The Giraffe House is home to the Lisa Allen Lybrand Memorial Collection & Gallery of over 2,500 three-dimensional giraffes and giraffe-themed items on display (in addition to art, prints, garments, etc.) throughout the property's interior, garden, and grounds.

This quirky Portland landmark is the former residence of Lisa Allen Lybrand (1956-2022), a private collector who spent nearly 50 years curating the "The Herd" and who was affectionately known around town as simply “The Giraffe Lady.”

But after Lisa passed away in 2022 from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the question of what to do with such a massive collection became a weighty one. Lisa's surviving husband, Bert (the artist responsible for many original works in “The Herd”), along with daughters Sarah and Meghan, struggled with what the collection's legacy should be.

Then, in August of 2024, as a tribute to Lisa at the two-year anniversary of her passing, the Lybrands partnered with Portland's Neighborhood House to throw a memorial cocktail reception with Giraffe House tours that raised over $8,000 for children, social, and senior services in the Portland metro area.

The event's success - and the press and public interest it garnered - persuaded the Lybrands of the joy that seeing Lisa's collection brings to follow giraffe lovers and long-time fans of the house in the community. And so a new mission developed: keeping the doors of The Giraffe House open to the public and finding ways to support the charitable causes nearest and dearest to Lisa's heart. And while this is our deep labor of love--we cannot do it alone!

A living tribute, and a deep labor of love – but one we cannot do without public support.

The Lybrand's Giraffe House remains committed to donating a portion of earnings (20% of gift shop proceeds / 30% of tour sales) to public and private services for Portland families, children, and seniors (we currently give to Neighborhood House and Meals on Wheels) as well as wildlife preservation and sponsorship through The Oregon Zoo.)

But for those interested in helping us and our mission most directly:

Please Donate!

Every dollar donated to our GH PDX Preservation Fund goes to our expanding operating costs, to the safety and upkeep of this 120+-year-old historic property, to establish and expand our offerings, and to preserve the legacy of The Lisa Allen Memorial Collection & Gallery for future friends and giraffe lovers.

To our community of supporters, fans, and fellow giraffe lovers -- we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

The Giraffe House PDX Preservation Fund

Preserving the legacy of the Lisa Allen Lybrand Memorial Collection & Gallery

Team Members