You found our list of the best company outing ideas in Portland, Oregon.
Company outing ideas in Portland are activities and events that bring teammates together in locations outside of the workplace. For example, guacamole competitions, museum trips, and food tours get workers away from their cubicles and into a more informal setting. The purpose of these activities is to inspire interactions and exchanges among teammates while exposing them to exciting aspects of the city. company outing ideas in Portland
These activities are examples of company offsites, team retreat activities, and team building days. These ideas are similar to corporate events in Portland and Portland team building activities.
This list includes:
- group outing ideas for adults in Portland
- team building outings in Portland
- work team outings in Portland
- corporate outings in Portland
Here we go!
List of company outing ideas in Portland
From adventures in nature to downtown treks, here is the list of company outing ideas in Portland.
1. The Art of Storytelling
Understanding the importance of stories can help employees communicate more effectively. With The Art of Storytelling, teams learn story dynamics and techniques from professionals leading each session. These 90-minute sessions promote the power of message and structure in communication style, allowing workers to learn the principles through guided practice. Participants gain significant skills for business and personal use by learning in a fun and interactive environment.
You can learn more about The Art of Storytelling.
2. Espionage!
You can engage your team in fun deductive reasoning with this interactive team outing. Similar to Werewolf, Espionage! is a 90-minute hosted session of intrigue that tasks teams with identifying the spies hidden in their ranks. Brain-bending puzzles and exciting challenges bring an escape room feel to the happenings. Espionage! emphasizes teamwork, collaboration, and divergent thinking to root out the secret operatives and stop their diabolical schemes.
You can accept an Espionage! mission.
3. The Great Guac Off
Teams can put their own signature spin on a great guac recipe as they compete in The Great Guac Off to create a prize-worthy version of the popular dip. Each 90-minute session features an entertaining host who leads competitors in warm-up games like Trivia-cado and cup-flipping competitions. Then, employees collaborate on their creations, with judges tasting and ranking the results and awarding prices to the best guac on the block.
For details and bookings, take a look at The Great Guac Off.
4. Minute Madness
Game show antics take center stage in Minute Madness, a 5400-second-long selection of physical challenges and party stunts. These high-energy competitions pit teammates against the clock in a series of minute-long tasks that take cleverness and dexterity. Outgoing employees will enjoy the chance to shine in amusing contests that put their hidden abilities to the test.
To find out more, visit Minute Madness.
5. Portland Audobon
Portland is home to some amazing bird species. Portland Audobon exists to preserve feathered friends’ habitats through conservation and education. Teams can discover the rare and wonderful winged creatures that populate Oregon skies. Scheduled ecotours of the sanctuary are eye-opening outings for developing a deeper appreciation for the natural world.
You can learn about talks and tours at Portland Audobon.
6. Art Party
Creativity leads the way in an art party custom chosen by the team. Employees can choose from several mediums, including glass blowing, pour painting, and scented candle pouring sessions. Courses last between one-and-a-half and two hours, depending on the project. A team of 10 budding artists can explore their creative sides while working on memorable keepsakes to take home after the outing.
The schedule of classes and available mediums is up at Live Laugh Love Art.
7. Petanque
Like bocce, petanque is a lawn bowling game where players compete by rolling balls, sometimes called boules, toward a target ball. The Portland Petanque Club welcomes players of all experience levels for free lessons and games. In addition, special events for work teams are part of the club’s schedule. Employees can enjoy an afternoon of relaxation and friendly competition with hosted instruction and lawn space for picnics and cookouts.
You can find details and schedules at Portland Petanque Club.
9. Pittock Mansion
Henry Pittock is a key figure in the evolution of Portland from a frontier town to a contemporary city. The mansion he built in the early 1900s is now a museum dedicated to the story of his contributions. Teams can tour the 16,000-square-foot house and explore 23 rooms through self-guided tours and interactive panels. Exhibits throughout the mansion display heirlooms and period pieces to lend authenticity to the experience. In addition to the main home, the grounds hold other buildings and points of interest for visitors to explore.
There is more to learn about this fascinating site at Pittock Mansion.
