Eugene: Recreation

Eugene: Recreation

Sightseeing

Eugene's Willamette River banks are lined with miles of paths and a number of picnic areas and scenic parks, including the 5-acre Owen Memorial Rose Garden. The Hendricks Park Rhododendron Garden features more than 6,000 rhododendrons and azaleas. Culminating at Spencer Butte, the city's highest point, the South Hills Ridgeline Trail showcases a variety of plants and wildlife. The Mount Pisgah Arboretum has trails throughout its 209 acres and multiple habitats. Tours of many historic homes and buildings, such as the Shelton McMurphey Johnson House from 1888, are also available in Eugene.

The surrounding area offers a number of attractions, such as scenic drives, a national park, wildlife and natural areas, mine and winery tours, and historic sites.

Arts and Culture

Eugene has a large and varied arts community. Companies that perform music include the Eugene Symphony, the Eugene Opera Company, the Oregon Mozart Players, the Oregon Festival of American Music, and the Eugene Youth Symphony; all these groups call the Hult Center for the Performing Arts home. The Shedd Institute is home to the Oregon Festival of American Music, which runs year round and features an eclectic variety of performers. Summer music concerts are held at the Cuthbert Amphitheatre in Alton Baker Park. The McDonald Theater, a historic restored movie house, presents touring and local musicians and performers.

The Eugene Ballet performs several times during the year at the Hult Center. The Actor's Cabaret of Eugene has been presenting plays and musicals since 1979. The Very Little Theatre is a volunteer community theater group that dates back to 1929. The Lord Leebrick Theatre Company presents five plays a year. The Hult Center is also home to the Wilamette Repertory Theatre.

The University of Oregon Natural History Museum contains exhibits in archeology, paleontology, and zoology. The Science Factory Children's Museum and Planetarium, formerly the Willamette Science and Technology Center, re-opened in 2002 and has 50 interactive exhibits and planetarium shows. Relics and memorabilia pertaining to the history of the Eugene area can be viewed at the Lane County Historical Museum. The Maude Kerns Art Center displays a number of works by local artists as well as traveling exhibits. The University of Oregon's Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art reopened in 2005 with a new addition that doubled the size of the museum. It houses a famous collection of Asian Art and hosts numerous special exhibits each year.

Festivals and Holidays

The Oregon Bach Festival is an annual highlight of Eugene's special events calendar. Held for two weeks in late June and early July, the festival is hosted on the University of Oregon campus and at the Hult Center. It features performances by internationally acclaimed soloists and orchestral, choral, and chamber music groups interpreting the compositions of eighteenth-century German composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Eugene also celebrates with a Folk Festival in May, a Country Fair in July, and Eugene Celebration, taking place for three days beginning in late September.

Sports for the Spectator

Professional baseball is represented in Eugene by the minor league Eugene Emeralds, a Class A farm club for the Chicago Cubs, who play at Civic Stadium. The University of Oregon fields teams in every major sport, competing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level; games are played at the 10,000-seat MacArthur Court and at the 42,000-seat Autzen Stadium, while track and field events take place at Hayward Field. Eugene is also a major center of track and field events, hosting the National Track and Field Championships on a regular basis.

Sports for the Participant

A wide range of outdoor recreation activities are available in and around Eugene, located only 60 miles away from either the mountains or the ocean. The Cascade Mountains offer opportunities for winter skiing and summer hiking, camping, and rafting. The glacier-fed McKenzie and Willamette rivers offer water sports such as fishing, boating, and kayaking. The city maintains nearly 2,000 acres of park land, with jogging trails, bike paths, pools, 24 athletic fields, 23 tennis courts, bowling alleys, a roller rink, an outdoor skateboard facility, and a major lighted softball complex. Emerald KIDSPORTS provides nearly 24,000 young people with organized sports programs such as soccer, baseball, softball, football, basketball, and volleyball.

Shopping and Dining

Valley River Center is an enclosed mall with 145 retail, food, and specialty businesses. The Fifth Street Public Market is a collection of specialty and craft shops and restaurants, and hosts musicians, artists, and special events. Boutiques can be found in Eugene Downtown. Saturday Market, an open-air market featuring fresh produce, hand-crafted goods, and ethnic foods, is open from April to Christmas. Gateway Mall, in nearby Springfield, has 80 stores and a 29-screen movie theater. Hundreds of area restaurants present fresh Oregon salmon, lamb, wines, apples, pears, and berries among their offerings. Coffee shops and cafes abound.

Visitor Information: Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon, 754 Olive St., Eugene OR 97401; telephone (541)484-5307; toll-free (800)547-5445; fax (541)343-6335; email info@cvalco.org