Oaks Amusement Park

I went here for my boyfriend wanted to do some roller skating. We both hadn’t been for at least 20 years! I’ve been wanting to go for some time. It was fun, but boy I felt old! I was basically re-​learning to roller skate all over again, and I was nervous. So many different levels skating, and I did end up falling pretty good. Bruises to prove it! I had to expect that though. The roller rink itself was pretty good size. Prices were cheap, but it was kind of gross cleanliness wise. We made sure we washed our hands good after being there. It did re-​spark our interest though in roller skating. We learned that there are adult lessons there, and so we might do those or an «all skate» open event again. Good cheap fun on a rainy day! :) It was a little bit nerve racking with all the kids and levels, especially for a 2^nd time beginner… so I tried to be aware and not go too fast.

This place is disgusting. We rented a tent for my daughters 4^th birthday party and showed up to tables with bird poop, dried cake and food all over them. We had to carry nearby tables in to swap out, with no help from them. The beverages that we had to get from them were gross, I asked for some kind of compensation and they offered a whopping $ 25.00 off a 450.00 dollar total order. Seriously gross place, not to mention the staff are rude and totally unprofessional. Will never take my kids there again, surprised they didn’t pick up some kind of disease from the place.

Review of the skate rink during adult skate: the staff behind the counter are rude and on a power trip. It’s such a shame that a place with such history is run by people who appear to hate their job but enjoy coming down hard on people not following (perhaps because they are unaware!) «the rules.»

Seriously this place is so cheap and cheesy — its awesome! It’s older than dirt and w/​every turn of the roller coaster or spin of the basket death really truly is a possibility! Lol Hey! We only live once!
The bumper cars are always waist deep in lines. Ahhhh the chance to get behind the wheel and let out all that road rage on a kindergarter! So worth the wait! If only the little beasties weren’t such amazing gamers and much btr drivers than most of us adults!!!
Roller skating rocks! And The Oaks has it! No in-​line here. This is the real McCoy. Get up and gt your boogie on babes!

***disclaimer: this review is mostly for the skating rink***
This was my 2^nd time here. and I wasn’t going to write a review, but this time it deserves it. To make it fair, considering I come from an aggressive inline skating background in my youth I’ll try to be as impartial I can be.
PRO’s: For a cheap price, you can come in and rent 2×2’s or inline and have a jolly good time spinning around aimlessly to the sound of a pipe organ (if only he could play Sephiroth’s One-​Winged Angel, but noooooooo…). Anyway, if you have small children, it is a good place to get them started I guess. Attention to fallen skaters is priority and they even control the non-​stop spinning traffic while the fallen skater gets up. Nice. I guess is neat that you have some kind of a diner on the side and a skate shop if you want to burn some more money. Lockers for rent are available for rent and I guess it’s big enough for it to be comfortable.
CON’s: If you know the first thing about skating, aggressive, speed, or even ice skating. Don’t waste your money, patience or effort. I understand that most of the following were «security» guidelines, but I didn’t see anyone else scolding the 50+ year old white guy breaking most of them. I rather not think this as a racial issue, being that I was probably one of the darkest people in there, but I digress:
Allow me to put up a list of the shit I got whistled/​scolded/​bullshitted on:
–Running more than 5MPH
–Standing on the side, trying to help my 7-​year old daughter to loosen up and gain confidence. (basically teaching her how to skate)
–Standing inside of the spinning ring waiting for said daughter. (again, she was learning… so I can’t go too fast nor too slow apparently)
–Taking out my cellphone out of my side pocket to check the time (apparently is similar to the don’t drink and drive bullshit but instead is don’t skate and cell)
–Separating my feet 2 inches off the floor. (well, this is called jumping. If you jump in any way, you are screwed. I’m guessing it’s because of the wooden floor made specifically for skating and they want to protect it but damn… I don’t weight 400lbs for Christ’s sake!)
Of course, when I was sitting taking a break the pricks who scolded me went all out, running fast, spinning, establishing of course (on their mind) that they were the better skaters out there!
let me get this even easier for you:
TLDR; on a scale of 1 – 10 if the point of learning how to skate comfortably is 4 and your skill level is 5, you really won’t love this place.
My recommendation to level 5’s and above, go to a real skate park. Learn how to do 180’s, 360’s and 720’s. Learn how to grind. Every friggin’ trick you can. Exploit your potential!
Yes, you will fall, but there’s not other way to learn this art.
If you rather go skate and spin around the rink aimlessly, like a retard, this is your spot.

