A Portland Grimm Weekend Itinerary + Map of Filming Locations

Planning a trip to Portland? Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Here is a unique, 2-day, Grimm-themed weekend itinerary to explore filming locations, neighborhoods, and landmarks featured throughout the show.

Below is a map of all the Grimm filming stops on this itinerary:

This itinerary includes several filming locations from Grimm, and historic landmarks in Portland’s neighborhoods.

Day 1: Welcome to Wesen Territory

Focus: North Portland Iconic Scenes + Forest Park

☕ Morning: Coffee + Nick’s Neighborhood (Drive-By Only)

Start your day with coffee from Fuller's Coffee Shop, or a classic Portland roaster like Stumptown, or Coava.

Then head north for a drive-by view of Nick & Juliette's house @ 805 NE Prescott Street. This is a private residence; enjoy respectfully from the street. You’ll instantly recognize the yellow craftsman exterior from dozens of episodes. 

Flash back to my Q&A with the owner back in 2012!

Nick & Juliette's house (c) mysouthwaterfront.com

Venture further and drive by the Black Claw Mansion, a historical building @ 2211 NE Thompson Street.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boschke-Boyd_House_(Portland,_OR).JPG

🌉 Late Morning: Photo Opps at Cathedral Park & St. Johns Bridge

Walk under the towering Gothic arches of the St. Johns Bridge, one of the most iconic backdrops in Grimm. Wesen showdowns, hidden crypts, and moody encounters were filmed here throughout all six seasons. Stroll through Cathedral Park for photos — the vibe is pure Grimm.

- Episode 209

- Episode 210

- Episode 305

🌲 Afternoon: Forest Park, The Heart of the Show’s Forest Scenes

Head into Forest Park, one of the largest urban forests in the U.S. Many of Grimm’s chase scenes and woodland encounters were filmed along the trails.

• Lower Macleay Trails 
• Choose a 2–5 mile hike to soak in the moss, ferns, and mist.
• For the intrepid, Lower Macleay Park to Pittock Mansion is a 5 mile hike roundtrip.

Stone House (AKA Witches Castle) via forestparkconservancy.org 

Pittock Mansion — Classic Grimm Setting

Drive (or hike from Lower Macleay) up to Pittock Mansion. The historic locale is used in several episodes, it’s the perfect old-world mansion for supernatural intrigue. The sweeping panorama of Portland from the viewpoint is worth the trip alone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittock_Mansion

🍺 Evening: Dinner + Craft Beer (Very Monroe)

You will be hungry! End your day at Cafe Nell in NW Portland for a glimpse into one of the filming sites.

Alternatively, a stop by North Portland brewery would also provide a nice Grimm vibe. Monroe would approve.

Day 2: Downtown / NW Vibes + Iconic Landmarks

Focus: Downtown + NW Portland

🥐 Morning: Breakfast at Hotel Deluxe + Downtown Exploration

Take your breakfast with a touch of Hollywood glamour at Hotel Deluxe's Gracie's restaurant.

Then head towards PSU and the Park Blocks to see a few exteriors. If it's a Saturday morning, enjoy the PSU Farmers' Market before stopping by a few sites:

• Portland Art Museum
• St James Lutheran Church
• Ladd Carriage House
• First Presbyterian - Episode 11, 205

Ladd Carriage House

🧭 Midday: Lunch in the Pearl

Stop in for lunch at the Sultan Cafe or a cup of coffee from any local shop.

Then tour the Pearl district by foot or streetcar, to see The Fields park, Encore condos, The Gregory, and more familiar scenery. Rewatch Episode 11!

Encore building on Google maps

If you can, stop by the "Police Precinct", Old Customs House @ 220 NW 8th Avenue.

US Customs House on 8th Ave (c) mysouthwaterfront.com

🧱 Afternoon: Industrial Portland — Casefile Territory + Waterfront

Explore the industrial eastside along the Willamette River. These warehouses, docks, and industrial corridors were used constantly for crime scenes, Wesen hideouts and chase sequences.

• Episode 4
• Episode 12 Boxing Gym
• Episode 17

You’ll recognize the gritty backdrop immediately.

(c) mysouthwaterfront.com

Next stop: Portland Waterfront and Marina

Drive through the waterfront area from the Tom McCall fountain to the Riverplace waterfront marina and on to the South Waterfront. 

• Riverplace, riverfront marina - Episode 11
• South Waterfront streetcar - Episode 3
• OHSU Tram - great views! Filmed in the South Waterfront in 2011.

2011 (c) mysouthwaterfront.com

Fun fact: Portlandia filmed here in 2013, "Timid Driver", Season 4, Episode 5 - check out photos from the filming.

