Spokane, WA Things to Do and Attractions
World-famous crooner Bing Crosby, one of Spokane's most celebrated sons, is an alumnus of the city's Gonzaga University. Devoted to his alma mater, Crosby even organized an Emmy-winning television production to raise funds for the construction of the
World-famous crooner Bing Crosby, one of Spokane's most celebrated sons, is an alumnus of the city's Gonzaga University. Devoted to his alma mater, Crosby even organized an Emmy-winning television production to raise funds for the construction of the university's Crosby Student Center. Today, it houses the world's largest publication collection of Crosby memorabilia in its first-floor Crosbyana Room.
The public collection includes more than 200 items, including the Oscar awarded for Crosby's 1944 "Going my Way." Also on display are manuscripts, gold and platinum records, photographs, recordings, sheet music, books and Crosby-themed memorabilia such as ice cream cartons and coloring books.
The Crosby Student Center and Crosbyana Room are open during the school year Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to midnight and Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to midnight. Summer hours vary. Admission is free.
Spokane's Arbor Crest is one of the largest and most respected family-owned wineries in Washington. Its vintages are rivaled only by the winery's breathtaking setting and spectacular views thanks to its location on volcanic rock 450 feet above the
Spokane's Arbor Crest is one of the largest and most respected family-owned wineries in Washington. Its vintages are rivaled only by the winery's breathtaking setting and spectacular views thanks to its location on volcanic rock 450 feet above the Spokane River.
The winery boasts a small stage for outdoor concerts, meticulously-landscaped lawns, a sunken rose garden, open air pagoda, terraced flower and herb gardens and even a life-sized checkerboard. The three-story, Florentine-style Arbor Crest Cliff House, a National Historic Landmark built in 1924, houses the tasting room and gift shop and acts as the centerpiece of the winery grounds.
The tasting room is open daily from noon to 5 PM. Admission to the winery grounds is free.
Carr's One of a Kind in the World Museum is a wildly eccentric private museum that showcases a collection of historic, artistic and bizarre treasures. The museum's collection centerpiece consists of four cars owned by Elvis Presley, John F. Kennedy
Carr's One of a Kind in the World Museum is a wildly eccentric private museum that showcases a collection of historic, artistic and bizarre treasures. The museum's collection centerpiece consists of four cars owned by Elvis Presley, John F. Kennedy and Jackie Gleason. Other items range from Chinese vases to antique furniture to the skin of a boa constrictor. What's more, the museum's owner and curator usually serves as the museum tour guide.
Carr's One of a Kind in the World Museum is open Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 PM. Admission is $8 per person. Admission for children under 9 is free.
A can't-miss Spokane institution, the Cat Tales Zoological Park is home to 42 exotic and endangered cats, including lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, pumas and even a "liger". Bears, reptiles, birds and domestic farm animals also populate the
A can't-miss Spokane institution, the Cat Tales Zoological Park is home to 42 exotic and endangered cats, including lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, pumas and even a "liger". Bears, reptiles, birds and domestic farm animals also populate the grounds.
Originally founded as a large cat rescue program, the park is also home to the world-renowned Zoological Training Center, the only of its kind in North America, where students learn the zookeeping profession. Guests to the park can walk within eight feet of the animals and even hand-feed a lion or tiger from behind a barrier fence with help from a zookeeper.
Cat Tales Zoological Park is open Tuesday through Sunday, May to September, from 10 AM to 6 PM and Tuesday through Sunday, October to April, from 10 AM to 4 PM. Admission is $5 for children ages 12 and under and $8 for adults.
A Spokane institution since its 1914 opening, the sophisticated 611-room Davenport Hotel underwent a $38-million restoration to bring it back to its original early 20th-century splendor. Today's Davenport Hotel is completely restored features grand
A Spokane institution since its 1914 opening, the sophisticated 611-room Davenport Hotel underwent a $38-million restoration to bring it back to its original early 20th-century splendor. Today's Davenport Hotel is completely restored features grand lobby, ballrooms and public spaces and spacious guest room floors.
The Davenport Hotel offers a 30-minute self-guided, free walking tour that guides guests in the footsteps of former hotel guests such as Amelia Earhart, Bob Hope, Will Rogers and nearly every U.S. president of the 20th century. The tour starts in the hotel's Spanish Renaissance-style lobby. Here, guests explore the lavish space decorated in burgundy, teal and gold tones and notable for its Grand Lobby Fireplace, which burns year-round as a sign of hospitality.
The tour then travels through such rooms as the gold leaf-accented Isabella Ballroom and the English Tudor-style Elizabethan Room, which was the first hotel ballroom in the world to employ folding panel doors. A favorite stop on the tour is the French Neoclassical Marie Antoinette Ballroom, featuring original crystal chandeliers and an actual floating dance floor on cables, designed to keep dancers light on their feet.
