It's like the Haunted Mansion. Credit: Courtney Ferguson

I’ve wanted to explore Wilhelm’s Memorial, that huge mausoleum in Sellwood, ever since I laid eyes on it from the Springwater Corridor. I got my wish on Monday, when the historic building opens to the public every year on Memorial Day. I walked four miles around that place (so says my pedometer) and spent nearly two hours in its labyrinthine hallways. The joint has eight floors, burrowing down into the wetlands. I can’t even begin to estimate how much square footage is in that place. There were hundreds of people there, yet the halls were nearly empty on certain floors. Just me and the goths in certain rooms. But enough of this jibber jabber, check out the pics:

The amazeballs Wilhelm Memorial.

The building from the other side.

Its like the Haunted Mansion.

So many more after the jump.

Some of the beautiful grounds.
Starting to get a scope of what a warren this joint is. I dare you to wrap your head around that map.
  • Courtney Ferguson
  • Starting to get a scope of what a warren this joint is. I dare you to wrap your head around that map.
Everythings sunrays and rainbows on the first couple floors, airy and bright.
  • Courtney Ferguson
  • Everything’s sunrays and rainbows on the first couple floors, airy and bright.
Almost looks like a library.
I saw this in a hidden-away little corner of a mezzanine.
Theres eight floors of hallway after hallway like this.
Adorable pig.
The view across the wetlands from one of the middle floors.
The blood-red window in the bottom floor (a floor you can only reach by sketchy elevator).
  • Courtney Ferguson
  • The blood-red window in the bottom floor (a floor you can only reach by sketchy elevator).
A flowery assortment.
Urns. Urns. Urns.
Yep, thats orange shag.
The famous Rae Room.

Read more about the historic Rae Room here and here.

George and Elizabeth Rae. They liked each other, even in death.
More of the Rae Room.
Stained glass in an older section of the mausoleum.
An entrance into the older section.
Beautiful boxy urns that reminded me of picking up my mail at the post office.
  • Courtney Ferguson
  • Beautiful boxy urns that reminded me of picking up my mail at the post office.
A closer view of the older urns. (Is it an urn even when its a box?)
  • Courtney Ferguson
  • A closer view of the older urns. (Is it an urn even when it’s a box?)
A lovely decorative element in front of a memorial. I think thats a human-hair wreath around the bottom.
  • Courtney Ferguson
  • A lovely decorative element in front of a memorial. I think that’s a human-hair wreath around the bottom.

Mercury copy chief and appreciator of the most sophisticated form of comedy: PUNS!

9 replies on “Memorial Day at the Mausoleum”

  4. I’ve been in some amazing mausoleums in other countries (and in Compton, CA) which are even cooler than this one, but it’s definitely tops in Portland.

  5. Always wondered what that place was like. Cool.

    Personally, it doesn’t make any sense to me that my moldy bones would take up any real estate for the rest of eternity.

  6. Most of my family is there.
    I love it.
    It’s the perfect balance between creepy kitsch and haunting reverence, which would suit me fine if I was looking for a place to inter my cremains – but I have plans to be eaten by timber wolves.

  7. Nice pics. It’s not haunted at all. The smell of embalming fluid is a bit strong in the back rooms, no surprise. From the top floor there’s a very good view of Oak’s Bottom. Yes this stop is high on the list of Portlandia. (You can go anytime – the password is the name of your deceased immediate relative.)

    There are haunted cemeteries in PDX.

    I got caught in the elevator for about 40 minutes with some little kids who had excellent questions about death. They’re all up to speed now.

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