Crystal Ballroom

Location: Crystal Ballroom, which includes Lola's Room and Ringlers. A while back I counted Ringlers as its own separate location, but really it counts as part of the Crystal Ballroom Empire. I was really happy that the Crystal Ballroom offers a tour every day at 2 p.m. instead of requiring seekers to schedule and/or buy concert tickets to get a stamp. Plus, seeing the ballroom in the daylight is a completely different experience than seeing it during a concert!

Fellow travelers: Since I was staying at the Crystal Hotel, I caught this tour solo.

Favorite light: The chandeliers in the ballroom were apparently discovered untouched in boxes after McMenamins bought the Olympic Club property in 1996. They are the life's work of an Italian glass artist and are worth millions of dollars each. Two of them are here but one of them, for some inexplicable reason, went to the Highland in Gresham. [edited Jan28.2014: sadly I have learned the tour guide this day was wrong. The official, slightly less interesting, story is here.]

Also, I noticed the bulbs in the Ringlers "virus light" have been replaced with multicolored bulbs since the last time I was there.

before:

after: 

Favorite art: Each mural in the ballroom is a tribute to a particular era of its history:

Food: Since I've already eaten at Ringlers, I didn't eat here again.

Passport stamps: Crystal Ballroom, Lola's Room, Tour a Brewery (I got the Ringlers stamp already)

Other items of note:

• A tour guide should never ask, "Are you all bored or what?"
• Ringlers is the name of the man who originally owned  Ringlers Cotillion Hall (which is now the Crystal Ballroom).
• Lola is the name of the police chief who tried to drive dancing out of Portland and tried repeatedly to shut Ringlers down. Even though she is long dead, she  must be mortified that a dance hall is named after her and her face is featured on a brewery tank.
• Pool at Ringlers is free until 6 p.m. every day with a $6 minimum purchase.