The Davenport Hotel features fantastic private event spaces, including several ballrooms accommodating 300 to 620 people. It also has nine meeting rooms accommodating eight to 80 people.
The 90-acre Manito Park is an ideal spot to take a stroll or have a picnic among its beautifully landscaped gardens. Situated in Spokane's South Hill neighborhood, Manito Park is home to a variety of horticultural displays including the perennial
The 90-acre Manito Park is an ideal spot to take a stroll or have a picnic among its beautifully landscaped gardens. Situated in Spokane's South Hill neighborhood, Manito Park is home to a variety of horticultural displays including the perennial gardens, the three-acre classical European Renaissance-style Duncan Garden, the serene Nishinomiya Tsutakawa Japanese Garden, the fragrant Lilac Garden and Rose Hill, featuring 1,500 rose bushes and 150 rose varieties and the phenomenal dahlia garden.
The park is also home to the Gaiser Conservatory, which boasts a large tropical plant display showcasing everything from cactus to tropical hibiscus. A duck pond and two playgrounds are also at the park.
Manito Park is open daily during the summer from 4 AM to 11 PM and daily during the winter from 5 AM to 10 PM. Admission to the park is free.
Mobius, Spokane's celebrated children's museum, features an array of interactive exhibits designed to spark interest in arts, culture and science. More than 65,000 people visit the museum every year to take part in such exhibits as the Enchanted
Mobius, Spokane's celebrated children's museum, features an array of interactive exhibits designed to spark interest in arts, culture and science. More than 65,000 people visit the museum every year to take part in such exhibits as the Enchanted Forest, which features a tree slide, foam pond and animal puppets and books. At Geotopia, kids find interactive water and erosion tables, while Globe Theatre is designed for impromptu play and dress-up activities.
Mobius offers private rentals in the evening hours for 50 to 150 guests. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM. Admission is $5.75 per person and free for children under 12 months.
The elegant Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture is recognized as one of the foremost cultural and visual arts museums in the Pacific Northwest. The museum's expansive, diverse collection of 68,000 pieces of art and historical objects also includes
The elegant Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture is recognized as one of the foremost cultural and visual arts museums in the Pacific Northwest. The museum's expansive, diverse collection of 68,000 pieces of art and historical objects also includes the largest collection of Northern Plateau American Indian art and living history in the world. The collection highlights various textiles from the mid-19th century through the present, regional contemporary art and more than 10,000 photographs depicting Plateau Indian culture.
The modern, glass-lined museum, which affords sweeping views of northern Spokane, is available for event rentals. Groups may rent several gallery spaces or venues such as the Museum Plaza and Front Lawn, which accommodates up to 600 people; the Outdoor Amphitheater, with space for 300 people in its permanent concrete seating or 120 people seated at tables; and the elegant Gilkey Community Room, with space for up to 50 people.
Located just one mile west of downtown Spokane, the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11AM to 5PM, with extended hours the first Friday of each month until 8PM. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for students. Admission for children under 6 is free. Admission is by donation the first Friday of each month from 5 to 8PM. Group rates are available.
The 100-acre Riverfront Park is Spokane's most popular family destination offering a six-story IMAX theater, winter outdoor ice skating rink, gondola rides over the Spokane River, historic carousel, miniature golf course, carnival rides and much
The 100-acre Riverfront Park is Spokane's most popular family destination offering a six-story IMAX theater, winter outdoor ice skating rink, gondola rides over the Spokane River, historic carousel, miniature golf course, carnival rides and much more. Located in the heart of downtown Spokane, Riverfront Park is situated on the former fairgrounds of the first environmentally-themed World's Fair, Expo'74. Today, the park's most defining feature is its Pavilion, noted by a 145-foot-tall metal frame and wire shell that formed the pavilion tent during Expo'74.
Residents and visitors alike flock to the Riverfront Park year-round to enjoy its various attractions. The Spokane Falls Skyride is a 15-minute journey in an enclosed six-person cabin that drops 200 feet down over the Huntington Park Natural Area, across the Spokane River and under the historic Monroe Street Bridge. Riverfront Park is also home to the historic Looff Carrousel. Built in 1909, the carousel features 58 hard-carved wooden carousel animals and seats.
The park's Ice Palace skating rink is considered one of the best outdoor rinks in the nation, while back indoors, the IMAX theater shows both IMAX exclusive movies and feature films. To catch a glimpse of all the park has to offer, guests can hop aboard the Tour Train, which takes a 40-minute-long loop around the park grounds.
