Top 10 Tourist Attractions in Spokane, Washington

Travel beside the glorious Spokane Falls, where tourists and locales converge on the bustling streets of downtown Spokane. Riverfront Park is a brilliantly maintained park, hosting a great mixture of nature and man-made art in one location. You’ll pass by plenty of opportunities to view the natural surroundings, as well as take part in various forms of entertainment—from the amazing IMAX theatre, to the Performing Arts Center. Don’t forget to bring your skates, there’s a skating rink that you can enjoy from fall to spring.

Another great park that is popular in Spokane is Manito Park. This one actually dwarfs Riverfront, as it is over 90 acres in size. Although lacking in entertainment venues, there are a number of great gardens to visit here—a Japanese garden, a lilac garden, a rose garden, and perennial gardens, just to name a few. Be sure to visit when everything is in full bloom, from spring to summer. They’re constantly adding to the collections.

If you’re looking for a more active nature experience, head on over to Centennial Trail. Open for bikers and hikers, this trail runs over 37 miles long and takes you from Washington, into Idaho, and back to Washington again. You’ll pass through downtown Spokane via the Riverfront Park, which makes this a convenient trail for tourists who want to hit multiple locations on their checklist, while still enjoying the views of Spokane River and all the trappings that go with along the way.

Built in 1931, this art deco-style theater has impressed audiences with its amazing interior design, art pieces, and acoustics for decades. It holds 2,300 people in a comfortable air conditioned seating, where guests are greeted with a magnificent depiction of a sky roof with nature encroaching with vegetation. It has to be seen to fully appreciate the grandeur of it all. Its charm and uniqueness has earned it a much needed renovation ten years ago, and will be enjoyed for many more decades to come.

As mentioned previously, the best way to enjoy a combination of the sights and sounds of downtown Spoke is beside the river along the Riverfront Park, but if you’d just like to stick to the indoors attractions, then there is plenty to see and do downtown, of course. There are numerous award-winning hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues. You really can’t go wrong with whichever one you choose. Just plan ahead, as downtown prices are going to be expensive.

If you’re a museum buff, then you can’t miss this member of the Smithsonian family. Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture houses the country’s biggest collection of Northern Plateau Indian pieces. Not only that, the museum building itself is surrounded by history, with Spoke’s oldest houses of Browne’s Addition neighborhood.

Come to pray or come just to admire the architectural marvel known as St. John’s Cathedral. Famous around the world among Catholics, this church was erected in 1929, after three churches where combined to form its final structure in 1954. Don’t miss the infamous organ that boasts over 4,000 pipes in glorious harmony.

Not to be confused with Riverfront, this park is actually the largest one on our list, and in the entire state, for that matter. You’ll find plenty of park activities going on here on any day of the week, as well as fishing, kayaking, and nature trails to take part in with a tour guide, if you wish. Come here to relax and enjoy Spokane in its rawest form.

Spokane may not have Disney World, but what it does have are some of the best whitewater rafting in the country. If you want to see the parks and downtown from a different perspective, ROW is a great place to sign up for a ride down the river, the gorge, and of course the Spokane Falls. Don’t worry, you’ll be in good hands, the ride is a lot smoother than it looks!

This exclusive tourist favorite is one huge feast for the sense. You’ll be surrounded by amazing greenery and flowers, your nose will pick up some great floral scents given off by the plants. Along the way through the gardens, you can relax by the Garden Springs Creek, which is a perfect place for meditation and romantic time with a loved one.