The Wishing Tree
4.6(256)google
FamilyOutdoorFreeQuirkyFolk CultureArt Installation
Overview
The Wishing Tree is a deeply moving, decades-old grassroots public art installation and living monument located in a peaceful residential neighborhood of Northeast Portland. This ordinary, massive hawthorn tree has been beautifully transformed into a neighborhood sanctuary where thousands of travelers and locals tie handwritten paper wishes onto its low-hanging branches. Walking beneath the dense canopy, visitors can read hundreds of deeply personal, hopeful, and sometimes heartbreaking tags containing dreams of love, peace, and recovery, standing as a beautiful testament to human vulnerability and collective empathy.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration15-30 minutes
Best TimeBest visited on a pleasant, clear afternoon from spring to early autumn (May to September). This massive neighborhood tree features low-hanging branches covered in thousands of colorful tags holding heartfelt personal wishes. Reading them offers a beautiful glimpse into local community culture.
Getting ThereTucked inside a residential street on NE 7th Ave in Northeast Portland. Cycling or driving is easiest; because it sits in a quiet neighborhood pocket, you can find free street parking directly along the sidewalk blocks. Or take Bus Line 6 or Line 77 and walk a few blocks.
Travel Tips
- This is a community landmark tree situated in the front yard of a private residence at NE 7th Ave & NE Morris St, not a public park; there are zero restrooms or amenities, so budget just 5-10 minutes for a quick photo.
- Blank tags and sharpies are free inside the designated wooden porch box; write your wish and secure it firmly to low-hanging boughs using weatherproof wire. Climbing the trunk or tearing bark faces immediate municipal structural property fines.
- Surrounded closely by private family homes, strict noise curfews apply; screaming or playing loud music is banned. Park legally along free curbside neighborhood blocks, ensuring zero obstruction to private driveway entryways.
Reviews
Positive
- This colossal neighborhood tree with thousands of colorful handwritten paper tags fluttering in its branches offers a powerful emotional visual impact, capturing Portland's community warmth.
- The experience is wonderfully unique and unconventional for fans of local neighborhood culture, offering an authentic, touching stroll and stories about a micro 'urban forest of dreams'.
- It is a completely free, open public municipal green space with zero admission fees, offering unbeatable casual value as a quick milestone while walking through the quiet Northeast residential grid.
- Despite its grassroots nature, nearby neighbors take its upkeep surprisingly seriously, regularly stocking a wooden weather-proof box with blank tags and sharpies under an orderly setting.
Heads up
- The entire attraction consists strictly of this single solitary tree itself. It completely lacks an indoor museum or multilingual digital guides, making the depth of substance quite brief.
- Hidden deep inside a quiet residential neighborhood, there is no dedicated parking lot. Drivers must scramble for tight street slots within the residential grid, limiting transit convenience.
- During sunny weekend photo-op peaks, the narrow sidewalk corridor overloads with selfie-takers. Lacking active staff for crowd control, the congestion slightly spoils the quiet neighborhood peace.
- The unfenced public corner lacks rest benches, public restrooms, or trash bins. In sudden heavy downpours, visitors attempting to write strings of text on wet tags are left highly vulnerable and messy.