It has been longer than I’d like to admit since I stepped foot in my old school, but I did have the pleasure of feeling like a kid again at a recent visit to Oregon to see an old friend. I had heard about McMenamins Kennedy School, located in Northeast Portland and was told it was a must-see for any newcomer to the area. Built in 1915 as an elementary school, the once abandoned building has been converted into a hotel, movie theater and courtyard restaurant. In the hotel, there is a brewery, four bars and an outdoor hot salt water bath for guests.

Upon entering the establishment, old school signs line the dimly-lit corridors while the walls are covered in whimsical paintings of young school children and eclectic art throughout. The adolescent in us took over and we ran down the school halls pretending we were late for class. Of course we had to make a pit stop in Detention where our only punishment was the price we had to pay for a pint of beer. Detention was a cozy little bar that felt like we were stepping back in time to the roaring 20s while the soft melodies of jazz poured out of the loudspeakers fashioning a cool place to unwind.

Once we finished our drinks, we made our way down a seemingly ordinary hallway door, which was hiding a massive, multi-level bar and eatery located in the school’s old boiler room. The Boiler Room Bar was still intact with the original industrial pipe and old metal fixtures and had seating tucked away down below, creating an intimate escape from the crowd of bar goers that stood above. I wonder if the teachers of the school are rolling in their graves knowing their past institution is no longer a place of learning, but a place of pure socialization.

After dinner, we made our way through the rest of the halls and stumbled upon old classrooms still decked out with chalkboards and school posters. The paintings in the hallways grew more intense and abstract, the deeper we went into the school. I’d like to think there were many young minds that graced those halls who dreamt of changing the world and breaking the rules and went on to do great things.

I’m grateful I had the chance to experience Kennedy School and feel like a kid again, if only for a day. It reminded me of the many teachers throughout the years that made such a big impact in my life, even if I didn’t realize it at the time. Have you thanked a teacher lately? Teaching is more than imparting knowledge. It is inspiring change. Go out and explore, and never stop learning.