Mill Ends Park Is The World's Smallest Park And Naturally It's In Oregon
By Sarah McCosham|Published April 08, 2021
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
Oregon is a state that loves its parks. And indeed, there are some of the grandest, most incredible natural wonders in the Beaver State. But Oregon doesn’t discriminate when it comes to park size. Located in the heart of Downtown Portland, Mill Ends Park is the world’s smallest park, and it’s in Oregon. Let’s take a tiny tour of this pint-sized park:
Mill Ends Park is a teeny, tiny urban park, located in the median strip of SW Naito Parkway in Downtown Portland.
The park is a small circle two feet across, with a total area of 452 square inches. It's the smallest park in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
The park's story dates back to 1946, when Portlander Dick Fagan returned from World War II to resume his career at the Oregon Journal. His office, on the second floor above Front Street (now Naito Parkway), gave him a view an unused hole in the street's median, where a light pole was supposed to be placed. But no pole ever arrived. Fagan decided to take matters into his own hands (literally) and planted flowers in the small plot.
He was a great groundskeeper, tending to this little garden. Fagan wrote a popular column called "Mill Ends," which he used to promote his precious Portland park. Fagan billed the space as the "World's Smallest Park," and it was dedicated on St. Patrick's Day in 1948.
Fagan imagined quite a world in this little Lilliputian land, penning countless columns about the lives of a group of leprechauns, who established the "only leprechaun colony west of Ireland" here. The lore continues today; you may discover tiny treasures within this space.
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Recently, the Portland Parks Department planted tiny rose bushes at Mill Ends Park, adding to its fairytale charm.
Mill Ends Park is a delightful reminder to find joy in the little things.
To learn more about Mill Ends Park, visit the Portland Parks and Recreation Department website. Did you know the world’s smallest park was right here in Oregon? Have you visited this little gem before?
For another fairytale park in Oregon, Enchanted Forest near Salem is absolutely magical (and life-sized).
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