Grab some coffee or tea in honor of Monroe, at the (long-standing OG since 2006!) Daily Cafe at the Tram or Ovation in The Ardea, before heading up the hill to your next destination... 

SW Portland & House of Monroe

Now's your chance to swing by the House of Monroe in SW Portland @ 418 SW Hamilton Street. This is another drive-by, private residence situation; please be respectful.

https://www.mysouthwaterfront.com/2012/03/house-of-monroe.html

🍜 Evening: Dinner at Huber's

Make your way back downtown and set aside your dinner hour for the Huber's Cafe experience. 

• The Red Menace Episode

https://www.koin.com/news/where-we-live-hubers-cafe-and-spanish-coffee/

Explore more Grimm-Inspired Food & Dining Options:

A Grimm Take on Portland Food & Dining 

Where to Stay (to Maximize the Grimm Vibe)

• Hotel Deluxe - as seen in Grimm
• The Sentinel (classic, historic downtown, formerly The Governor) - as seen in Grimm
• McMenamins Kennedy School (quirky, atmospheric, very Portland)

Tips for Grimm Fans Visiting Portland

• Forest Park is most atmospheric in the early morning mist
• Respect private residences
• Pack layers, waterproof shoes, and a camera-ready jacket (!).
• Another recommended resource for a Grimm tour in Portland here: A Grimm tour guide - OregonLive

South Waterfront ICE Facility 2026

I wrote in November about the history of the ICE facility in the South Waterfront. 

Fast forward 3 months.

Three days after federal agents deployed tear gas at a protest, a judge restricted federal use of tear gas, munitions at Portland ICE protests. From the OregonLive story:

"The judge’s order encompasses the area at and around the ICE building at South Macadam Avenue and Bancroft Street.

No officer may direct or use chemical or projectile munitions, including pepper-ball or paintball guns, pepper or oleoresin capsicum spray, tear gas, flash-bang grenades or other chemical irritants, rubber bullets or other less-lethal weapons against a person unless that individual poses an “imminent threat of physical harm” to a law enforcement officer or someone else, the judge ordered.

He also barred federal officers from firing any weapon or munition at the head, neck or torso of anyone, unless an officer is legally justified in using deadly force.

And he made it clear that federal officers may not use chemical munitions or other projectiles against those alleged to have trespassed or refused to obey an officer’s dispersal order at the ICE facility."

This week, a federal judge in Oregon ruled that he would "continue to strictly limit federal law enforcement’s use of tear gas and other crowd control weapons on protesters outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland."

Photo from The City of Portland 2026 https://www.portland.gov/federal/about-ice/ice-land-use-violation

The City of Portland issued a land use violation in September 2025, which was since reaffirmed in February 2026. 

As of March 5, 2026, the property owner has appealed the City’s violation finding to the Portland City Code Hearings Office; a hearing date has not yet been scheduled, and enforcement timelines are paused while the appeal is pending. The Hearings Office will hold a formal hearing and issue a decision on the violations, which may then be appealed to Oregon Circuit Court.

Neighborhood Crime Statistics for South Portland 2025

Here is our third annual review of the Portland Police Bureau crime statistics for the South Portland neighborhood. The data is offered through PPB's Tableau-powered public website.

All offenses past year (Dec 2024-Nov 2025):

In our last 2 years' reports, we have seen the crime trend decreasing since a peak in 2022 and behaving similarly to what has been seen across the country following the post-Covid spike. 

However, this year the South Portland data appears to be ticking up again since June 2025:

There are reasons. Protests at the ICE facility started up again in June and have continued.  According to PPB as of January 12, "To date, the total number of arrests related to ICE protest activity is 82."

Crimes Against Persons spiked in October. Assaults are the primary driver for this:

Assault/Simple Intimidations spiked in October presumably amid heightened police and activist activity near the ICE Facility:

Property Crime was also up in October with larceny and vandalism contributing:

• Motor Vehicle Theft, which we've looked into in past years, continues to be lower this year.
• Weapon Laws Violations: 11 this year, 2 in June, 3 in November.
• No Homicides, human trafficking, vehicular manslaughter or prostitution crimes recorded.

How does this compare to the overall Portland crime data? and the US?

Stay tuned for future research!

A Grimm Take on Portland Food & Dining (Filming Locations)

If you’re a Grimm fan ready to explore real filming locations, or you are a local looking for a new Portland dining adventure, here's a list of some of the food and dining spots featured on the show. 

