About this city
Also known as: The Theatre Town
Nestled beautifully in the rolling, forested Siskiyou and Cascade foothills of southern Jackson County, Ashland is a culturally vibrant and historic city world-renowned as a premier capital for theatrical performing arts. Established in 1852 around a water-powered timber sawmill along the historic Applegate Trail, the community originally boomed as a wealthy gold-mining and orchard shipping hub. In 1935, its destiny was permanently altered by the founding of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which grew into one of the oldest and largest professional non-profit theater companies in the United States. Today, the city seamlessly pairs its elegant Residential Historic District mansions and academic collegiate culture—anchored by Southern Oregon University—with world-class gastronomy and deep mountain singletrack exploration.
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Practical Tourism Metadata
Suggested stay: 1–3 days
Catch a world-class theatrical performance or Shakespearean play at the Elizabethan Stage inside the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Stroll beneath massive trees, stone bridges, and mineral springs at the historic 93-acre Lithia Park. Explore the independent boutiques and bookshops around the Historic Ashland Plaza.
