Interesting Things To Do in Spokane Washington When You Visit
Exploring things to do in Spokane, Washington was surprisingly fun! The city is big enough to keep you busy but doesn’t overwhelm you with choice.
Spokane, Washington was easy to get around, historic, and even scenic! You’ll want to read more below to learn about what Spokane has to offer.
How to Get There and Where to Stay
Spokane is located in western Washington, very close to the border of Idaho. Most visitors will either be driving or flying into this destination.
Flying – Spokane International Airport is just a few minutes outside of the downtown area. This small airport was easy to navigate, but since it’s small it may be harder to find cheap flights.
Rental Car: I recommend renting a car to get the most out of your trip. You can search for rentals here.
Pro Tip: Sign up for Scott’s Cheap Flights (now Going) to get free flight deals sent right to your inbox! I have even booked international flights for as cheap at $400/ticket from an email I received. Click here!
Where to Stay in Spokane
Spokane has a good selection of hotels right in the downtown area. We really enjoyed our stay at Hotel Indigo, but I will also list a few others that we considered.
Hotel Indigo: Modern renovation in a historic building is right up my alley. They offer spacious rooms with great decor, comfy beds, and nice bathrooms. Downstairs there is a small “store” where you can grab a snack, soda, seltzer, can of beer, or bottle of wine to bring up to your room (love that!) Attached is Magnolia Brasserie mentioned above.
The Davenport Grand, Autograph Collection: This large hotel offers features like 2 restaurants, a gym, indoor pool, and a whiskey bar on-site. Located downtown with modern rooms, this is a great option.
Hotel Montvale: Feel like stepping back in history? This renovated 1899 building turned historic hotel still holds a ton of charm. According to Booking.com, Montvale is highly rated for its location and comfy beds. On-site amenities include a pub, restaurant, and deli.
Things To Do in Spokane Washington
Manito Park in Spokane
South of downtown Spokane a few miles, you’ll find Manito Park. This lovely park is surrounded by quaint historic homes and tree lined streets, a great first impression. Within the park there are several sections to visit.
Japanese Tea Garden – A small pond surrounded by trees, fountains, flowers, benches and an arched bridge. A quiet and serene spot to visit.
Rose Hill – There were no roses in late May, however from the pictures online, it is beautiful when in bloom which seems to be summer time.
Gaiser Conservatory & Duncan Garden – The conservatory is a greenhouse filled with plants and flowers, while Duncan Garden is a manicured flower garden adjacent to Gaiser.
Pro Tip: The best bathrooms in the park can be found at the back of the Gaiser Conservatory building. The ones located next to the tea garden have stalls with no doors. You’ll find free parking in several areas of the park as well.
Address: 1702 S Grand Blvd, Spokane, WA 99203
Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture and Campbell House
Such a neat spot to visit in Spokane! Part modern museum, part historic mansion, this location has a little bit of something for everyone.
Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
The museum has rotating exhibits and while we visited Dreamworks was featured. If you have kids, or just really love Dreamworks movies, it was a pretty fascinating look behind the creation of many popular films. We saw mini models for How to Train Your Dragon, original sketches for movies like KungFu Panda, Shrek, and Megamind, and scrapbooks from the Trolls movie.
Outside of the museum local Native American’s were recreating the process of making a carved boat out of a tree trunk. They had been working on the boat for 3 months, and it was still incomplete.
Pro Tip: Check the museum’s website to see what exhibit will be featured during your visit. There is a gift shop and small cafe on-site.
Address: 2316 W 1st Ave, Spokane, WA 99201
Campbell House
Originally owned by a wealthy business owner who moved to the area in the late 1800s from Ohio, this historic home has been restored to reflect how it would have been in the early 1910s.
You can explore a number of floors including a basement, main level, upstairs bedrooms and servants quarters. There are docent’s throughout the building to answer questions and offer tidbits about how the family lived. This house was a top highlight of our trip!
Pro tip: Plan to visit the Campbell House after the museum as it typically opens later. Admission is included with your museum ticket.
Riverfront Park & Spokane Falls
Do yourself a favor and add this park to your things to do in Spokane, Washington list! There is a wide variety of things you can check out, and the pictures do not do this area justice. With paved walkways and fun things to see, this is a great spot.
We spent about 3 hours exploring this area by foot and also via Lime Scooters. It’s a pretty large park to traverse. Highlights include:
Giant Red Flyer Wagon – The handle of this larger than life wagon is a slide, the main part of the wagon has monkey bars underneath, and there are stairs to climb up at the back. It’s a great photo opportunity or place to play for kids (and kid-like adults).
Spokane Falls – The Falls are really beautiful to see in person with lots of platforms and stairs for a view from above, or next to the water. If you want a bird’s eye view, hop on the Numerica SkyRide.
Loof Carousel – We arrived too early in the morning to enjoy this indoor carousel, but it looked like a great stop for the carousel lovers out there.
Playgrounds. – On the North side of the river there are multiple playgrounds, as well as a skate park, in one area. We grabbed a smoothie from a nearby food truck and enjoyed watching our son play.
Overall, this is a beautiful park to stroll around in and even sit on a park bench to enjoy the world passing by.
Pro Tip: Arrive earlier in the morning to beat some of the crowds. Bring a bike if you have one accessible, as it would make it easier to move from site to site.
Address: 507 N Howard St, Spokane, WA 99201
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Places to Eat & Drink in Spokane
Our time in Spokane was short, but we did eat and drink at a couple of places we would recommend.
Magnolia American Brasserie – We ate here for breakfast as it is attached to Hotel Indigo. I had to give it a mention because the breakfast was outstanding. I’m sure their lunch and dinner would be delicious as well.
Mary Lou’s Milk Bottle – This milk bottle shaped diner is north of downtown Spokane and offers really amazing burgers and fries. Another must have is the Huckleberry milkshakes. This meal was worth every single calorie. It gets busy, but service moves quickly. I recommend arriving a little before or after the lunch rush.
Iron Goat Brewery – A great spot for craft beer in downtown Spokane. They have a large beer selection and will help you narrow down choices if you want a flight. We were not as impressed with the food.
Wanderlust Delicato – This place is so great. At first glance it just looks like a wine and cheese shop, but you can get wine by the glass and flights, and snacks including meat and cheese. They also offer group cooking classes. The owner was amazing at helping with wine selections (with lots of unique bottles you do not find at the grocery store), and they even have a little kids table with toys. Felt very European to me.
Note: Places on the list that we did not get to check out – The Flying Goat as I heard their pizza is delicious, and Nudo for their Ramen and Noodle dishes.
Are you planning things to do in Spokane, Washington? Live in Spokane and have even more tips? Comment below!
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