The best things to do in Silverton, Oregon this winter start with the Silverton Christmas Market's two million lights, strung through the grounds of the Oregon Garden Resort from late November through New Year's Eve. From there, add a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Gordon House, a stretch of Silver Falls State Park's Trail of Ten Falls, and an hour spent poking through downtown's shops and murals. Stay at the resort and all four are a short walk or a short drive from your room.
What's the best way to see the Silverton Christmas Market's two million lights?
Go after dark, and go hungry. The market runs November 20 through December 31, 2026, on select dates, with hours from 5 to 9pm, and the lights wrap the grounds of the resort's main lodge along with a German-style vendor market, ice skating, snowless tubing, live music, and food and drink stalls.
This is the market's biggest season yet for things to do once you're inside the gate. 2026 added a train ride and the Mid-Willamette Valley's only ice skating rink to the lineup, on top of the vendor stalls, Biergarten and snowless tubing that were already there.
The resort runs two packages built around the event. The 2026 Silverton Christmas Market Hotel + Tickets Package bundles a room, market tickets for everyone on the reservation, breakfast the next morning, parking for one car, and admission to The Oregon Garden, and it's available on a set list of nights running from November 20 through December 31. On nights the market itself is closed, a Lights Only Nights Package covers the same lights without the vendor stalls, ice skating, or snowless tubing, so you get a quieter walk with the same breakfast and garden admission otherwise included. Book directly through the resort to hold a room, since weekend dates go fast once the lights switch on in late November.
Where should you stay near the market?
The Oregon Garden Resort sits inside The Oregon Garden itself, so your room is already the closest lodging to both the market and the garden's private gate. The 103-room resort has an outdoor pool, a hot tub, the Moonstone Spa, and the Fireside Lounge, with live music most nights and a restaurant. Rooms come as a King Room, a King Room Pet Friendly, Two Queen Room, or a Two Queen Pet Friendly Room; breakfast is included every morning, and every stay carries free admission to The Oregon Garden through a gate near the lobby. The resort also has free Wi-Fi, onsite electric car charging, and an outdoor pool and hot tub that stay open through the winter months, which matters more than it sounds like after a day of hiking in the cold.
The resort is one of six properties in the Moonstone Hotel Properties collection, a family-run group that has been building garden-centered stays since 1983. You can see the full lineup, from the Oregon coast to the California coast, on the company's our-hotels page, and read more about how the whole collection got started on its our-story page.
What can you do during the day in Silverton?
Spend the daylight hours at The Oregon Garden itself, a botanical garden spanning more than 130 acres of water features, a Children's Garden, a Pet-Friendly Garden, and a Rediscovery Forest built around Pacific Northwest plant life. Inside the garden grounds sits the Gordon House, the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home open to the public in the Pacific Northwest. Winter tours run Friday through Sunday at noon, 1pm, and 2pm, and tickets run $20 for adults, $10 for college students with ID, and $5 for ages 12 to 18, with kids 11 and under free.
Is Silver Falls State Park worth the drive in winter?
Yes, with a plan. Silver Falls State Park sits about 15 miles from the Oregon Garden Resort, and in winter the gates at the South Falls and North Falls day-use areas open at 8am and close at 5pm. The full Trail of Ten Falls loop runs 7.2 miles past ten named waterfalls, with roughly 800 feet of elevation change, and winter ice can make the trail slower and slicker than the mileage alone suggests, so budget extra time and wear real boots. If the full loop feels like too much after a day of sightseeing, the shorter spur trails from the South Falls and North Falls trailheads still get you close to several of the falls without the full distance. The South Falls Lodge café keeps shorter winter hours, 10am to 4pm from November through March, so grab something hot there before or after the trail.
Afterward, Silver Falls Brewery's Ale House on Jersey Street in Silverton, a short drive back toward town, is a fair stop for a pint and a plate before you head back to the resort.
What else is worth your time downtown?
Historic downtown Silverton is small enough to cover on foot, with outdoor murals painted across building walls, antique shops and the Lunaria Gallery along its main streets, and a retro theater still running first-run movies. None of it takes more than an hour or two, which makes it an easy add-on to a Christmas Market evening or a Gordon House morning.
If a rainy day keeps you off the trails, Woodburn Premium Outlets is a short drive north of Silverton and gives you an indoor fallback with more than 100 stores.
Pick one or two of these and let the rest of the day build around them, instead of trying to fit it all in before dinner. Silverton rewards an unhurried visit, and a room at the Oregon Garden Resort, lights included, makes that easy to arrange.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to see the Silverton Christmas Market lights?
The market runs select nights from November 20 through December 31, 2026, with hours from 5 to 9pm. Early in the season tends to be quieter than the final two weeks before Christmas, and weeknights are always quieter than weekends.
How far is Silver Falls State Park from Oregon Garden Resort?
About 15 miles, according to the resort's own local attractions guide. Winter park hours run 8am to 5pm at the South Falls and North Falls day-use areas, so plan a hike around daylight rather than around dinner.
Is Oregon Garden Resort pet-friendly?
Yes. The resort has designated King and Two Queen Room Pet Friendly accommodations for dogs, and The Oregon Garden itself has a dedicated Pet-Friendly Garden on the grounds.
Do I need separate tickets for the Gordon House and the Silverton Christmas Market?
Yes, they're sold separately. Gordon House tours run Friday through Sunday in winter at noon, 1pm, and 2pm, with adult tickets at $20, and Christmas Market admission comes bundled into the Oregon Garden Resort's hotel packages or sold on its own through the market's site.
How far is Silverton from Portland?
About an hour's drive, and Oregon Garden Resort sits just minutes from Salem, so a Silverton winter trip works as either a day trip from the city or a full weekend on its own.