9. Columbia River Gorge
One of Portland’s most picturesque settings, the gorgeous Gorge is home to breathtaking scenery. Active teams up for a challenge can take the uphill hikes to even more scenic views or enjoy shorter walks to find waterfalls hiding along the trail. With varying elevations and distances, explorers will discover excursions throughout the Gorge to accommodate nature lovers of all activity levels.
You can find details at Columbia River Gorge.
10. Electric Boats
Even without sailing experience, your crew can navigate a Portland waterway trip on an electric boat ride. These vessels can hold up to 12 passengers and are operable by any driver over the age of 25. With top cruising speeds of seven miles per hour, employees will enjoy a leisurely trip along the waterfront, highlighting striking city views. The boats are heated for year-round enjoyment and include Bluetooth connections for music to set the mood.
You can plan an electric boat cruise through Portland Electric Boat Co.
11. Glow-in-the-Dark Mini-Golf
Mini-golf gets a literal glow-up on the luminescent fairway at Glowing Greens. Putters can test their skills through 13 wacky holes in this indoor blacklight amusement course. With up to four players per team, you can sign up for multiple bookings to get larger groups in on the fun. Plus, you can plan team attire to maximize the fun of the psychedelic blacklight atmosphere!
For more information about scheduling a session, check into Glowing Greens.
12. Submarine Tours
If your team is unbothered by tight spaces, a tour of a working submarine at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry will be one of the most fascinating company outing ideas on your list. Daily tours allow visitors to board the Blueback submarine, touch a torpedo and look through the periscope. You can schedule a tech tour on the second and fourth Sunday of each month for a more in-depth exploration of these submersible giants.
You can learn more about the program by visiting OMSI.
13. Aerial Tram Ride
A tram ride is your ticket to the heights for incredible views of the city that no other work team outings in Portland can provide. Riders ascend a total of 500 feet while traveling 3,300 linear feet over the city. Views of Mt. St Helens and Mt. Hood will captivate travelers at the peak, while a self-guided nature tour of Marquam Hill awaits adventuresome hikers. With room for 79 passengers in each of two trams, these suspended cars have plenty of room for large teams to enjoy the ride.
Schedules and fares at Portland Aerial Tram can help you plan a trip.
14. Oregon Zoo
Animal lovers can get their cute creature fix with a visit to the Oregon Zoo. Habitats house specimens from rainforests, savannahs, canyons, and even the polar regions. Vollum Aviary provides guests with an up-close-and-person jungle bird experience, while the Penguinarium gives an underwater view of penguins from Peru and Chile. Advance tickets for a zoo outing are required, and private event spaces can provide a home base for your team.
You can see what the Oregon Zoo has to offer.
15. Freakybuttrue Peculiarium
When your city has a museum of oddities like Peculiarium, your options for corporate outings in Portland get a strange new vibe. The site is home to rooms filled with quirky interactive art and imaginative constructions that challenge the senses. Teams can explore the creepy corners and snap photos with full-sized sculptures of Bigfoot, aliens, and an intriguing assortment of oddball characters. For anyone interested in taking home a bit of the weirdness, the collectibles store is filled to the brim with kooky memorabilia.
Your crew can walk on the weird side at Freakybuttrue Peculiarium.
16. Voodoo Doughnuts
Voodoo Donuts is a Portland original that turns popular pastries into supernaturally delicious treats. In addition to classic donut flavors, Voodoo offers specialty creations like the Voodoo Doll, a delightful human-shaped pastry, the Ring of Fire, which comes with a dried red pepper garnish, and a floral delight called the Vicious Hibiscus. Two locations in Portland serve hungry visitors, both providing an array of vegan options for the plant-based sweet tooths on the team.
You can take your team to Voodoo Doughnuts for a sweet treat.
17. Surprise Concert
Performance fans with a sense of adventure will enjoy a fun mystery concert from Sofar. These memorable events feature three up-and-coming acts in music, dance, spoken word poetry, and comedy. The surprise is that the list of performers for any concert remains a secret until the action begins. Even the location is kept a secret until just before the performance!
