Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis, Oregon. The hometown of the OSU Beavers.
Corvallis will always have a special place in my heart. I called this town my home for six months while finishing up my master’s thesis. Why did I pick Corvallis? I didn’t, to be honest. I had never heard of this town. I knew a bit about Oregon, but I was more obsessed with California or Washington as west-coast states. California because you know, sunshine and Washington because I love the Pacific Northwest and the Olympic Peninsula (I blame Twilight for this). I only knew Oregon because it sat in between them.
I ended in Corvallis because of Oregon State University, otherwise known as OSU. OSU has an amazing forestry department, and since I was graduating as a Bioscience Engineer with a specialization in Forest and Land Management, OSU was the perfect place for me to finish my master’s thesis. How did I do this? I simply googled the professors working in the forestry department and sent an e-mail I wanted to work with them. Yes, it was really that easy.
But enough about me, let’s talk about Corvallis.
Oregon State University
Corvallis is first and foremost a university town. I arrived at the start of the summer term, so it was nice and quiet the first few months I was there. I had university housing, so of course, the first thing I discovered about this town was its university campus. Now, you have to put this into the perspective of a European student. Most of the time, we just don’t have such huge campuses in one place. So yeah, I was pretty impressed with the campus. I loved the grandeur of the buildings and big laws. Also, college sports are not a big thing back in Europe, especially not football. I don’t know anything about football and I don’t particularly care for the sport, but if you have the chance and have never seen a game, I definitely recommend it. The tailgating and the atmosphere alone is enough to make it worthwhile.
My favorite places to hang out were the Memorial Union main lounge, People’s Park, and a hidden reading nook in the arches of Weatherford Hall.
As a forestry student, I must mention the Peavy Arboretum. Peavy Arboretum is located a bit outside of Corvallis. It is an old-growth forest that’s one of OSU’s research forests. Students and researchers alike use this forest to learn more about forestry, ecosystems, and nature conservation. You can find many native and exotic trees and visitors are encouraged to learn more about forestry themselves by the Forest Discovery Trails.
Downtown Corvallis
After I got over my social anxiety, I ventured further out. First on my list: historic downtown. Coming from Europe, I am always a bit skeptical when American towns call themself ‘historic’, but nonetheless I was charmed by downtown Corvallis. City Hall wasn’t much to look at, but the Courthouse was beautiful. Most of downtown had these typical brick-fronted stores and a historic cinema called Whitefront. All the way downtown you’ll find the Willamette River and Riverfront Park. In summer, people go tubing or canoeing down the river to escape from the heat, something I can definitely recommend. Besides having nice buildings and a river, downtown Corvallis also hosts a lot of little pubs and breweries. However, the true secret of downtown Corvallis is the farmer’s market.
Corvallis farmer’s market
From April to November, downtown Corvallis hosts a farmer’s market. The market is set up on Wednesday and Saturday, from 9am to 1pm. The centerpoint of the market is on 1st and Jackson, but the market covers a lot more streets than that.
What can you expect at the market? Pretty much everything, as long as it’s locally grown. There are all kinds of vegetables and fruits, but also meat and seafood, honey, beeswax candles, milk and cheese, bread, ciders and jams, dried herbs, mushrooms, and colorful flowers.
Eating and Drinking
Corvallis is known for something else too, its abundant range of craft brews. Some have even compared Corvallis to the new Flanders when it comes to beer, but being from Flanders myself, I have to be a bit skeptical about that ;)
There is no denying that there are quite a few local pubs and breweries that make it more than worth it to pay a visit to Corvallis. Sky High Brewing lives up to its name with an amazing rooftop garden that offers a great view over the town. Flat Tail Brewing was my favorite. Not for their beer (I don’t drink), but for their nachos and great burgers. Unfortunately, the pub closed permanently in May 2020. Block 15 Brewing Co. is another well-known name in Corvallis. I can’t speak for their beers, but I did enjoy their homemade strawberry lemonade quite a lot.
Not really a beer drinker? I have good news for you. Corvallis offers the Heart of Willamette Wine Passport to discover al
My 7 favorite things to do in Corvallis
Enjoy a Frappuccino in the downtown Starbucks and do some people watching (yes, I am that basic)
Take a hike on Bald Hill Natural Area
Look for treasures in the Corvallis Book Bin or Many Hands Trading
Explore the OSU campus
Take a day trip to the beach in Newport
Go to the farmer’s market
Take a dip in the Willamette River on a hot day