Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Oregon Portland Mill Ends Park

Mill Ends Park

The world's smallest park was dedicated in 1948 as the only colony for leprechauns west of Ireland.

Portland, Oregon

Added By
jamesb
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Mill Ends Park   User submitted
Mill Ends Park   User submitted
A Cactus in Mill Ends Park? 2004   Gabor/Flickr
Tropical Mill Ends Park   Wikimedia
  redfish513 / Atlas Obscura User
Feb 2020   SomePlaceCool / Atlas Obscura User
  cait7911 / Atlas Obscura User
Mills End Park in 2013   Andy Nystrom
Climate action protest at the Mill Ends Park.   mlee106 / Atlas Obscura User
Looks a little taller than previous posts   lynamjimmy / Atlas Obscura User
Looks a little taller than previous posts   lynamjimmy / Atlas Obscura User
Looks a little taller than previous posts   lynamjimmy / Atlas Obscura User
Unfortunate the little park isn’t the way it use to be :(   designerbren / Atlas Obscura User
Unfortunate the little park isn’t the way it use to be :(   designerbren / Atlas Obscura User
Mills End Park in 2008   sfgamchick/Flickr
  redfish513 / Atlas Obscura User
  crystarr33 / Atlas Obscura User
Out in the middle of the median   SomePlaceCool / Atlas Obscura User
Mill End Park (March 2024)   mattfinnigan303 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Many residents in Portland have driven past Mill Ends Park dozens, nay hundreds of times, and never even noticed it was there. Deemed the world's smallest city park in 1971 by the Guinness Book of World Records, the park is merely two feet wide, and lies in the median of the heavily trafficked Naito Parkway.

From the Portland Parks and Recreation website: "In 1946, Dick Fagan returned from World War II to resume his journalistic career with the Oregon Journal. His office, on the second floor above Front Street (now Naito Parkway), gave him a view of not only the busy street, but also an unused hole in the median where a light pole was to be placed. When no pole arrived to fill in this hole, weeds took over the space. Fagan decided to take matters into his own hands and to plant flowers."

Fagan wrote a very popular column about this park called Mill Ends, which is a lumber term for rough irregular ends of boards from lumber mills. The Park was dedicated on St. Patrick's Day in 1948 by Fagan who wrote about the trials and tribulations of the park's head leprechaun Patrick O'Toole, and according to Fagan the only group of leprechauns to establish a colony west of Ireland. He also claimed to be the only person who was able to see these leprechauns, and therefore had the exclusive scoop.

In Fagan's account of Mill Ends Park's origin, supposedly Fagan looked out the window and spotted a leprechaun digging in the hole. He ran down and grabbed the leprechaun, which meant that he had earned a wish. Fagan said he wished for a park of his own, but since he had not specified the size of the park in his wish, the leprechaun gave him the hole.

Fagan passed away in 1969, and Mill Ends officially became a city park on St. Patrick's Day in 1976. The park continues to be the site of inventive St. Patrick's Day festivities to this day.

The park has seen many renovations over the years. For a while it was home to a small swimming pool and diving board for butterflies, many statues, and a miniature Ferris wheel which was delivered by a full sized crane.

In 2006 the park was temporarily moved (seven feet away) while construction on the Naito Parkway took place. It was replaced on March 16, 2007 to a full St. Patrick's Day celebration complete with bagpipers and Irish folk music, with Dick Fagan's wife Katherine and family proudly in attendance. In December 2011, it held a miniature Occupy protest complete with tiny tents and protest signs. 

Related Tags

Plants Small Worlds And Model Towns World's Smallest

Know Before You Go

SW Naito Parkway at SW Taylor St.

Community Contributors

Added By

jamesb

Edited By

khmeck, Allison, buzz, mlee106...

  • khmeck
  • Allison
  • buzz
  • mlee106
  • designerbren
  • lynamjimmy
  • SomePlaceCool
  • cait7911
  • mattfinnigan303
  • crystarr33
  • redfish513

Published

November 11, 2009

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=265&action=ViewPark
  • http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/04/controversy-over-guinness-smallest-park-designation/
Mill Ends Park
SW Naito Parkway @ SW Taylor St.
Portland, Oregon, 97204
United States
45.516196, -122.673221
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Huber’s

Portland, Oregon

miles away

Portlandia

Portland, Oregon

miles away

Weather Machine

Portland, Oregon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Portland

Portland

Oregon

Places 61
Stories 12

Nearby Places

Huber’s

Portland, Oregon

miles away

Portlandia

Portland, Oregon

miles away

Weather Machine

Portland, Oregon

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Portland

Portland

Oregon

Places 61
Stories 12

Related Stories and Lists

The World's Tiniest City Park Just Got a Little More Official

miniatures

By Cara Giaimo

7 of America's Smallest Civic Institutions

world's smallest

By Eric Grundhauser

Curious Fact of the Week: World's Smallest Park

curious fact of the week

By Allison Meier

Related Places

  • North American collection

    Washington, D.C.

    National Bonsai Museum

    One of the dwarven trees dates back to 1625 and survived the Hiroshima bombing.

  • Carabelle, Florida Police Department

    Carrabelle, Florida

    World's Smallest Police Station

    This phone booth-sized municipal building has been a piece of police property for more than half a century.

  • We now have a storefront location!

    Lucas, Kansas

    World's Largest Collection of Smallest Versions of Largest Things

    A unique attraction and museum dedicated to exploring iconic roadside structures.

  • The miniature theatre’s 200-seat capacity is slowly being filled with tiny figurines of beloved film characters, from classic movie stars to Muppets. Statler and Waldorf are perched in their usual spot at the front-right balcony. There’s even an ongoing call for visitors and locals to add their own favorite characters to the growing crowd.

    Vancouver, British Columbia

    East Van Vodville Cinema

    A small part of the local arts scene, this “little free cinema” is part homage to the past, part interactive experience.

  • Welcome to SMoMA.

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    SMoMA - The Snail Museum of Miniature Art

    This dollhouse-sized art museum features creations from local artists.

  • Visalia, California

    Sequoia Legacy Tree

    Far out of its comfort zone, this sequoia was planted as a symbol of the connection between Visalia and its neighboring national park.

  • Tulare County, California

    Mark Twain Stump

    The last remnant of a tree that helped prove to the world that sequoias are real—and they’re spectacular.

  • The Willow Globe shortly after it was planted

    Llanwrthwl, Wales

    Willow Globe Theatre

    In the middle of a Welsh field, a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is made out of living branches.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.