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Vista House at Crown Point State Park
Rating Details »
Categories: Landmarks & Historical Buildings, Museums
40700 E Historic Columbia River HwyCorbett, OR 97014
(503) 695-2230
- Hours:
Mon-Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
16 reviews for Vista House at Crown Point State Park
I live in Gresham so sometimes when the workday is over I drive up to the Vista House to absorb its beauty like a balm to the spirit. I certainly don't miss an opportunity to bring out of town guests to this remarkable location.
First off, the name Vista House is a misnomer, it does have a magnificent vista but it is definitely not a house. Its far more a lookout point, an information place, a place of stone and glass that sits like a crown above the Columbia Gorge ( Crown Point..get it?). Its worthwhile to go inside and look at the pictures etc, talk with one of the volunteers. I believe the best way to utiliize this travel spot is to go outside your car and just take in the scenery.
It does a soul good to just look down the Gorge and marvel at its GORGEous beauty. We are so fortunate here in Oregon, and Washington to have this amazing area between us.
One big warning however: Beware the WIND! If you go up to Vista House on a particularily gusty day, the wind will be even stronger up there. Wicked strong. A friend of mine did not heed this advice, went up there, opened her car door and WHOOSH the car door was blown off its hinge. I don't expect that to happen to most people with decent cars but you could find hats, loose papers etc blown right out of your car or off your person!
One of the highlights of a tour of the Columbia River Gorge, well worth the trip up from the new highway down by the river - up to where the ORIGINAL Columbia River Highway traced the line along the top of the bluffs above the river.
Absolutely INCREDIBLE VIEWS as you can guess from the photos. I would say you could see for at least 100 miles from east to west . . .
Check it out . . .
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An absolutely stunning view from a very interesting little building perched high above the gorge. If you are driving this stretch of highway, you really have to stop here, it should be a rule or something.
Unfortunately, our experience here was a pretty quick in and out because there was a whole bus load of middle school kids running through the building. It was a madhouse in the bathroom. So we hightailed it out of there to make sure we got to our other destinations before they did.
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A stopping point on the way to the water falls. They were serving homemade cookies the day we stopped by. Sweet. Gorgeous views. Friendly people. Nice gift shop.
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Vista House is a great place to stop on your way to Multnomah Falls. It is the perfect place to bring visiting relatives, my mom and step dad loved it there. The views are amazing, endless photo opportunities, very clean restrooms, a nice gift shop, and lots of historical photographs/information about the area. I love how you can go up to the balcony which rounds it way around the entire building, very cool. The windows are pretty interesting, I couldn't tell if they were stained glass or just painted. I also loved the marble and limestone interior...Overall, it is a very interesting, beautiful building.
I highly recommend stopping there on your way to the falls. The views are really amazing as you are over 700 feet above the Columbia River. Parking was a bit chaotic but what can you expect from a holiday weekend? We enjoyed ourselves and I am sure I will be visiting Vista House again when family comes to town again. Good times, beautiful views.
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Restored in 2005, this unique little building built in 1916 on Crown Point is a must-stop along the Columbia River Gorge drive on Interstate 84. Hard to believe it used to be one big restroom before, but now it has an information desk, as well as a gift shop and art gallery on the floor below.
For some reason, the cavernous interior reminds me a bit of the Neptune Columbarium in San Francisco, a macabre image I know but one that speaks to the reverential quality that the building has. The views from either the roadway or the second floor balcony are spectacular no matter where you turn.
Best of all is you just need fifteen minutes tops to enjoy what this place has to offer. OK, maybe thirty if you have to pick up souvenir magnets everywhere you go. Trust me, that's enough time since the next line of cars need to use the parking lot anyway. Plus those Multnomah Falls can't wait, can they?
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Day 4 of my Oregon trip. We went here before going to Multnomah Falls. My god, this place just made Oregon one of the most OUTSTANDING place I've been to in years. Just the view alone from the parking lot was enough to make me use those telescopes but I hadn't a single penny. Luckily someone in the group had 2 quarters to fulfill my onlooking needs! Once I got to the 2nd floor of the place, my eyes were just drawn to the view.
I wish I had more time here because if I had a canvas and some oil paints, Oh what an afternoon I would've had. Didn't get to see much of the gift shop or look at some of the informative artifacts but I can tell you this much. This place rocks! I wonder what the place looked like before the remodel. I just can't imagine it!
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Absolutely gorgeous and a must see while in the Columbia River Gorge. It does get windy, so be ready, and be sure to bring your camera. While out that way, I've always visited Multnomah Falls, Wahkeena Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.
The Vista House and Crown Point State Park are so beautiful it is hard to describe - you just have to see it. I have always wanted to go into the Vista House, but have never had the chance. This year, the house will be open for viewing after a recent remodeling. Check out Friends of Vista House for more information - http://www.vistahouse.com
Warning: Bring a jacket - It gets notoriously windy in the Columbia Gorge, even in the summer, so come prepared.
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Perched 700 feet above the Columbia River, this is the perfect spot on the historic highway to stop and take in the panoramic view of the gorge.
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My husband got mad at me because I pretended to be a fancy lady all afternoon during our scenic drive of the Columbia George.
I imagined I was wearing an expensive dress with a diamond brooch and that I had a feather in my hat. I also spoke in a British accent which damaged a bit of my acting credibility since the early visitors to the Gorge were Americans. The fact that I was wearing a Nike jacket and running shoes didn't help much either.
There is a gift shop in the basement as well as photos from the past and present of the Gorge. It's neat that not much has changed since the highway was built in the early 1900s.
My favourite photo montage is the one of the people standing around the vista house. The first, from the early 1900s shows visitors dressed to the nines in their fur coats and fancy hats. You can tell a lot of thought was put into the photo since everyone is standing in an organised fashion. The next photo [exact same shot] was taken in 1988 - elegant clothing is replaced with acid wash jeans, neon t-shirts, and mullets. Check it out and have a laugh.
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It can get SO windy up there. I was shooting photographs of a wedding couple there. It was a beautiful sunny day. I stepped out of my car and was nearly blown to the ground. It felt like a hurricane force wind. I waited outside for the limousine to pull up. My dress kept blowing up, my hair was wipping my face and if i tried to shoot a picture the wind would blow my camera off my face. So we took mostly indoor photos. It's beautiful in there. The marble and stained glass gives off such a warm light. The upper balcony was closed so we couldn't go up there. That was in September. I have another in November up there. I wonder what it will be like then. This a wonderful place to visit on a weekend drive. Weekday is preferrable to beat the crowds. I like to tour all the falls first then end at Vista House.
The Vista House is wonderful and truly boosts some of the most spectacular views of the gorge and valley! You can capture views both from around the Vista House area or from the balcony of the Vista House. Check out the gift shop and tunnel gallery downstairs, lots of information regarding the history of Vista House and the recent remodelling etc.
There were ample parking spaces when we arrived and it wasn't totally crowded but we saw the tours arriving as we were leaving.
This incredible viewpoint is a must-stop if you are in the area. It's along the old Columbia River highway, about 20 miles east of Portland. I've included it in my "ideal day" itinerary for Edgefield (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) in Troutdale, OR
This place has a beautiful lookout on the Gorge.It just re-opened after a 4 million dollar renovation. They have a gift shop a look out and history of the area.
i was driving out around here with some friends and we stopped off here. its a little odd to see this building stuck up here off the highway. you get a pretty good view of stuff from up here but it was crowded with a bunch of old people in shorts. worth stopping by once. if you are making a plan of it, the view might be better if you pick a sunny day or specific time of day.
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