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Detention or honor roll, there’s a bar for you. Homework: Try a cocktail and report back.

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About Kennedy School

Kennedy School Walking Guide

Fall Asleep in Class!

Fodors Best Portland Remember when the worst thing you could imagine was being kept after class? My, how things have changed! At Kennedy School, you'll never want to leave. Here you can have a pint in a classroom, enjoy an aged whiskey in detention, enjoy a movie in the old auditorium.... The possibilities here are endless. (Just don't run in the hallways, please. You might spill your beer.)

Since its 1915 opening, this historic elementary school has been a beloved fixture of its Northeast Portland neighborhood. McMenamins renovated the once-abandoned scholastic gem and turned it into Portland's most unique hotel. Here you'll find 57 comfy guestrooms with private baths and telephones (some fashioned from former classrooms complete with original chalkboards and cloakrooms – others with an author's theme), a restaurant, multiple small bars, a movie theater, soaking pool, gift shop and a brewery (just wait until the principal hears about this!). Extensive original artwork and historical photographs cover the walls, ceilings, doorways and hallways.

For neighborhood residents, out-of-town guests and business travelers, Kennedy School is a memorable and comfortable place to gather. The hotel is located minutes from Portland International Airport as well as to shopping in downtown Portland.

Kennedy School allows pets on the side patios and in hotel rooms for a fee.

Biketown

Have you seen the orange bikes stationed around town to rent? You’re in luck: we’re now part of this Biketown area. We have 4 racks marked “Free Biketown locking” – meaning you can ride a rented orange bike here and leave it for the next person, or potentially be that next person and hop on an orange bike that’s parked in this designated area. To track up-to-date bike drop-off and pick-up destinations throughout Portland – including how many bikes are currently available at Kennedy School – get the Biketown app. You’re on your way to exploring, Portland-style!


 

 

Kennedy School Guestrooms

Check-in is at 3pm; checkout is at 11am

The rooms in the main school building include original chalkboards and cloakrooms. The English Wing is located in the courtyard of the original school and while the rooms are not old classrooms, the rooms have literature-inspired themes. All overnight guests receive complimentary use of the soaking pool and free admission to the movie theater. For ADA rooms, please contact the hotel directly. View the Room Names and Galleries.

Kennedy School Lodging Packages

Check-in is at 3pm; checkout is at 11am

Loyal Order of the Slumbering Bed Heads

Bed Head Login

New Name, Same Program
The Loyal Order of the Slumbering Bed Heads was once known as our Frequent Guest Program.

Stay at our historic hotels and earn free nights! 

Questions about your existing points? See our FAQs.

Please note: We are unable to issue points for reservations made through Expedia and Booking.com. For best results, book directly through mcmenamins.com. Limit one room per guest per night.

How does it work?

  • First, create or update your profile in our online reservations system and follow the prompts to join the Bed Head Program; you'll receive monthly email reminders about the program! Keep an eye out for upcoming events, seasonal promotions and even occasional specials just for Bed Heads.
  • Stay with us! Points are automatically rewarded 24 hours after check out - you'll receive 100 points per night in rooms with a common bath, 150 points per night in rooms with a private bath and 50 points per night in Edgefield’s hostel rooms. Your accrued points can be viewed at any time in your online profile. Please note: points accrued during your stay are not available for immediate redemption.
  • When you've accrued 900 points or more, search results on our online system will include a "900 point" rate for rooms (based on availability). Choose this rate to redeem your points. Add-ons, like our Romance Package, will still be available at regular prices.

Rules

  • This offer is for individual bookings only; the offer does not apply to contracted groups or conferences.
  • All of your qualifying nights must be booked under the same guest profile for points to accrue correctly.
  • Only 1 room per night is accruable.
  • You must be a member of the Loyal Order of the Slumbering Bed Heads to accrue points and redeem your complimentary stays.
  • Qualifying nights begin the day you sign up! Sorry, our program is not retroactive.
  • The Grand Suite at Grand Lodge, Family Suite and Parrish House at Old St. Francis, and Family Rooms at Edgefield are not available for redemption.
  • Based on availability; blackout dates may apply.
  • Reward nights and free or sponsored promotional stays are excluded from earning points in the program.
  • No credit for "no-shows” or cancellations within cancellation policy.
  • Redemption must be booked prior to arrival and points cannot be redeemed upon check out.
Any questions can be sent to loyalty@mcmenamins.com.
Please note: All rules are subject to change.

