14 Things TO DO in Spokane, WA

by Haydn Halsted

Are you visiting Spokane or maybe thinking about moving here one day and thinking what is there to do? Well today, we'll be talking about some of the most popular places to visit in Spokane. Too many people are surprised, Spokane is actually the second largest city in Washington behind Seattle, so there's actually quite a bit to visit. And this list features many free outdoor activities to check out the beauty of what hides behind the skyline that you can see from the freeway.

1. Riverfront Park

First up, we have Riverfront Park. Now, this would not have made the list about five years ago, but Riverfront Park has recently gone through a huge renovation that has brought a completely new life to it. Park used to be very attractive and honestly not the safest place to be at night, but now it's completely lit up with lights everywhere. The Pavilion has gotten a complete face lift and has an amazing light show every weekend where you can just lay on the grass and watch from down below. Or you can really watch from anywhere downtown because it just shines over the entire skyline.

It also features an ice skating ribbon, our famous looff carousel, the Garbage Goat, and of course, the Spokane River runs right through it. You can take a ride on the gondola and then head over to the huge playscape, our famous clock towers right over there.

Address: 507 N. Howard Street, Spokane, Washington

Official site: https://my.spokanecity.org/riverfrontpark/

2. Spokane Falls

The next attraction is just right across the street from Riverfront Park, where you can get up close and personal with the Spokane Falls. You can get up so close in Huntington Park that you can feel the spray of the water in the summertime. And it's honestly such a cool view between the rushing water and looking up at the Monroe Street Bridge. I've stood there many times in awe of it because it's just so massive and so hard to believe that it was built in 1911 purely by hand. This is also a relatively new feature to Spokane, as you couldn't really walk down this close to the water prior on nice paths that have cool arts cultures along the way.

3. Manito Park

We are very fortunate to have one of the largest state parks in all of Washington right in our backyard. It's about 9 miles from downtown Spokane and for another great place to do some light hiking. But you can also fish and kayak here as well. You most likely find your way to the Bowl and Pitcher area where you'll cross the suspension bridge and be able to check out some of the huge rock formations in the river.

I highly recommend this for those that are looking for a little bit more nature. And if you want a harder hike, head over to the Deep Creek Canyon area because there's a lot more up and downs going on over there.

Address: 1702 S. Grand Blvd, Spokane, Washington

Official site: www.manitopark.org

4. Riverside State Park/Bowl & Pitcher

Aand so this park is just a five minute drive from downtown, and it's one of my favorite spots in Spokane, which I would probably say for a lot of these, but that one is very accurate. Manito is a huge 90-acre park that is located on the Lower South Hill, and it's home to the Duncan Gardens, Japanese Gardens, the Lilac Gardens, the Rose Gardens. It's even home to the best sledding hill here in Spokane, and it also has a huge pond in the middle of it. So plan to spend a few hours here just walking around enjoying the gardens. It's especially great in the summertime when all the flowers are in Bloom. I just think this is a truly great attraction in Spokane because I've been to a lot of other cities.

Address: 9711 W. Charles Road, Nine Mile Falls, Washington

Official site: http://parks.state.wa.us/573/Riverside

5. Centennial Trail

You could actually use this one to get between many of the other attractions because Centennial Trail is a 37 miles long trail that runs between Nine Mile Falls all the way to the Idaho border and then runs for another 24 miles beyond that on the North Idaho Centennial Trail. It cuts right through Riverfront Park and was built on old railroad tracks in Timber and Company Road. So it provides for a very flat and smooth ride the whole way. It's a great way to make your way from downtown Spokane to our next attraction.

Address: 9711 W. Charles Road, Nine Mile Falls, Washington

6. Gonzaga University

So the campus at Gonzaga is located just on the northside of Spokane River on 150 acres of land that are just a short walk from downtown along the Centennial Trail right next to the Spokane River, just flowing right along it. The campus was founded in 1887, has become a center for Spokaneites to come together, cheer on the beloved Zags. And so the campus is really beautiful with multiple museums, beautiful cathedrals and brick buildings throughout. And the campus is also surrounded by some very historic homes that have become offices or student housing. One of those homes used to actually be the home of Bing Crosby and has become a Museum to showcase some of his memorabilia.

Address: 502 E Boone Ave, Spokane, Washington

Official site: https://www.gonzaga.edu/

7. Mt. Spokane Summit

Our 7th attraction is to take a drive to the summit of Mount Spokane. We are very fortunate in Spokane to have an amazing ski and snowboard park, but in the summer, it also makes for some great hiking and sightseeing. You can drive all the way up to the summit in the summertime, and you have your choice from over 100 miles of trails. Or you can see at least five lakes like from down below. It's a crazy size, so you can plan a weekend of camping up there, but you can go bike the trails, walk.

