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Visitor Experience Enhancement Grant Recipients

Since launching in January 2023, more than $700,000 has been awarded to 21 projects across Portland through this grant program.

Updated Mar. 28, 2025 5 min read

FY 2024-25 Grant Awardees

In 2025, Travel Portland awarded a total of $318,601 in grants to seven projects:

Creative Homies HQ ($48,000) for the buildout of a first floor gallery space inside the Horizon Enterprise Building in Old Town. The gallery, which will be accompanied by a wine bar/café/retail space, will showcase an immersive, welcoming and inclusive art experience, providing monthly exhibits of BIPOC artists, selected by BIPOC curators.
Lan Su Chinese Garden ($50,000) for integrating ADA-compliant infrastructure, multilingual storytelling, sensory-friendly amenities, and immersive experiences. This initiative will work to transform the garden into one of the most accessible and engaging classical Chinese gardens in the nation—welcoming more visitors, deepening cultural appreciation, and driving meaningful economic impact in Old Town and beyond.
Leach Botanical Garden ($25,800) for their Far Meadow Enhancement Project, which will create an engaging space for children and their families to explore with ample plantings, a small performance stage, a children’s play cottage, an educational tent and signage, and public art installations. Leach Botanical Garden offers immersive, restorative, and educational experiences in a unique landscape of native plants and horticultural collections to build community, celebrate nature, and inspire environmental stewardship.
Portland Art Museum ($50,000) to complete a major campus transformation comprising 100,000 square feet of new and renovated public and gallery space designed using principles of universal accessibility to transform the Museum into a vibrant “cultural commons” in the heart of Portland. PAM will serve as a dynamic hub for the arts in Downtown Portland, revitalizing the city’s cultural district as a crucial resource for visitors from the region and beyond.
Vive Northwest ($47,860) to develop Explora Portland: Inclusive & Bilingual Tours, an opportunity to discover Portland through immersive guided experiences that highlight the city’s rich culture, vibrant history, natural beauty, and iconic attractions. With round-trip transportation and thoughtfully curated itineraries, this initiative reimagines tourism as a bridge for connection, inclusion, and community storytelling, making Portland an even more welcoming, accessible, and unforgettable destination for all.
Willamette Light Brigade ($50,000) for the Illuminate Bridge City Master Plan, which will serve as a visionary roadmap for transforming Portland’s nighttime skyline by illuminating its iconic bridges with art-based, colorful lighting. With the goals of enhancing the waterfront and positioning Portland as a national leader in light-based public art, the project will lay the foundation for future bridge lighting installations that spark new tourism opportunities, invigorate local businesses, and inspire civic pride—offering residents and visitors a dazzling new way to experience the heart of the city.
World Forestry Center ($46,941) for infrastructure enhancements to the Discovery Museum’s theater and adjoining exhibition space. The first installation will examine the intersection of climate change, catastrophic wildfires, and forest management, marking the beginning of a larger museum transformation.

Travel Portland received 38 applications for this funding cycle, which were scored based on the following criteria:

Likelihood of the project to create new tourism demand and increase overnight stays in the city of Portland
Ability to advance the destination in welcoming visitors with diverse backgrounds and varied abilities
Positive impact on the visitor experience in Portland
Ability to leverage investment by demonstrating other partnerships
Readiness of project to commence and be complete within one year of grant disbursement

FY 2023-24 Grant Awardees

In 2024, Travel Portland (with additional funding provided by Travel Oregon to support projects in Portland’s central city) awarded a total of $245,000 in grants to ten projects:

Artists Repertory Theatre was awarded $25,000 to outfit their new theater space with sound equipment, ticketing equipment, furniture, and concession items to improve the visitor experience.
Cycle Portland Bike Tours and Rentals was awarded $25,000 for a fleet of gravel bikes and gravel e-bikes to introduce gravel biking tours and rentals in Forest Park.
Friends of Green Loop was awarded $25,000 to invigorate The Bear Block on Green Loop, an underutilized area on the southeast side of the recently built Blumenauer Bridge, converting a private parking lot into a vibrant, active gathering and event space.
Literary Arts was awarded $25,000 for the completion of their new headquarters in the Central Eastside, which will feature a bookstore, café, commercial kitchen, classroom space and event space to host artist lectures and workshops.
Mike Bennett Art was awarded $20,000 to expand the mini-golf course and café in St. Johns into the adjacent alleyway and parking lot, adding outdoor seating and room for outdoor concerts, vendor markets and shows, along with a food cart, to transform the space into a vibrant, multifunctional area.
MusicPortland was awarded $25,000 for infrastructure to support their City Sessions program: a series of nearly 100 carefully curated music performances in public spaces around the city from June through October.
Oaks Park Association was awarded $25,000 to transform the Dance Pavilion to preserve the historic asset and extend its useful life, while improving access for patrons with disabilities and increasing event bookings in the space.
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry was awarded $25,000 to bring “Exquisite Creatures”, a unique exhibit from an Oregon artist, to the museum.
Portland Art Museum was awarded $25,000 for accessibility enhancements to the Rothko Pavilion, the centerpiece of the museum’s campus transformation.
Portland Metro Chamber / Downtown Portland Clean & Safe was awarded $25,000 for Coraline’s Curious Cat Trail, which will celebrate the 15th anniversary of LAIKA’s debut film with 30 almost six-foot tall ‘Cat’ sculptures stationed throughout downtown Portland, creating a free art trail for visitors.

Travel Portland received 34 applications for this funding cycle, which were scored based on the following criteria:

Likelihood of the project to create new tourism demand and increase overnight stays in the city of Portland
Ability to advance the destination in welcoming visitors with diverse backgrounds and varied abilities
Positive impact on the visitor experience in Portland
Ability to leverage investment by demonstrating other partnerships
Readiness of project to commence and be complete within one year of grant disbursement

Visitor Experience Enhancement Grants

Travel Portland grants are intended to enhance the visitor experience in Portland in alignment with Travel Portland’s strategic priorities and build on the region’s unique strengths, contributing to establishing the region as a preferred destination.

Learn more