20 Things You Need To Know About Medford Before You Move There

1. It’s Got A Fancy Sister

Alba Park was first called ‘Library Park’, but was later re-named for Medford’s sister city of Alba Italy, which is pretty fancy. The grounds of Alba Park include a marble statue of a boy with some puppies (awww) that was carved in Italy, a WWII Japanese cannon, and the park is the main spot for the annual Pear Blossom Run, as well as the all-day fair that goes along with it.

2. It Always Gets You The Perfect Gift

Medford is the birthplace of everyone’s favorite fruit basket. Harry and David’s was founded in 1910 by Seattleite Samuel Rosenberg and it was the 240 acres of pear orchards that drew him south to Medford. His sons Harry and David took over in 1914, and those pears are still locally grown to this day.

3. Planes…

The Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport (or simply the Medford Airport to locals) is the third busiest airport in Oregon, with Portland taking first place and Eugene taking second. It’s also pretty much the only way to fly out of southern Oregon unless you own a plane, so Medford basically controls the skies.

4. …Trains…

What was once the city’s sewer treatment plant is now the Medford Railroad Park, complete with full-sized train cars, a caboose, a hopper car, and a working telegraph system (take that, Pony Express). Hitch a free ride (donations welcome) on the miniature ‘built to scale’ steam trains, or reserve the Railroad Park Pavilion for all those train-themed garden parties you’ve been wanting to host.

5. …And Automobiles (Or Lack Thereof)

The Bear Creek Greenway was completed in 2011, stretching from Ashland to Central Point, and cuts through Medford on its way. Named for Bear Creek (a tributary of the Rogue River), the Bear Creek Greenway is a 17.9 mile hiking and biking path, and is inaccessible to motor vehicles.

6. It’s Good At Growing Things

If Oregon is known for one thing, it’s trees. The Claire Hanley Arboretum was first planted in the 60’s and is a part of the Oregon State University Extension and Research campus. The arboretum is home to beautiful dogwood trees, Davidia involucrata (sometimes called the ‘ghost tree’) and sorrel trees, the sole species of the genus Oxydendrum.

7. No, But Seriously, It’s Good At Growing Things

Medford sits in the Rogue Valley, a region of Oregon that has been successful with two lesser known varietals; the red grape Tempranillo, and the white grape Viognier. There was a time when Viognier could only be found in some isolated parts of the Rhone region of France, but today it grows right here in Medford, at wineries such as the RoxyAnn Winery, which picks its grapes from one of Southern Oregon’s oldest orchards.

8. It’s Got A (Safe) Volcano

Named for Roxy Ann Bowen, an early settler who lived at the base of the peak, Roxy Ann Peak is a 30-million-year-old dormant volcano. It rises almost 2,000 feet above sea level and can be found in the largest park in Medford: the 1,740-acre Prescott Park.

9. The End Is Nigh, And So Are The Beers!

Previously, The Apocalypse Brewing Company (something-something-legal-stuff-something-something), Opposition Brewing Company encourages us not to focus on ‘the end’, but to have fun until it shows up. Along with their five regular beers, they feature a rotating specialty tap and a guest tap, so you can have your favorites and try new things too.

10. It Has A Mall, And That’s A Big Deal

Saturday was Mall Day in my family, as it was for many other families in the Rogue Valley. The Rogue Valley Mall is the only mall for miles, so it fills the retail needs for several communities in the Medford area, with over 100 stores and thirteen food court choices.

11. It Has A Hospital, Which Is Also A Big Deal

While several cities around Medford have hospitals and clinics, Medford is the medical hub of the area. Over 2,000 people are employed by Medford’s two major medical centers, Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center and Providence Medford Medical Center. Assisted living and senior services are also an important part of Medford’s economy, since Medford is a retirement destination.

12. Ginger Loved It

In 1926, Ginger Rogers performed at a theater in Medford called The Craterian, and in 1990, she moved to Medford, where she spent her summers for the rest of her years. In 1997, the Craterian was restored and renamed The Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater in her honor (renamed The Collier Center for Performing Arts in 2012). In 2011, I named a cat Ginger Rogers, also in her honor but less publicly recognized.

13. Bigfoot Still Loves It

Although the Southern Oregon Bigfoot Society (SOBS) is actually located in Grants Pass, OR (a short 29 miles away from Medford), Bigfoot has made appearances all throughout the Southern Oregon area, including Medford. Which makes sense, seeing as how Medford has the only mall.

14. Educational Play

Kid Time! Discovery Experience is a non-profit organization created so your kids can play and learn stuff too. Oregon has some of the most expensive child care rates in the nation, and Kid Time! offers an affordable way to keep your kids safe and maybe make them smarter at the same time.

15. It Wants You To Play With Your Food

I’m pretty confident I spent ten years worth of birthday dinners at Shoji’s. There was a short period of time when I didn’t know Medford had other restaurants. It’s one of those cook-the-food-at-your-table types, which means dinner comes with shrimp flipping tricks and setting onion towers on fire. Oh, and it’s delicious.

16. But It Still Has Table Manners

Just outside of Medford is a set of volcanic plateaus called Upper Table Rock and Lower Table Rock. Today, both Tables are popular hiking locations as well as home to some endangered wildflower species. The Tables also feature vernal pools, which fill with water in the winter and early spring and are the homes to the threatened vernal pool fairy shrimp. And, no, I did not make that up.

17. So Much Golf

Medford is sort of surrounded by golf courses, several of which are public. Stewart Meadows Golf Course and Quail Point Golf Course are just a couple of the many courses that offer a day of golf in the valley. And if you’re looking for a course suited to beginners, or if you’re looking for a shorter game, Bear Creek Golf Course offers a smaller course as well.

18. If Golfing Is Not Your Thang…

Cosmic Bowling was the reason I was late for my curfew. Hosted on Friday nights by Medford’s bowling alley Lava Lanes, Cosmic Bowling is like regular bowling but with crazy lights and music. Lava Lanes also features an arcade and a sports bar, so even if you’re not the biggest fan of bowling (me) there are still things to do that will keep you out way too late.

19. The Streets Are Paved With Popcorn

Growing up, seeing a movie in a theater was a treat. Seeing a movie at Tinseltown meant either something momentous had happened or the world was ending and our parents wanted to give us one last taste of happiness. The reclining seats are stadium style, and the floor is considerably less sticky than most theaters in the world. Plus, it looks a little bit like Disney Land.

20. A River Runs Through It (Sort Of)

The namesake of the Rogue Valley, the Rogue River is the most stunning feature of the area. While it is a large metropolitan area, Medford does offer several ways to enjoy the river, from rafting to fishing to just playing around in the water. The river does not actually run through the city, but a river-themed movie, A River Wild, was shot on the Rogue in 1992. So, it’s kind of a movie star.