Important Information about Bed Head Points

In order to accumulate points, it is important that you use the same username and password every time you make a reservation. When guests create multiple profiles, points get scattered across them, making them difficult to use for free stays.
 
Need help aligning multiple user profiles or resetting your password? Contact us at loyalty@mcmenamins.com so we can merge your accounts into one or help with passwords.

Lodging Policies


Policies:

  • Room and package rates are the same for single or double occupancy.
  • A credit card for authorization purposes and ID are required at check-in.
  • Debit cards are accepted, however McMenamins is not responsible for overdrafts caused by holds on your account.
  • Add $25 per person after double occupancy.
  • Children age six and under stay free.
  • For ADA rooms, please contact the hotel directly.
  • Additional pet fee per pet, per day. Please read our Pet Policy page.
  • Rollaways are available for some rooms. Call to confirm pricing and availability for your reservation. They are not available in the English Wing.
  • Add 15.3% state and county lodging tax to all room rates and overnight packages.
  • Cancellations made less than 48 hours before arrival time are subject to penalty.
  • All overnight packages are subject to availability and are excluded from major holidays.
  • Rates are subject to change.
  • Stay with us often? Join the Loyal Order of the Slumbering Bed Heads and earn a night on us!

Surrounding Attractions

Feel like getting out and about during your stay at Kennedy School? Portland is an amazing city, with lots to do — these are just a very few suggestions....

Biketown

Have you seen the orange bikes stationed around town to rent? You’re in luck: we’re now part of this Biketown area. We have 4 racks marked “Free Biketown locking” – meaning you can ride a rented orange bike here and leave it for the next person, or potentially be that next person and hop on an orange bike that’s parked in this designated area. To track up-to-date bike drop-off and pick-up destinations throughout Portland – including how many bikes are currently available at Kennedy School – get the Biketown app. You’re on your way to exploring, Portland-style!

Shopping

  • Head to nearby Alberta Arts District for a variety of locally-owned businesses, from clothing and shoe boutiques to art galleries to coffee shops and much more. 
  • If you’re seeking a more traditional shopping experience, drive or hop a bus downtown to visit the Pioneer Place MallPearl District and other fine shopping areas. The Lloyd Center Mall in northeast Portland is also good for some retail therapy, and features an indoor skating rink!
  • Open March through December, the Portland Saturday Market is definitely worth a visit. Pick up an Oregon-produced handicraft from one of hundreds of vendors and artisans

Museums

Outdoor Recreation

  • There are many golf courses located throughout the city; the nearest to Kennedy School is Broadmoor Golf Course, set on the banks of the mighty Columbia River.
  • Portland is just an hour’s drive from Mount Hood, on which skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers can find snow year-round! Check out the historic Timberline Lodge or Mount Hood Meadows for ski conditions.
  • Like to bike? You’re in good company. Portland has bike routes mapped out across the city, making it easy, safe and manageable to get around on bikes. Hop a bus downtown and rent a bike to wheel around town in style.
  • If you’re in the mood to do a little hiking, head twenty minutes east of Portland into the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area for amazing vistas, well-kept trails and more. Stop by McMenamins Edgefield on the way back to the Kennedy School for a beer!

Sports & Events

  • Portland’s Rose Quarter is home to the NBA’s Trail Blazers, the Winterhawks hockey team and the Portland Steel Arena Football team. It also features national concerts, performances and other big events.

Looking for something more? Go to travelportland.com for up-to-the-minute suggestions on what to do, where to go and how to get there.

Plan Your Trip to Kennedy School

See what's going on while you're here...