Oregon’s wonderful version of Coney Island is Oak’s Amusement Park. It has lots of rides, games and food, along with free admission. Riding here by public transportation is difficult, but very able to be done. Although the prices for beverages at the vending machine are two dollars, meals are little more than that, thus distinguishing value from the gouging at state fairs.
The walk here is twenty-​five minutes, so my new sense of fitness finally brought me to walk on over. I played wild western shooting, skee-​ball and basketball with a haunted hoop that moves both outward and inward. The skating rink was crowded, but the crowds were mild elsewhere. This place is not perfect, but it is a worthy icon of Portland.
Welcome to Oak’s Amusement Park.

There are too many people in P-​town now! Expand! This could be such an awesome venue, please improve the ride to Disney level and make more parking available.
Very busy today with long lines. Tha is such an old time p-​town favorite with huge upside potential.
Get really high quality investors and GO FOR IT!

We go there twice a year for mother’s day and wife’s birthday. The kids love it and pretty good even for adults. It’s good value for what you get.

The amusement park is older — by todays standards… But totally worth the $ 13 unlimited ride band!!! Especially when you have 2 kids!
We tried roller skating today for the first time and it was a nice rink. The staff was kind enough to help those who needed it and it was AWESOME hearing the LIVE ORGAN PLAYER!!! I have never been to a rink where they actually have a live person playing music for the skaters — it was cool!
We go to Oaks Park maybe 2X’s a year… Birthday are a great excuse and a nice cool summer day, too!
I would HIGHLY recommend this amusement park for all-​ages.

Why 5 stars for this older amusement park? Because each ride is only $ 2.75 (or $ 13 for unlimited) and the experience is definitely priceless. We came after a group outing at the multiple designated cooking bbq spots located right outside the amusement park, and were surprised to see so many classic rides at such cheap prices and short lines. We went on the Eruption (which laaaasted forever and a half and almost made me lose my lunch) and the most popular screamin’ eagle. Feel free to read them up online and look at youtube videos. I didn’t get to check out the go-​carts or the bumper carts, but they seem like a great time as well!
Overall, I really enjoyed my time here and thought it was the perfect way to spend a Friday night with friends before my flight back to the Northeast.

This is just fun for families to get out and play together. Been here a couple of times. .spread out the times and come back and play again. The kids love it and so do i. I also love that they still have a skate rink! !! We love to get those old slays on and go around in circles!

This is it a carnival. There are no carneys. The staff is friendly, helpful, and clearly there to help you and your little children have a great time.
Look up the specials online before you go — likely you’ll pay well less than the full price (which is a good value anyways!).
Don’t miss the roller skating, even if you’ve never been before — super great for young and old.
Secret tip: there is direct access to a lovely riverside beach! Wear your bathers and bring a towel for a refreshing dip on a warm day!

I had read a review warning you cannot take in drinks and mensroom had no doors and prepared for the worst. I am happy to give a more accurate review for you.
We went on 4^th of July and they checked bags but did not mind at all waterbottles or soft drinks. They allowed everyone to bring in coolers and puppies and tents! A black couple got married near us… yeah right there under a tent. They had white balloons and a lot of space for guests… and the park was packed… so you know it was a good place to be.
You see a sign saying no alcohol. So just be wise and drink some other time. They do not sell it either.
So restrooms… there are several scattered around. Not portapotties but buildings. I did find the small older one without stall doors near the skating rink. There is a nice new one with doors and even big one for wheelchair nearer the Screaming Eagle. I saw another one further down nearer the roller coaster but did not look in it as that was not why I went there. :p
They were so polite at entry and I was offered a free red white and blue smiley face button by an older lady working there. Yes they accept credit cards. It was only $ 5 for adults that day.
Food lines were long but their soft serve chocolate vanilla swirl ice cream said lactose free and hit the spot. They had Slush Puppie drinks in five or six flavors. Prices not jacked up as I expected, only $ 2.25 for a good sized cone. If you get one of the many picnic tables you may want to bring watermelon and water and ice in coolers and bring a BBQ grill to make hotdogs though… because you can!
The fireworks are set off on a barge on the river and I took a video of it all. For this holiday the rides end at midnight! Everyone was polite and patriotic and really seemed to come together. I think the respectful politeness by staff helped set the mood.
It was sweltering and they had sprinklers to cool off in. Plenty of shade under the trees and covered areas. I should not have gotten the $ 16 deluxe ride bracelet since the heat got to me and I only did two rides. But I did try to roller skate and found I sucked. I did not fall so I am a success. Woo hoo!
There is plenty of fun stuff here to do, but even if you cannot afford to do much you can still have a great time. I highly recommend it for families. It is too far by Trimet bus for elderly to walk that far though. It is about 27 minute walk from the bus stop through the nature reserve and has a great paved safe bike path. Do not let past whiney negative reviews stop you! This place is well worth a visit!

