I cannot begin to name all of the things I love about Portland, Oregon. Moonstruck Chocolate Cafes are close to the top of the list along with Powell's City of Books and Saturday Market under the Burnside Bridge.

But as St. Patrick's Day draws near, my thoughts usually turn to Mill Ends Park, better known as Leprechaun Park, which is located at SW Naito Parkway and SW Taylor. This park holds a Guinness record as the smallest in the world. At a mere 2 feet in diameter, it is the preferred park of leprechauns, butterflies and snails.

Leprechaun Park

The park started out as a hole in which a future light pole was to be placed, circa 1946. When the pole never arrived, Dick Fagan, a columnist with The Oregon Journal, planted flowers in the hole and started writing about strange events that were taking place there such as leprechaun parties and snail races.

To this day, the park is the go-to site for many St. Patrick Day festivities and in case you were wondering, it was dedicated as an official City of Portland park in 1976.

Here is more history about the tiny park. Enjoy!