Lair Hill Park

This is an historic park located across from Duniway Park. This park is approximately 3 acres and was given to the city of Portland by Multnomah County in 1927. The park is named after William Lair Hill a pioneer attorney, historian and newspaper editor who had owned the property.
There were 2 original historical buildings in the park. The main building was constructed out of brick in 1918 and served as a dormitory for nurses working at the county hospital. In 1942, it was relocated 2001 to Washington Park.
The smaller building, the Customs House, built in 1921 as a branch of the county library. Today the building is used as office space for Portland Park and Recreation staff.
The park has a small playground, picnic tables, tennis court and some paths.
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Lair Hill Park is an elegant place to be. It is on a hillside and there are lots of beautiful trees. Additionally, there are plenty of places to sit. This is all in very close proximity to Portland State University in downtown.
I enjoyed this park. Everything about it is great, except for hearing the traffic. It has a great feel to it, in which I saw others undertaking in yoga.
Don’t hesitate to visit Lair Hill Park.

It’s a great little 20 minute walk from the hotel I was staying at. My nephew enjoyed the walk as well as the playground. The playground has lots of trees, and lots of shade. Also, it has a cool sculptor in the back area of then playground.

Imagine an idealized version of a neighborhood and you pretty much have Lair Hill Park. Most of the park is shaded beneath big-​leaved maple and chestnut trees that light up in yellow and orange and red, making fall a wonderful time to enjoy the park.
It’s not big; a small neighborhood square block, but it has everything a park needs. It has a nice playground, including one of those metal carousel things that parks don’t have anymore because they are too dangerous. There are nice swings, and benches to enjoy the scenery. On one of the grassy knolls sits a chunky metal sculpture weirdly reminiscent of Stonehenge. There is a dilapidated backstop so you can play Butt’s Up, the only game I’ve ever played on a backstop (an activity that took place solely in 5^th grade and forgotten until now.)
There’s a decent looking tennis court, and the park is just across the street from Duniway track and some good running trails.
On the outskirts of the track are some historic buildings to remind you of what the neighborhood once was. A beautiful brick building was, if memory serves, once a nurses’ dormitory for OHSU, or something like that. And the interesting brown-​trimmed building in the corner was one of the first libraries in the area (it is now something else, and a little run down.)
A great place to sit, play, swing, and enjoy the world.

Lair Hill Park is hidden underneath tall trees and can be found across the street and south from the YMCA on Barbur. Lots of grass to play or nap on and a sweet playground for the kids, including a metal merry-​go-​round, swings, slides, monkey bars. You’ll probably see dogs running around off leash but their owners are tops when it comes to cleaning up after them and there is also a tennis court.