Medford Sights and Landmarks Guide, Oregon

Medford, Oregon, is quite an interesting touristic destination. Medford is the nearest big city to the Crater Lake National Park. The city is also famous for its festivals – Art in Bloom Festival, Medford Jazz Jubilee, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and crop/wine festivals like Oktoberfest/Harvest Fair and Microbrew Festival – festivals that draw people to Medford not only from nearby cities like Klamath Falls, Grants Pass or Redding but also from faraway places. Add to these the city’s local attractions as well as active pursuits like angling, golfing, rafting, skiing, etc, and you will have all the ingredients of a perfectly pleasing vacation.

For those thinking about a short trip to Medford and looking forward to some solid sightseeing, here is some information to different Medford sights.

Medford Sights – Natural Attractions

The Medford area has quite a few parks and gardens that give the city and its people enough breathing space. You can start your tour with the oldest park, namely, the Alba Park. The park has an exhibition area, a WWII relic in the form of a Japanese cannon and a fountain pool with a statue sitting amidst it.

Medford’s largest park, however, is the Prescott Park; the main attraction of this 7.04 square kilometer park is the Roxy Ann Peak. The Bear Creek Park is a multi-utility park and it is divided into different sections like an amphitheater, a BMX track, a skating rink, four tennis courts, etc. Medford also has a botanical garden, Claire Hanley Arboretum, which is part of the Oregon State University. Medford’s three state recreation areas – Casey State Recreation Site, Joseph H. Stewart State Recreation Area and TouVelle State Recreation Site – are great for family outings.

Medford Sights – Cultural Attractions

Medford has a very cultural scenario, a culture that goes beyond its various events and festivals to its fascinating array of art-galleries and museums. The Southern Oregon History Museum will be a nice beginning for you; the museum and its exhibits give an insight into the early history of the region. The Applegate Trail Interpretive Center is the other important historic site of the city; the site deals with the history of gold mining in this part of Oregon side-by-side throwing light on the lives of the first settlers. These may not particularly please kids but they will definitely like visiting the Medford Science Works Hands-On Museum, where the exhibits mostly give ‘hands-on’ knowledge rather than loads of theory.

The Medford Carnegie Library – both the present library and the old building – are must-sees among Medford sights. Established in 1911, the library moved in the new building only in 2004 and has an impressive collection of books.

There are at least two standard art-galleries in Medford – Rogue Gallery & Art Center and Thomas Kinkade Gallery; while the latter is a sort-of commercial gallery that showcases art-works of California-born painter, Thomas Kinkade, the former functions as an exhibition area cum art-institute.

The entire Medford downtown area and the Harry and David’s Country Village should also be included in the list of must-visit Medford sights.