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From museums to farms, stave off the boredom and screen time with one of these local adventures.
Eugene and Springfield have so much to offer for families. When mid-summer boredom kicks in, however, we can all use reminders of what’s out there. Keeping a close eye on price (most activities are either free or between about $5-15 per person), here’s a list to entice you out of your house, off your screens and into the community.
1. Cycle your heart out
Shift Community Cycle’s Kidical Mass
Take over the streets in a monthly family group bike ride or “bike bus” that follows a different route every month, ending each time at a family-friendly community event or place to get a sweet treat.
- Next dates to ride: 2 to 4 p.m., Aug. 29; 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 26
- Price: Free
Bike the Eugene Solar System Trail
The trail is largest model of the solar system on the West Coast, representing the distance between the Sun and its nine traditional planets (including dwarf planet Pluto) at a 1-to-1 billion mile scale. The model also includes the closest star to the sun (Proxima Centauri) and one of its exoplanets. Begin at the sun in Alton Baker Park and go all the way north on the West Bank of the Greenway to Pluto, north of the Owosso bike/pedestrian bridge off River Road, near the Beltway. You’ll enjoy the Willamette River while realizing just how big the solar system is, and it’s free.
2. Get soaked
Splash pads and spray play in Eugene
Splash for free at Eugene’s newest playground water features at Riverfront Park Plaza and Santa Clara Community Park. Other parks with splash pads include Skinner Butte Park, Washington Park, Fairmount Park, Oakmont Park and Umso Park.
Pools and river swims in Eugene and Springfield
Swim at Amazon, Sheldon or Echo Hollow Pool for $6-7 or Willamalane’s indoor Splash at Lively Park in Springfield for $4-$13, depending on age and residence. Swim for free in the river at safe wading locations. Some of our favorite calm spots include along the Coast Fork of the Willamette River in Mount Pisgah Arboretum, along the Willamette in Alton Baker Park and River Wood Beach off the Greenway near Maurie Jacobs Park.
Safety first: Always accompany children in the water, only allow them in water without hands-on assistance if they know how to swim, use life jackets for extra protection and be extremely cautious of currents and dropoffs in the river.
3. Check stuff out from the Library of Things
Eugene Public Library’s Library of Things
Have a Eugene library card? You have access to the Library of Things which includes treasures such as a Hogwarts cake pan, a lap AND a table loom, a bird-watching backpack complete with guides and binoculars, a paper shredder and a portable record player.
Cultural Passes
If you have a library card with any of the local libraries (Eugene, Springfield or River Road Santa Clara), you can check out Cultural Passes, which grant you free or reduced-price entry to many local museums, the Cascades Raptor Center and certain Hult Center performances.
4. Have a museum day
School’s out, but a little learning doesn’t hurt young minds. Museums for kids offer hands-on activities, and there’s a new outdoor section at the Eugene Science Center to explore. Other options are available for older kids and adults who enjoy art and history. Many of these museums participate in a program that makes admission $1 per person for those who receive SNAP benefits. Ticket prices for others range from free to $10.
- For all kids:
- For older kids and adults:
5. Practice your hand-eye coordination
Love a sport with a ball or disc? Dig out your rackets, flying discs or invest in some for years of fun. Prices vary based on if you have gear.
Public pickleball and tennis courts in Eugene, Springfield
Top public parks to check out for free racket sport fun include Westmoreland Park, Echo Hollow Park and River Road Parks and Rec District in Eugene and Meadow Park in Springfield. Your local middle or high school may have public courts as well. The cheapest rackets range from $20-30 a pop.
Disc golf courses in Eugene and Springfield
Local courses are located at Westmoreland Park, Alton Baker Park (which has a $5 day fee) and Stewart Pond in Eugene and Clearwater Park and Landing in Springfield. The cheapest disc sets range from $20-30 at local stores or you can check them out from the Eugene Public Library’s Library of Things.
6. Make new friends at a library event
Local libraries have free events for kids, tweens and teens every week of the summer.
- Eugene Public Library: Activities in August range from a mini Comic Con, to opportunities for crafting and building with LEGOs, to trying real instruments at the petting zoo with the Eugene Symphony.
- Springfield Public Library: Catch the last two Wednesday morning multicultural performances of the summer at Springfield Public library. Native American world champion hoop dancers will perform at 10 a.m. Aug. 5 and DJ Prashant will put on a Bollywood dance party at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 12.
- River Road Santa Clara Volunteer Library: Attend “Crafternoons” at 3:30 p.m. on Thursdays all summer and toddler story time at 11 a.m. every Monday.
7. Pick fruit on a farm — or in the woods
Catch summer fruits including blueberries, cherries, peaches and nectarines before their seasons end at numerous area farms. Check out our compilation of farms to pick your own blueberries complete with prices (make sure to call ahead to make sure there’s still some left). Next up this season at U-picks: apples and pears.
You can also pick your own blackberries for free in pretty much any wooded area, alley or unlandscaped bramble of shrubs around town, but be sure to follow foraging rules. We have a handy guide to foraging, which also applies to your neighbors’ bursting bushes and trees. Our copy editor Bob Passaro recommended Armitage Park for blackberries.
8. Map out Little Free Libraries in your neighborhood
Start with a jaunt or a ride around your neighborhood, noting where you see Little Free Libraries. Then, try these activities:
- Be a cartographer: Draw a map of your neighborhood, naming each street (practicing writing and spelling), and mark where each Little Free Library is located. If they have names, label them. If not, make up a name for each one.
- Make art: Take pictures of each Little Free Library and sketch them at home. Or set up a chair and draw or paint them en plein air.
- Participate: Bring a book that you no longer want and trade it in for a new book.
9. Putt-putt your cares away
Duffers have two local options for minigolf — one outdoor and one indoor. Both offer under $10 admission.
- Camp Putt Adventure Golf Park is outdoor and located in the Glenwood area. Per-person admission ranges from $7-8, depending on age.
- Putter’s Family Entertainment Center is indoor and located off Highway 99. Per-person rates rates range from $5-9. Adults and kids over 5 get in for $6 on Tuesdays.
10. Hang out with the birds at Cascades Raptor Center
Visit the Cascades Raptor Center to see beautiful birds before the facility closes for eight weeks starting Sept. 7 for renovations. The birds and their humans put on a show five days a week in the summer — flight shows run from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays. Admission ranges from free to $16, depending on age. SNAP recipients get in for free.
Share your local summer memories
Have you already done one of the above activities or gone on another exciting local adventure this summer? We want to hear about it! Email photos and tips to lillyst@lookoutlocal.com to share with other Lookout readers.