Pulled from mysouthwaterfront archives, this list highlights the cozy diners and iconic eateries that helped give the show such an authentic Portland feel. Dive in and start planning your own Grimm-inspired food adventure. 

1.  Fuller’s Coffee Shop

Address: 136 NW 9th Ave, Pearl District

Notes: Classic Portland diner since 1960; seen throughout the series.

Key Episodes:

Episode 220: Kiss of the Muse

Episode 401: Thanks for the Memories

Fuller's Coffee Shop in 2013 (c) mysouthwaterfront.com

2. Café Nell

Address: NW 20th Ave & Kearney, Northwest Portland

Notes: Popular restaurant location used across different seasons, and just a great place to go anyways! Nice happy hour.

Key Episodes: 

Episode 210: The Hour of Death

Episode 310: The Eye of the Beholder

Cafe Nell on nbc.com/grimm

3. Huber's Cafe 

Address: 411 SW 3rd Ave

Notes: Established in 1879, Huber's is Portland's oldest restaurant, and definitely worth a visit! Huber's offers their famous Flaming Spanish Coffee amid an ambience of mahogany, archways and stained glass.

Read more about the history and family behind this iconic Portland restaurant.

Key Episode:

Episode 309: The Red Menace

Huber's on nbc.com/grimm

https://www.koin.com/news/where-we-live-hubers-cafe-and-spanish-coffee/

4. The Sultan Cafe

Address: NW 18th Ave, Northwest Portland

Notes: Another distinctive diner, as seen in season 2.  

Episode 204: Quill

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Sultan_Cafe-1.jpg

5. Greek Village

Address: 301 NW Murray Blvd

Notes: Shown as the "Junkyard Dog" bar in the second season.

Episode 214: Natural Born Wesen

Junkyard Dog on nbc.com/grimm

The Other Grim Take

More than half of the restaurants and diners featured in the Grimm series have closed since the show was filmed, many a byproduct of the 2020 lockdown.

Below is a memorial to their time in the spotlight: 

6. Raven & Rose (Closed)

Address: Corner of SW Columbia & SW Broadway

Notes: One of the most interesting buildings in Grimm, the Ladd Carriage House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Raven & Rose was a British and Irish inspired pub with an upstairs cocktail bar. A casualty of the 2020 lockdown, it closed fully by 2021.

Key Episode: 

Episode 303: A Dish Best Served Cold

Ladd Carriage House in 2014

7. Golden Touch Family Restaurant (Closed)

Address: 8124 SW Barbur Blvd, Portland

Notes: Retro family diner frequently appearing in Grimm’s mid-series episodes. Off the beaten tourist path, but not too far from Monroe's house.  

Golden Touch closed down and is now a vegan restaurant, Vertical Diner and The Gold Room, yet maintains some of that vintage vibe. 

Key Episode: Episode 310: The Eye of the Beholder

Golden Touch in 2014 (c) mysouthwaterfront.com

Fun Fact: Just a few blocks down, you'll find Portland's The Original Pancake House, established in 1953. Not filmed in Grimm, but with it's classic 1950's exterior and red and white awnings, it would make a great movie cameo.

8. Hobo’s Restaurant & Lounge (Closed)

Address: 120 NW 3rd Ave, Old Town/Chinatown

Notes: Moody underground bar aesthetic; appeared in several scenes. Hobo's, was a restaurant, gay bar, and piano bar in Old Town/Chinatown, in a building with access to the Shanghai tunnels. This made it a starting point for unique guided tours of Portland.  

Unfortunately, Hobo's was a casualty of the Covid shutdown in 2020. So today, rather than a meal at Hobo's, perhaps sign up for a haunted, underground tour of Portland?

9. Lotus Cardroom & Café (Closed)

Address: SW 3rd & Salmon, Downtown Portland

Notes: Classic diner/bar atmosphere, used in multiple episodes.

Status: Former historic bar site in downtown Portland to be food cart pod

However, the historic back bar was saved by McMenamins (local heroes!) and is now part of the Backstage Bar, located at the McMenamins Backstage Pub behind the Bagdad Theater on Hawthorne. 

Installation Timelapse Video --> Travel from the Lotus to the Backstage Bar in 60 seconds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ-oFrPoYfI

10. Bridgeport Brewery (Closed)

Address: 1318 NW Northrup

Notes: Bridgeport closed in 2019. 

Key Episode: Episode 303: A Dish Best Served Cold

wikipedia.org

11. Food Front Co-op (Recently Closed)

Address: NW Thurman St, Northwest Portland

Notes: Neighborhood grocery store seen in background shots in early episodes. As of November 2025, the Food Front building is now owned by a development company, with plans ahead for the building.