The schedule at Sofar Sounds will tell you about upcoming events.
18. Berry Picking
Teams can take advantage of the incredible produce in Portland with a berry-picking adventure on a working farm. Cheldelin Farms in nearby Gresham is open for seasonal blueberry picking events that allow visitors to collect their own fruit. It is a great chance to grab some farm-fresh produce and gives your employees an insider’s view of modern agribusiness.
You can check into opportunities for berry picking at U-Pick Blueberries.
19. Rafting on Clackamas River
If your team is up for a roaring adventure, then a rafting trip on the Clackamas River is one of the most thrilling nature-oriented team building outings in Portland. Teams of five rafters can share a single raft, with room for an expert guide on board. Half-day trips cover six miles, while full-day trips cover 16 miles, both with similar rapids ratings and varying flow rates depending on the season. These outings are best reserved for more active teams, as excursions require constant paddling.
For optimal conditions and times to book, look at River Drifters.
20. Lost Plate Food Tour
The mission of Lost Plate is to introduce Portlanders to the weirdest places to eat in the city. This company upholds the city’s unofficial motto “Keep Portland Weird” by taking a self-proclaimed hipster approach to the city’s food scene. Foodies on the team will discover hidden gems among the usual spots on guided tours that show them a deeper view of Portland dining.
You can visit Lost Plate to plan a food tour.
21. Washington Park
The name may be confusing, but Washington Park is a popular destination for team building outings in Portland and a staple of the city’s lush landscape. With 410 acres for employees to explore, teams can enjoy visits to the Oregon Zoo, Hoyt Arboretum, and the International Rose Test Garden, all found on park grounds. Free year-round shuttles can carry visitors through the terrain, and picnic tables provide a setting for relaxing lunches in a serene outdoor setting.
There are details at Washington Park detailing park hours and amenities.
22. Powell’s Books
The flagship location of world’s largest independent bookstore takes up an entire block, earning it the name Powell’s City of Books! Aisles filled with new and used titles from all genres make this beloved landmark is one of the most exciting places in the world for book lovers to visit. In addition, authors add to the magic with frequent visits for signings and readings. With two stores in Portland and one in Beaverton, Powell’s is an Oregon staple and a company outing your bibliophile employees will treasure.
To learn about events and hours of operation, look at Powell’s City of Books.
23. Oregon Symphony
If your crew’s tastes lean toward upscale group outing ideas for adults in Portland, then a night at the Oregon Symphony is a spectacular choice. The range of artists and music available is rich and varied. Teams can enjoy symphonic reproductions Star Wars and Looney Tunes soundtracks, modern opera masters, and instrumental virtuosos backed by this world-class orchestra. Snacks and drinks await at the concession stand for employees to enjoy between movements.
The calendar at Oregon Symphony will help you plan your outing.
24. Salt and Straw Ice Cream
This experimental dessert parlor has a cult following across the U.S. With multiple locations in Portland, employees can have their pick of settings for their ice cream-centered team outing. The flavors are beyond the ordinary offerings of other outlets. Adventurous eaters can sample imaginative combinations like Cinnamon & Honey Fried Chicken, Deviled Egg Custard with Smoked Black Tea, and Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper.
You can see the full menu and hours of operation at Salt and Straw.
25. Portland Japanese Garden
The serene grounds of this traditional Japanese garden are a blissful escape from the bustling city scene. Five smaller gardens make up the greater facility, along with a cultural pavilion, an arts center, and a café. Admission fees include a guided tour through the campus, though visitors are free to explore on their own. Teams needing a slow-down will appreciate having such serenity in easy reach.
Details and hours of operation are at Portland Japanese Garden.
Conclusion
Portland’s mix of outdoor beauty and urban excitement make an excellent blend for a wide variety of ideas for company outings. Your team can spend an afternoon surrounded by nature while learning more about the history of their city. Whether workers are eager for a day of relaxation or are up for more energizing activities, the city has enticing options for everyone.
Next, check out these lists of group activities for adults and outdoor team building ideas.
Grace He