But if you don't even want your Lakes to get sore, you can literally just drive to the very top, take a look at the amazing view, and then drive back down. So it's absolutely for everybody.

Address: 26107 N. Mt Spokane Park Drive, Mead, Washington

Official site: http://parks.state.wa.us/549/Mount-Spokane

8. Rocks of Sharon

If you want to continue the leg burn from hiking or biking Mount Spokane, you can head to number eight, which is the Rocks of Sharon and the Dishman Hills Conservation Area. Spokane and local landowners have worked hard to preserve certain areas around Spokane, which has created a network of conservation areas that surround the city. One of those places happens to include the Rocks of Sharon, which is rated as one of the best hiking trails in all of Spokane. There are two main trails that guide you up to the top, where there are some fantastic views of the palace, and you get to sit at the top with some pretty massive humongous rocks.

If you're into rock climbing, this is a great place to do it near the city and get outside to do so. Every time I've gone, there hiking. There's always been people climbing up the rocks because they're seriously like a 100ft tall, so it seems like a great spot.

Address: 9399 S Stevens Creek Rd, Spokane, Washington

9. Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture

Locals here call it the Mac, and it is the largest cultural Institute of its kind in the northwest has five underground galleries and with rotating exhibits, and the Mac focuses on regional history, visual arts, and American-Indian history as well. With more than 1 million artifacts in their collection, they will always have something new to go check out. You'll be in the Heart of Browne's Addition as well, so you can stop by and grab some food at the El Coeur Browne's Bistro and take a walk to Coeur d'Alene Park while checking out some of the Spokane's most historic mansions that line the streets of that neighborhood.

Address: 2316 W. 1st Avenue, Spokane, Washington

Official site: www.northwestmuseum.org

10. Finch Arboretum

This is a 65 acre nature reserve where you can scroll through and look at over 2000 labeled trees and shrubs. Among all the wildlife, Spokane many animals that are native to the area gather here so you can find a marmot, a deer, moose, wild turkeys and even some bull snakes, which are harmless, I promise. But admission is always free. They have many activities and festivals throughout the year, so it's easy to just stop by and go for a walk there as well.

Address: 3404 W. Woodland Blvd, Spokane, Washington

11. Bing Crosby or the Martin Woldson Theater

For those who enjoy music, you can find your way to one of our amazing theaters, the Bing Crosby or the Martin Woldson Theater at Fox. Both of these theaters look very simple from the outside, but once you get in, they are incredibly beautiful. They've been super well maintained renovated over the years, but they have done such a great job of keeping the character from the early 19 hundreds when they were built. You can catch the Spokane Jazz Orchestra at the Bing or the Spokane Symphony at the Fox theater and hear how the theaters helped elevate the music to just a completely other level and to continue your night out, you can. After the show, you can head to the Davenport Hotel, grab a drink or some food and check out some more beautiful architecture from the early 19 hundreds.

Address: 1001 W. Sprague Avenue, Spokane, Washington

Official site: www.foxtheaterspokane.com

12. Davenport Hotel

If you get the chance to stay the night here, definitely do as a coveted place here in Spokane with some of the best service and amenities, but it's definitely okay to just wander the old Davenport building and explore some of the ball rooms as well. This is pretty much as luxurious as it gets here in Spokane, so it's definitely worth the time to stop by.

Address: 10 S. Post Street, Spokane, Washington

Accommodation: The Historic Davenport Hotel

13. St. John's Cathedral

As we've been discussing, Spokane is home to some amazing architecture, and if this is your thing, you should take the opportunity to visit St. John's Cathedral. It's very hard to miss. If you look south from the freeway, you squint your eyes just a little bit and you look for Batman. You'll find it.

But all jokes aside, regardless of religion or beliefs, it is truly an amazing experience to walk through this Church and see the stained glass. It's completely worth hearing the organ with over 400 pipes in it, as well as the Church bells are so huge that they had to build the Church completely around them because there was no way to bring them in through the doors.

Address: 127 East 12th Avenue, Spokane, Washington

14. Avista Stadium

Built from scratch in under four months in 1958, Avista Stadium has grown and experienced renovations over the years. If anything has remained the same, it can be found somewhere in the general excitement and summer feel of watching a baseball game. Special game nights at Avista Stadium include a festive opening night and several fireworks celebrations.

You can catch the Spokane Indians playing between June and September for what feels like almost seven days a week. Those minor League teams seem like they just play nonstop, but games are super cheap to attend. Great place to spend a summer evening and you get to meet all of our awesome mascots, auto and all that good stuf

Address: 602 N. Havana Street, Spokane, Washington

Official site: http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t486