Music & Events

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Surrounding Attractions

Feel like getting out and about during your stay at Kennedy School? Portland is an amazing city, with lots to do — these are just a very few suggestions....

Biketown

Have you seen the orange bikes stationed around town to rent? You’re in luck: we’re now part of this Biketown area. We have 4 racks marked “Free Biketown locking” – meaning you can ride a rented orange bike here and leave it for the next person, or potentially be that next person and hop on an orange bike that’s parked in this designated area. To track up-to-date bike drop-off and pick-up destinations throughout Portland – including how many bikes are currently available at Kennedy School – get the Biketown app. You’re on your way to exploring, Portland-style!

Shopping

  • Head to nearby Alberta Arts District for a variety of locally-owned businesses, from clothing and shoe boutiques to art galleries to coffee shops and much more. 
  • If you’re seeking a more traditional shopping experience, drive or hop a bus downtown to visit the Pioneer Place MallPearl District and other fine shopping areas. The Lloyd Center Mall in northeast Portland is also good for some retail therapy, and features an indoor skating rink!
  • Open March through December, the Portland Saturday Market is definitely worth a visit. Pick up an Oregon-produced handicraft from one of hundreds of vendors and artisans

Museums

Outdoor Recreation

  • There are many golf courses located throughout the city; the nearest to Kennedy School is Broadmoor Golf Course, set on the banks of the mighty Columbia River.
  • Portland is just an hour’s drive from Mount Hood, on which skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers can find snow year-round! Check out the historic Timberline Lodge or Mount Hood Meadows for ski conditions.
  • Like to bike? You’re in good company. Portland has bike routes mapped out across the city, making it easy, safe and manageable to get around on bikes. Hop a bus downtown and rent a bike to wheel around town in style.
  • If you’re in the mood to do a little hiking, head twenty minutes east of Portland into the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area for amazing vistas, well-kept trails and more. Stop by McMenamins Edgefield on the way back to the Kennedy School for a beer!

Sports & Events

  • Portland’s Rose Quarter is home to the NBA’s Trail Blazers, the Winterhawks hockey team and the Portland Steel Arena Football team. It also features national concerts, performances and other big events.

Looking for something more? Go to travelportland.com for up-to-the-minute suggestions on what to do, where to go and how to get there.

Art

You'll be amazed by the abundance of art spanning the hallways and offering a glimpse into the past. Paintings, historical photos, mosaic scrolls, Indonesian wood panels and more create a virtual art gallery within the building.

For an in-depth explanation of the school's history as told through the artwork, a self-guided tour pamphlet is available at the Kennedy School front desk (or the old Principal's office, as some may remember it).

  • The Boiler Doors

    The Boiler Doors
  • The Phoenix

    The Phoenix
  • The Art of Teaching

    The Art of Teaching
  • The Freak Mountain Ramblers

    The Freak Mountain Ramblers
  • Hot Tub at the Kennedy School

    Hot Tub at the Kennedy School

History

Kennedy School Walking Guide

Still a community center

The Kennedy School has been a center of lively activity for the Northeast Portland neighborhood since opening in 1915. Over the years, thousands of kids congregated here to decipher the three Rs, eat mac and cheese on Mondays and climb hand over hand up the gym rope to ring the bell.

When built, Kennedy Elementary School's location was rather remote; it stood three blocks beyond the end of the nearest streetcar line. And that line, which came out Northeast Alberta Street, passed through some pretty sparse country, judging from an ordinance that outlawed the shooting of rabbits from the streetcar.

Also, the school was just eight blocks from the city line, then set at Northeast 42nd Ave. — and in those early years, the numerous Kennedy students residing beyond that boundary lived without electricity, water, sewer or telephones.

Actually, the first elementary school classes were held on the school grounds in portable, one-room buildings in 1913, two years before the present-day school building was built and opened. Just 29 children attended that first year.

