Municipal Elevator and the falls in Oregon City
Oregon City sits in two layers, a basalt bluff above and the river and falls below. The elevator joins them.
The Municipal Elevator
The City of Oregon City says the elevator is 130 feet tall and the ride takes about 15 seconds. Residents climbed bluff steps from 1867, voters approved funding in 1912, and the first elevator opened on November 27, 1915. A replacement was dedicated on May 5, 1955. The City calls it one of only four municipal elevators in the world, says Elevator Street is the only vertical street in North America, and lists the ride as free. Operating hours are on the City's separate hours page.
Willamette Falls
Wikipedia describes the falls as about 1,500 feet wide and 40 feet high, between Oregon City and West Linn. It reports that Willamette Falls Electric Company's plant sent long-distance power to Portland in 1889, and that the Willamette Falls Locks opened in 1873 and closed in 2011. The Willamette Falls Locks Authority, a public board, now oversees the effort to restore the locks. See its site for status. The state awarded $12.5 million in August 2025 for a riverwalk on the Oregon City side, according to Wikipedia.