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.