As decades passed, the school took on additional civic roles, further endearing it to its neighbors. When school was not in session, "Kennedy" served the community as a public meeting hall, polling place, Red Cross blood drawing center, collection site for paper and tin can drives, weekend playground and even flood-relief shelter.

It was a sad day indeed when at the end of the 1974-75 school year, faced with declining enrollment throughout the district, school officials closed Kennedy, declaring it too old and crumbling to repair.

Scrambling to ward off several demolition orders, a coalition of neighbors, former students, past PTA presidents and the Portland Development Commission fought successfully to save the building.

Mike and Brian McMenamin presented just one of several proposals for reviving the condemned property. Other ideas ranged from a retirement home to an indoor soccer facility. After receiving the approval of the city and the support of the neighborhood, McMenamins launched its renovation in the spring of 1997, infusing the 80-year-old structure with new life. In particular, a river of artwork was inspired by the stories of generations of Kennedy's students and teachers.

On October 22, 1997, the original principal's bell was rung on the front steps at 7 a.m. sharp to herald the old school's new beginning as McMenamins Kennedy School. Offering a unique and fun lodging, dining and meeting experience, Kennedy remains a lively gathering spot for neighbors and newcomers alike.

Learn more about Kennedy School’s historic reopening over 25 years ago on our blog.

Hold your Private Event at Kennedy School

Weddings  Meetings  Social Events

Imagine the fun you and your guests will have at the Kennedy School, a 1911 building that was lauded by Ladies' Home Journal for its innovative one-story architecture, back in the day. Today, visitors stay overnight in classrooms-turned-guestrooms (complete with original chalkboards), have a bite to eat in the old cafeteria (now our Courtyard Restaurant) and grab a drink in either the Honors Bar or the Detention bar, depending on your mood. And that's just the beginning.

We have several event spaces, both indoors and out, from which you can choose, accommodating up to 200 guests. It is a wedding venue unlike any other — and no one will be sent to the principal's office, we promise. (Just don't start a food fight at the reception.) 

Contact our sales team to inquire or book your event.
Get Started Here

Parking & ADA


Parking:

Limited onsite parking is available for all Kennedy School guests at no charge. All parking is first come first served and may be used by both overnight guests and day visitors alike in the main parking lot. 

Hotel Guests:
A portion of the parking lot is dedicated to overnight guests only. A parking pass is required and will be issued at check-in. The pass will need to be visible on the dashboard. These spaces are limited and will be available on a first come first served basis.

We recommend unloading in the parking lot which is on the East side of the building. We have luggage carts available at the front desk by request.

Additional parking options:
Street parking is free and available on NE 33rd, NE Simpson, NE Jarrett, and NE Jessup without time limitations.

We encourage guests to remove all valuables from their vehicle.

Accessibility

The English Wing does not have an elevator, ADA accessible rooms, or ramp access.
 
ADA-accessible parking is available on the east side of the main buildings. A ramp is available from the parking lot and from the courtyard of the gym.

Cosmic Tripster Clubhouse


Cosmic Tripster Clubhouse
It’s the summer of the Clubhouse! Originally at Ringlers Pub, the Cosmic Tripster Clubhouse has moved over to the Kennedy School’s small bars. The Clubhouse is a place for Tripsters to gather and enjoy some of the perks of Tripsterhood, including:
  • Stein Specials in the Boiler Room. (psst, ask for a stamp!).
  • Golden Chalice wine specials in Honors. (psst, ask for a stamp!)
  • Cocktail specials in Detention. (Whiskey Club, anyone?)
  • Tiki specials in the Cypress Room. (psst, ask for a stamp!)
  • Free pool & shuffleboard in the Boiler Room. (psst, ask for a stamp!)
  • Half-off movie tickets at the Kennedy School. Restrictions apply, not valid for special events.
  • Secret (!) food menus in the Cypress Room and Boiler Room.
Tripster specials are not valid in the Courtyard Restaurant. Must show Tripster Keychain or completed Passport to verify Tripster status.
 
Curious about Cosmic Tripsters and how to become one? Check out our Passport program to learn more.
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