. It can escalate quickly.
(9724 SW Washington Square Road at Washington Square Mall)
We love the piping hot soup dumplings, precisely crafted with exactly 18 folds. Want to verify for yourself? Watch the Xiao Long Bao being made from the window inside the restaurant. Dumplings arrive in swift order at your table in bamboo steamers. You’ll want to save room for the Chocolate & Mochi Xiao Long Bao for dessert. It’s a dumpling filled with gooey chocolate, beloved by my kids. KidTripster Tip: Make an advance reservation at this popular restaurant.
(2498 NE Town Center Drive in Hillsboro)
The beloved California burger chain recently expanded into the Pacific Northwest with one of its newest locations in Hillsboro. Like any In-N-Out, the line looks formidable. We usually skip the drive-thru and go inside. The walk-up line moves faster than the drive-thru, plus the burgers and fries are best eaten hot off the grill. Our kids love ordering burgers animal style, off the “not so secret menu.” That’s a beef patty cooked with yellow mustard, pickles, grilled onions, and extra spread.
(10875 Northeast Cornell Road in Hillsboro)
The Filipino fast food restaurant can be found all over the world, but there’s only one location in Oregon. My kids like the buckets of fried chicken, it’s something like you’d find at Popeye’s and KFC, but the Jollibee chicken has its own unique spices. Other popular menu items are the “Yumburger” and the “Jolly Spaghetti” which has a sweeter tomato sauce and chunks of hot dogs instead of meatballs.
(7439 SW Bridgeport Road in Tigard at Bridgeport Village)
There are just four locations in Oregon, two in Tualatin Valley. This fast-growing chain is known for its burgers and shakes. The burgers are loaded with tasty toppings and the shake flavors are fun. We like the crinkle cut fries, too.
(7357 SE Bridgeport Road in Tigard at Bridgeport Village)
The famous ice cream shop started right here in Oregon, before opening across the country. Salt & Straw is known for its unique flavors like “pear and blue cheese” and “strawberry honey balsamic with black pepper”, with special monthly flavors. Our teens love the Tacolate’s, a gourmet spin on the choco taco, created in collaboration with Taco Bell.
Where is the Tualatin Valley
Tualatin Valley is located west of Portland, Oregon and encompasses several towns and cities including Tigard, Tualatin, Beaverton and Hillsboro.
It’s about a 30-40 minute drive from the Portland International Airport, and situated in between Mt. Hood and the Oregon Coast. It’s about a 90-minute drive to the mountains or the coast from Tualatin Valley.
[ Related: Family-Friendly Weekend Itinerary for Oregon’s Mt. Hood ]
Where to Stay in the Tualatin Valley
Booking a staycation makes a family weekend more fun. You’ll cut down on the driving and maximize your time together.
There are all kinds of lodging options in the Tualatin Valley including hotels, motels, and farm stays.
Watch Our Weekend
There’s a lot to do in Tualatin Valley. We squeezed in a lot of adventures during our weekend staycation. Check out our activities from Day 1:
Watch what we did on Day 2 in Tualatin Valley:
The author was hosted by Explore Tualatin Valley for the purposes of this article. All opinions are her own.