This place was a lot of fun! We had paid for the top package which lets you ride all rides for free, race the go-​carts once, one round of 18 hole miniature golf, and lets you roller skate as lo g as you would like for $ 26! The park itself is more carnival than amusement park (not meant in a negative way!). We spent most of the day there and had a blast!

I took my young kids here for their «preschool days» and they had a blast! The lines were relatively short (never waited more than 5 minutes to get on a ride). The staff was very helpful and friendly.
My only complaint would be the story time they do after the rides close. The poor guy reading the story seemed to have zero experience with children. I highly recommend this place and we’ll definitely back — though we’ll probably skip the story next time.

This park is super fun for everyone. It is nice and compact, thus, you should not worry about walking too much. It has ample parking. I have a 16 months daughter. She enjoyed a lot on almost all family rides. And my 4 years old as well, he enjoyed a lot too. Will definitely come here again, and would strongly recommend to all.
One side thing, they charged everyone irrespective of age. So overall I paid for both of my kids along our adult deluxe tickets.

Thanks to a tight budget and a bit of boredom, I made Wednesday night a skate-​o-​rama one. The prices were reasonable for entry, skate rental, and snack bar fare. I’m sold. Let’s skate!
Oaks Park’s skating rink is impressive. It’s not modern and it’s not newly remodeled, but it’s lacking the «about to fall apart» feel you get at a lot of skate joints. It feels like they preserve it but opt to maintain the vintage feel when possible. The floor is fabulously smooth and there are plenty of practice areas.
The staff is interesting. I think they take their jobs a bit too seriously, maybe poor training makes it so. Folks just weren’t friendly and the on-​the-​floor staff appeared to be looking for reasons to pull skaters over for for a stern talking to. The point is to have fun, skating police; simmer down.
The crowd is indescribably rad, but let me try anyhow. There are toddlers who rock it, skating impressively fast for their small size. There are teenagers looking to impress one another in the most awwww ways. There are adults clearly revisiting their youth. There are seniors kicking everyone’s butts with their sick spin maneuvers. There’s break-​dancing skaters and ballroom dancing skaters and skaters who have no skills whatsoever but are spur of the moment inspired to live it up to a Beyonce jam. It’s faboosh. Simply faboosh.

Its Oaks Park. Games rides roller skating for young kids. The food is what you would expect. Maybe needs a little updating but the prices for everything else are great.

Oaks Amusement Park used to be dank and decrepit. It has improved while remaining quaint and anachronistic. That’s why we loved it then, and why we love it now.
It’s fascinating just to picnic, walk around, or you can buy day passes for the rides, roller skate or play mini-​golf.
The picnic areas are clean. It is not unusual to see weddings or large family picnics, with space reserved in advance. There is also a rental hall with a nice floor.
The roller rink is old and charming. It’s clean, has some basic food — you would do better to bring food to the park. The finest item is the live pipe organ musical accompaniment for the skaters. You can have events in the rink, though not exclusively. Several band friends have rented the rink and had skating while they played for their friends. It is also a great place for a birthday.
The rides are well maintained, albeit old. Nostalgic. There are rides with signs saying you must be under a certain height for smaller children. The roller coaster is small, no extreme inversions, but it is scary enough. The busy park at dusk is one of my favorite Portland soundscapes, the sounds of hundreds of screaming children and the rumble of machinery.
The mini-​golf is great! Everything is newer, clean, it is often busy on Summer weekends. The holes are a good challenge. Many of the greens have some terrain.
It is connected to Sellwood Park, so there is plenty of space to get away from the crowds and make out.
The food and drink is carny food. Hey Oaks Park, step up your game! Local and sustainable!
Oaks Amusement Park is one of my favorite photo expeditions. Some of my prized photographs are of the junkyards of ride parts in the back maintenance areas. In Winter it’s empty. That’s an opportunity to get up close to the mechanisms of the rides and see how janky they are. Yes, the roller coaster really is dangerous, you are getting your dollars’ worth of scare!
It is easily accessible by the Springwater Corridor bike route or the West Willamette River bike trails assuming you can cross the Sellwood Bridge. In fact that combination makes a great loop. There is also plenty of vehicle parking.
Oaks Park is the amusement park that time forgot, in a good way. Something right out of a small town in the middle of the USA.

