Corvallis is primarily a college town, and Oregon State University's campus is the main architectural and cultural focus. The historic downtown — a handful of blocks around Second Street — has good independent coffee shops, bookstores, and a Saturday farmers market at the waterfront. The Willamette River runs along the western edge of town, with parks and a riverside path good for walking and cycling.
The sidewalk stamps (concrete contractor signatures pressed into the pavement since 1908) and the 85-foot-long Hull Picnic Table (sliced from a single Douglas Fir) are the kind of quirky details that make Corvallis worth exploring on foot.