Attractions in Spokane

Solar World
20 E Pineridge Court, Spokane, WA 99001
509-468-1207; Toll-free: 800-650-6530

Bing Crosby Memorabilia Room at Gonzaga University
E. 502 Boone Avenue, Spokane, WA
509-328-4220
Mon-Fri 7:30am-midnight; Sat-Sun 11am-midnight. Closed on holidays. Free admission. Bing Crosby got his start in Spokane, where he spent most of his youth and later found success in Hollywood. All of Crosby's gold records, his Oscar, and other memorabilia (including a Bing-endorsed mousetrap and a Bing Crosby Ice Cream box) are displayed. Crosby's boyhood residence is now home to the Gonzaga Alumni Association at 508 E. Sharp St.

Knipprath Cellars
5634 E. Commerce Ave
Thurs-Sun noon-5pm
509/534-5121
Housed in an old school building in a residential neighborhood on Spokane's east side, this small winery is best known for its port wines, one of which is flavored with chocolate and always gets rave reviews.

Riverfront Park
507 N. Howard, Spokane, WA 99201
509-625-6600
At the town's center is the hundred-acre Riverfront Park , sprawling over two islands in the middle of the Spokane River. Originally planned by Frederick Olmsted of Central Park fame, the park was not laid out as specified until just before Spokane hosted the 1974 World's Fair. Bisecting the park, the river tumbles down a series of rocky shelves known as the Spokane Falls , once a fishing site for native peoples and later the home of the first pioneers. Attractions include an ice-skating rink which shares space with the IMAX theater, the hand-carved Looff Carousel, and the Gondola Skyride cable cars which run above the falls from the west end of the park. Summer: Sun-Thurs 11am-8pm, Fri & Sat 11am-10pm.

Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture
2316 W. First Ave
509/456-3931
Tues-Sun 11-5
From the dramatic architecture and landscaping to the eclectic collections and exhibits, this museum makes a very big impression. There is an extensive Plateau Indians exhibit. Other galleries are used for temporary art exhibits. Next door to the museum is the historic Campbell House. A tour of this old mansion is included in the museum admission price. With its well-balanced blend of history, art, and culture, this is considered to be one of the finest museums in the Northwest.

Carr's One of A Kind in the World Museum
5225 North Freya, Spokane, WA 99205
509-789-8859

Cheney Cowles Museum
2316 W First Avenue, Spokane, WA 99204
509-456-3931

Jundt Art Museum
202 E. Cataldo
Spokane, WA 99258 at Gonzaga University
(509) 328-4220
Auguste Rodin sculpture collection. Local, regional, national, international artists.

Cat Tales Zoological Park
17020 N. Newport Hwy
Fifteen miles north of Spokane, Mead, WA
509/238-4126
Cat Tails, (as seen on Discovery Channel's Animal Planet), is unique. The mission of the park is to rescue unwanted animals, especially exotic animals that were purchased on impulse as pets and then abandoned. They have been successful in this endeavor and have rescued and appropriately relocated over 245 such animals in the past 15 years. The park staff seeks to educate visitors in understanding that wild animals do not make good pets and that they belong in a habitat in which they are free to live as nature intended. The park is arranged so that visitors can get close (but not dangerously so) to tigers and other big cats from around the world and to view their habitats. There is also a petting zoo. The park has a training program for future zookeepers.

Arbor Crest Wine Cellars
Located northeast of downtown Spokane in the historic Cliff House atop a 450-foot-high bluff overlooking the Spokane River, this winery boasts one of the most spectacular settings of any winery in the state. In summer there are concerts there.

IMAX Theatre
at Riverfront Park
509/625-6686
At the IMax, films are shown on screens five stories high.

Manito Park
located south of downtown beginning at the corner of Division Street and 18th Avenue.
509/625-6622
April through October daily from 8am to dusk
Manito is located among rocks and pine forest, and contains some of the most beautiful public gardens in the Northwest. These include the perennial garden; the rose garden; the Nishinomiya Japanese Garden; Duncan Garden, a formal garden patterned after those of 17th-century Europe; and Gaiser Conservatory, which is filled with an explosion of color from exotic tropical plants. The park also includes a picnic area, duck pond, and playground.