Pioneer Courthouse — Attraction in Portland

When I recently arrived, a US Marshal was out front waiting to greet us. He walked us through a metal detector into a central room for the courthouse. He gave a brief yet informative history of the courthouse, and gave us more information (Including what rooms we could go into and what was on each floor). An interesting piece of trivia was the fact it is the oldest public building in Portland, OR. He then split from us to go out front again. We continued into the library filled with law books and court records. We walked around in there, admiring the old furniture and architecture. We continued down a main hall which featured windows for the old Post Office (No longer there) and brochures for all ages. Another hall stranded off of this, now splitting into multiple rooms filled with furniture. After exploring the area a bit, we decided to go into the almost 100-year-old elevator. According to the Marshal, the elevator was originally one consisting of only a cage and a few buttons. Over the years, they updated it to include walls and more electronics to make it much safer. We went up all the way to the top, where there were stairs leading to the cupola. (Note: The elevator does not go up to the cupola, instead it goes to a floor with more stairs leading to the cupola.) Inside the cupola, we got an amazing 360° view of Portland including Pioneer Square (Across the street), Portland State University, and other buildings around the area. The cupola consisted of 26 panes around, with all but 6 being from as early as 1885. All-in-all, I really enjoyed the experience. I'd definitely recommend visiting the site if your in the area, and is a great stop on...

Since it opened in 1875, Pioneer Courthouse is one of four primary locations where the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit hears oral arguments. It also houses the chambers of the Portland-based judges on the Ninth Circuit. It is open for self-guided tours between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday (except holidays). A brochure for the self-guided tour is available from the Clerk's Office. Visitors are encouraged to bring a camera and take photos in spaces open to visitors. Spaces included in the tour are the historic lobbies, the Judges' Conference Room, the Courthouse Visitor's Center, the historic courtroom, the library, the attorney waiting area, all of the visiting judges' chambers, and the historic cupola. Some spaces are not available for viewing during weeks when court is in session. #LocalGuides...

I actually helped design the fire sprinkler system with Master Fire back during the seismic upgrade...so can attest to it's safety if nothing else! LOL Otherwise, not so sure..I hope I don't end up with the kind of situation that necessitates a federal judge...But, if I do, I suppose I can take heart in the fact that I am not going to burn to death in the building if catches fire! Now just being repetitive to make sure I write two hundred characters, not much else can really say beyond tooting my horn about doing the Fire...