My 300^th review. I’m sitting here, typing, shaking my head, and thinking «when did that happen»? I asked that same question about a week ago of my brother on my birthday. His answer to the question was «when it struck midnight.» Thank you for that, dear brother of mine. Not that I’m Cinderella or anything, but I’ve been participating in or on Unilocal since about April 2012, so I guess my midnight for the 300^th review came when I went to my company picnic here at Oaks Amusement Park, and I didn’t lose any shoes or glass slippers during this visit.
I mostly came to the picnic to visit with my various colleagues. I don’t often get to see them all as we are spread out on our various properties or in the corporate office, so it’s was a treat to meet and greet many pals today. I thought the park itself looked really good and definitely more clean and streamlined than I remember in the past. I guess the last time I was here was during one of Horst Mager’s Oktoberfest celebrations and that’s definitely been awhile; I remember the park looked a little seedy at the time, so I definitely was not motivated to come to visit again other than a chance to see my colleagues. Parking was definitely more organized than in the past, and the area has been paved, so there aren’t clouds of dust like there used to be in the past. I didn’t go on the rides, but I could see that area was also in good repair and looked well kept and clean as well.
It used to be that Oaks Amusement Park was kind of the country cousin of Jantzen Beach Amusement Park. Jantzen Beach was truly a relic of the 1930s and 1940s, but it was a whole lot larger and dustier and dirtier and a lot more fun than Oaks Amusement Park. Since they paved over Jantzen Beach to build what has become a dying shopping center, the only alternative has been Oaks Amusement Park or the state or county fair circuit. The Multnomah County Fair is and has been a joke really compared to its glory days, and The Clark County Fair is pretty amazing, but a little overwhelming in its enormity. It’s comforting to see that the country cousin has survived all these years and has been taken care of and fixed up. I’m glad for that. I might not come here often, but it’s good to see an American classic hanging on and still giving good entertainment and value to everyone who visits.

Relatively good value for your money– kids are a $ 2 entry, adults $ 5. Go Carts, Screamin’ Eagle, Disk-​O, and looping coaster are all additional cost, unless you get an upgraded bracelet. For $ 13 you can ride every other ride including bumper cars and there is even a skating rink the bracelet gets you into. It is a little annoying that there isn’t a kiddy rate for the limited bracelet, because there are a few rides they can’t go on unless they are tall enough, but it is still mostly worth it. They also have a mini golf course, which is extra $ as well.
Parking is free and there is a lot of it. We came on the 4^th of July– it was packed, but they had plenty of people directing traffic out and monitoring things. I was very impressed with how smoothly things went.
Fireworks display was amazing– just over the river and a great mix of types, heights, and colors.
There is a good game selection, although they are pretty spendy. The $ 5 for mining for arrowheads was def worth it.
They charge for tap water, but refills are free. It is pretty annoying to stand in the long concession lines for water, but I was really glad to have the option for water on such a scorching day. Bathrooms are disgusting and eventually ran out of paper towels, but there are a good number of them scattered throughout the park.
I am not sure if it was just for the 4^th, but they allowed BBQs in on their grassy area, which I thought was pretty cool.

I don’t come here enough.
I have always enjoyed Oaks Amusement Park even if only to walk around and look at people having fun. There are benches overlooking the river and I like to sit and just enjoy the view.