Peninsula Park

Purchased in 1909 for $60,000 from the site of "Liverpool Liz's" roadhouse and horse racing track.

The sunken rose garden was designed by Emanuel Mische in French parterre style and drew over 300,000 visitors in its first year — more than Portland's population at the time.

The park was purchased by the city in 1909 for $60,000 with funds raised in a 1908 bond measure. Originally owned by local businesswoman Liverpool Liz, it had been the site for a roadhouse and racetrack for quarter-mile horse racing. An autopark and campground were also included in the original parcel. Planned by renowned Oregon architects Ellis Lawrence and Ormond R. Bean, the park was a result of Portland's 1912 'City Beautiful' movement. Completed in 1913, much remains of the original features, including the lantern-style streetlights, the stone pillars, vast brickwork, and the nearly 100-year-old fountain in the center of the rose garden. Disc #4 , a bronze sculpture by Jerry Allen, was installed in 1979 along the west side of the park.