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Adjacent Activity Centers <br />Many of the open space areas adjacent to <br />downtown provide active and passive educational <br />opportunities related to our local cultural and <br />natural history. Skinner Butte Par°k, for example, <br />includes the land once claimed by Eugene and Mary <br />Skinner. This park has been used for decades as a <br />living classroom for local history and plant diver- <br />sity. The rich Native American history of this area is <br />illustrated by the Kalapuya Talking Stones, in the <br />Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker Park. <br />Historic mar°kers are important to recall the <br />original names and uses of places and buildings, <br />so that the layers of history can enrich the present. <br />Plaques and signs are important to mark <br />important buildings now lost, as well as events and <br />people significant to the history of our community. <br />Places such as the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza, <br />in front of the County Courthouse, or Cannery <br />Square, envisioned in front of the new Federal <br />Courthouse, teach us about what we value and want <br />to remember. <br />The Lane County Historical Museum, currently <br />located at the Fairgrounds, is considering reloca- <br />tion. Adowntown location would enrich the cultural <br />opportunities available in the city center and is <br />highly encouraged. <br />Restaurants <br />Eugene is well known for a variety of restaurants <br />located throughout downtown, bringing residents <br />into the heart of the city. Restaurants and cultural <br />events are synergistic; dinner before a show or <br />dessert after is routine for many concert and <br />theater-goers. Restaurants round out the activities <br />downtown, supporting other uses in the daytime, <br />catering to residents, or drawing people downtown <br />in the evenings. <br />Numerous entertainment, sporting events and <br />festivals take place at the Lane Events Center at the <br />Fairgrounds, southwest of downtown. These <br />activities and events dovetail with downtown res- <br />taurants, lodging and retail opportunities. These <br />activities and other exhibit and convention events <br />are encouraged to remain in and near downtown. <br />The U of O provides opportunities for speakers <br />of local, national and international reputation on <br />a wide variety of topics, and numerous music and <br />theatre performances. Sporting events at the <br />U of O, specifically track, football and basketball, <br />draw tens of thousands from all over Eugene and <br />further. The U of O's historic art museum is being <br />restored and expanded, and will continue to <br />provide a cultural resource for the community. <br />Nearby open space areas and park facilities pro- <br />vide avenue for cultural activities that complement <br />events and programs downtown. The Cuthbert <br />Amphitheater hosts nationally known musicians in <br />a wonderful outdoor setting. The annual Art in the <br />Vineyard festival showcases local and regional <br />artists in Alton Baker Park. Cultural and recreational <br />events in these areas should be promoted as part of <br />downtown's cultural attractions. <br /> <br /> <br />_;. ~ .~ <br /> <br />3`Z EUGENE DOWNTOWN PLAN • APRIL 2004 <br />Great restaurants and coffee houses <br />are located throughout downtown - <br />special places on a small scale. <br />