Riverfront Park offers private event rentals of both the Ice Palace and Carrousel. It also has two picnic pavilions, restaurant seating for up to 100 people and a floating stage on the Spokane River for up to 25 people.
Operating hours for attractions at Riverfront Park vary. Park admission is free, but most attractions charge a fee.
A Spokane dining staple, Clinkerdagger is located on the banks of the Spokane River in a historic, turn-of-the-century flour mill. Established in 1971, the restaurant specializes in prime rib, northwest seafood and Old English-style comfort food,
A Spokane dining staple, Clinkerdagger is located on the banks of the Spokane River in a historic, turn-of-the-century flour mill. Established in 1971, the restaurant specializes in prime rib, northwest seafood and Old English-style comfort food, served in an Edwardian pub atmosphere of dark wood paneling, fireplaces and stately brass chandeliers. Entree selections include pepper bacon-wrapped chophouse Kobe meatloaf with red wine mushroom sauce; seafood linguine with black tiger prawns, jumbo sea scallops and garlic cream; and pan-seared chicken breast stuffed with brie, goat cheese, almonds and caramelized sweet onions.
Private dining is available for up to 40 guests. Clinkerdagger serves lunch Monday through Saturday from 11:15 AM to 2:30 PM and dinner Monday through Thursday from 4:30 to 9 PM, Friday from 4:30 to 9:30 PM, Saturday from 4 to 9:30 PM and Sunday from noon to 8 PM. Entrees range from $18 to $49.
The charming Luna restaurant, nestled in Spokane's quaint South Hill neighborhood, crafts an award-winning local Northwest menu using seasonal, sustainable ingredients. Created in-house daily, menu items include Alaskan cod with sweet potato tempura
The charming Luna restaurant, nestled in Spokane's quaint South Hill neighborhood, crafts an award-winning local Northwest menu using seasonal, sustainable ingredients. Created in-house daily, menu items include Alaskan cod with sweet potato tempura and sweet orange mirin sauce; lamb T-bones with apricot couscous cake; and coconut curry prawns with jasmine rice, cabbage slow and red curry sauce.
Luna's interior is equally as decadent as its cuisine. Converted from a historic post office, the restaurant features a warm, cozy interior with French-inspired colors, soft candlelight, marble-top dining areas, a full service lounge and a flower garden courtyard for al fresco dining.
Private dining is available in Luna's Garden Room. Luna serves lunch Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 3 PM and dinner nightly from 5 PM until close. It also offers a mid-afternoon menu Monday through Friday from 3 to 5 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 5 PM, as well as brunch Saturday and Sunday from 9 AM to 2 PM. Entrees average $25.
The downtown Mizuna Restaurant and Wine Bar offers a dynamic seasonal menu featuring Pacific Northwest organic ingredients and many vegan and vegetarian options. Housed in an old brick bistro, Mizuna immediately enchants diners with wood floors, warm
The downtown Mizuna Restaurant and Wine Bar offers a dynamic seasonal menu featuring Pacific Northwest organic ingredients and many vegan and vegetarian options. Housed in an old brick bistro, Mizuna immediately enchants diners with wood floors, warm lighting and marble tables.
Selections include grilled Berkshire pork tenderloin medallions with skillet potatoes and pan-seared scallops with smoked tomato bread crumb relish over fresh pasta. Vegetarian selections include the grilled tofu with basil-lime vinaigrette and goat cheese risotto cake and the grilled polenta with fresh mozzarella and seasonal vegetables.
Private dining is available in Mizuna's cozy wine bar. Mizuna Restaurant and Wine Bar serves lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM and dinner nightly from 5 to 10 PM. Entrees range from $18 to $32.
Located in the heart of Spokane's Davenport District, the extremely popular Moxie specializes in Euro-Asian cuisine utilizing fresh Pacific Northwest ingredients. Entree selections include yellow fin tuna with coconut jasmine rice; pepper-crusted
Located in the heart of Spokane's Davenport District, the extremely popular Moxie specializes in Euro-Asian cuisine utilizing fresh Pacific Northwest ingredients. Entree selections include yellow fin tuna with coconut jasmine rice; pepper-crusted duck breast with sweet Thai chili vinaigrette; and sauteed prawns with red curry sauce, pineapple and rice noodles.
Moxie's delicious fare is rivaled only by its hip interior. With a corrugated metal and red neon-lit ceiling, warm wood floors, white linen topped tables and a spectacular dark blue wall adorned with a Japanese-inspired wave mural, Moxie sets the scene for a chic meal.
Moxie serves lunch Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 2 PM and dinner Monday through Thursday from 5 to 9 PM and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 PM. Entrees range from $12 to $40.