Episode 116: The Thing with Feathers

12. Tippy Canoe Restaurant & Bar (Closed)

Location: Troutdale, along the Historic Columbia River Highway

Notes: Roadside bar/restaurant featured in the Season 3 premier, was closed in 2020 due to a fire. The property was purchased by the owners of the Sugarpine Diner, which is worth a visit on your way through town!

Episode 301: The Ungrateful Dead

Feel free to drop me a line if there's anything that needs to be added to the list...and with your restaurant reviews. Enjoy!

Exploring the Folklore Behind Grimm’s Wesen

NBC’s Grimm pulled us in with its unique, Pacific Northwest spin on classic fairy tales, weaving folklore into a suspenseful, magical crime drama set in Portland. 

I have done a little digging to understand the mythological inspirations behind Grimm’s TV creatures. From the mischievous Hexenbiest to the sly Fuchsbau, each Wesen has a rooting and inspiration in folklore. Here is a brief guide of the myths, legends, and folklore behind some of the show’s most fascinating and fantastic Wesen.

1. Blutbad – Wolves in Folklore

The Blutbad is basically Grimm’s answer to the big bad wolf: part werewolf, part Germanic legend. Wolves were often symbolic of danger and wilderness, but also of loyalty, and the show leans into all of it. Blutbad literally means "bloodbath" in German, which sets the tone. 

Grimm adds its own twist with the Wieder Blutbad, a reformed version who keeps the wolf tendencies in check through diet, discipline, and a lot of self-control. And of course, a fan-favorite Grimm character, Monroe, is a Blutbad.

Notable episodes and posts:

• Episode 106: The Three Bad Wolves
• Our favorite Blutbad's house: The House of Monroe

https://grimm.fandom.com/wiki/Monroe

2. Hexenbiest – The Witch Inspired by German Folklore

The Hexenbiest is a Grimm character, roughly inspired by traditional German witches (Hexen) and fairy tale sorceresses. In folklore, Hexen were believed to wield magic for both good and ill, often feared for their knowledge of herbs, spells, and curses. 

Grimm pushes the visual horror farther, giving them a corpse-like woge form with decayed features. Adalind is the best-known example, and the Hexenbiest storylines give us some of the show’s most intense arcs. They first appeared in the pilot, as well as notable episodes:

• Episode 117: Love Sick
• Episode 212: Season of the Hexenbeist

https://grimm.fandom.com/wiki/Pilot/Images

3. Zauberbiest – The Male Counterpart

Zauberbiest translates roughly to “magic beast” and is the male warlock version of the Hexenbiest. These characters often possess extraordinary powers, can manipulate others, are are both feared and respected. Grimm Examples: Captain Sean Renard is a half-Zauberbiest, and Conrad Bonaparte is a full Zauberbiest.

4. Fuchsbau – The Cunning Fox Spirit

Fuchsbau, the fox-like Wesen named for the German term for "fox burrow" or "fox hole", draws from European folklore about clever, shape-shifting foxes. In many cultures, foxes symbolize trickery and intelligence, appearing as sly spirits that test humans or guard secrets. 

Grimm’s interpretation leans into that cleverness, especially through Rosalee, who brings heart, humor, and a steady hand to the Spice Shop.

Notable episodes:

• Episode 113: Three Coins in a Fuchsbau
• Episode 217: One Angry Fuchsbau

https://grimm.fandom.com/wiki/Rosalee_Calvert

5. Eisbiber – The Beaver-Like Builder

The Eisbiber, a more obscure Wesen, finds roots in mythological tales of industrious creatures like beavers, symbolizing resourcefulness. Many indigenous and European myths highlight animals as teachers of survival skills, a concept mirrored in the show’s portrayal. 

The Eisbiber is a beaver-like Wesen that was first seen in "Danse Macabre". Of course, the Grimm beaver comes with full Oregon State University loyalty.

Notable episodes:

• Episode 105: Danse Macabre
• Episode 111: Tarantella (one of the most scenic)

nbc.com/grimm

Rooted in old-world folklore but reimagined for a modern city, NBC's Grimm takes centuries-old mythologies and drops them right into daily Portland life. Wesen are living among humans and bridging traditional folklore with contemporary urban life. This creative approach not only entertains but also sparks curiosity about folklore, inspiring viewers to explore the myths behind the monsters.

More Resources for Grimm Fans:

• Watch Grimm the Complete Collection (DVD) 
• Watch Grimm on Prime Video
• The Complete Grimms' Fairy Tales Hardcover, by the Brothers Grimm 
• The Encyclopedia of Mythical Creatures
• Amazon Prime Free Trial

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)