If you like geocaching, treasure hunts or just the whimsy of finding something overlooked in plain sight -- the Portland Horse Project may be right up your alley.
An underground, community-driven movement to celebrate Portland’s history, the Horse Project was started by one dude in 2009. Tethered to rings in the sidewalk once actually used to secure real horse and buggies in the early 1900s, toy horses have been strategically placed around town in an attempt to draw attention to the beautiful and bizarre all around you, as well as preserve the rings that started disappearing once urban development took hold.
Whether you call it public art or just plain weird, the mini-horses are a part of Portland’s celebrated strangness and have even inspired a wedding. Whether you make it a point to seek out one or all 200+, they’re a social media phenomenon that are easy to track down with the hashtag #portlandhorseproject. You just may stuble upon some other interesting other toys tethered the ground as well (this is Portland, after all)...
Take a look at some of our favorites: