Free & Cheap Things to Do in Spokane

Parks & Nature

A magnificent 100-acre urban park stretching along the Spokane River through the heart of downtown, built on the site of the 1974 World's Fair. The park features dramatic river gorge views, walking and cycling paths, the historic Looff Carrousel, and free outdoor public art throughout. Completely free to walk and explore — individual rides and attractions are optional add-ons.

Address: 507 N Howard St, Spokane, WA 99201

Tip: The park is free to walk through and explore at any time. The Numerica SkyRide gondola over the falls and the Looff Carrousel are the main paid attractions — worth it for kids. The waterfall views from the bridges are spectacular and completely free.

Parks & Nature

A stunning 90-acre public park and botanical garden on Spokane's South Hill with five distinct garden areas — the formal European-style Duncan Garden, a Japanese garden, a rose garden with over 1,500 bushes, a perennial garden, and the free Gaiser Conservatory with tropical plants year-round. One of the most beautifully maintained free public gardens in the Pacific Northwest.

Address: 1702 S Grand Blvd, Spokane, WA 99203

Tip: Peak season is May through September when all gardens are in full bloom. The Gaiser Conservatory is open daily (except Wednesdays) 9am–3:30pm and is free. Free parking in the adjacent lot. Only a 10-minute drive from downtown.

Arts & Culture

Spokane's premier cultural museum, known as the MAC, with a permanent collection of Indigenous art and artifacts, regional history galleries, and rotating special exhibitions covering art, culture, and natural history of the Inland Northwest. Housed in a striking modern building next door to a beautifully restored 1898 historic home that is part of the museum experience.

Address: 2316 W First Ave, Spokane, WA 99201

Tip: Bank of America cardholders get free admission on the first full weekend of every month. Half-price admission after 5pm on the last Wednesday of the month for MAC After Hours. The Campbell House historic home tour is included with admission and not to be missed.

History & Museums

The childhood home of crooner Bing Crosby (1911) on the Gonzaga University campus, now a free museum stuffed with more than 200 personal artifacts — gold records, trophies, the 1944 Oscar for "Going My Way," his pipe collection, scripts, and family photos.

Address: 508 E. Sharp Ave, Spokane, WA 99202 (Gonzaga University)

Tip: Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 1pm–4pm only. Free visitor parking behind the house. Pair with a walk through Gonzaga's campus and along the Spokane River Centennial Trail just two blocks south.

Historic Sites

Spokane's working Episcopal cathedral is a soaring English Gothic stone landmark on the South Hill — hand-carved limestone, towering nave, more than 270 carved figures, and 49 stained-glass windows. Free self-guided tours let you wander the interior at your own pace.

Address: 127 E 12th Ave, Spokane, WA 99202

Tip: Self-guided tours Monday–Friday 10am–4pm. Guided tours Fridays 12–3pm. Use the Welcome Center entrance on 12th Avenue. The cathedral hill has good Spokane skyline views looking north.

Museums & Galleries

Spokane's hands-on science and play center for kids, set inside the historic Washington Water Power building in the Post Street Annex. Combines the city's former children's museum and science center into one space — bubbles, gears, light experiments, water tables, and a planetarium dome.

Address: 331 N Post St, Spokane, WA 99201

Tip: Open Wednesday–Sunday (closed Mon–Tue). Wednesday Sensory Friendly Hour runs 9–10am for quieter exploration. EBT cardholders get reduced admission via Museums for All. Skip the under-1 free pass for older kids — they'll get more out of the hands-on exhibits.

Historic Districts

Spokane's oldest neighborhood, a few blocks west of downtown, is a leafy district of late-1800s mansions built by the city's mining and timber barons — including the 1898 Campbell House, now part of the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture. Walk the tree-lined blocks for free and end up at Coeur d'Alene Park's bandshell.

Address: Pacific & 1st Aves between Cannon St & A St, Spokane, WA

Tip: Officially designated a local historic district in 2019. The Campbell House is included in NW Museum of Arts & Culture admission ($15). Coeur d'Alene Park, in the middle of the district, hosts free Wednesday summer concerts.

Shopping & Strolling

A four-block 1940s-1950s commercial strip in north Spokane that's kept its retro neon-sign-and-soda-fountain bones — vintage Garland Theater marquee, mid-century shops, indie cafes, the Milk Bottle restaurant in an actual giant milk bottle, and an annual classic-car cruise. Walking the strip is free and quirky.

Address: Garland Ave between Monroe St & Wall St, Spokane, WA 99205

Tip: Catch a $7 second-run movie at the historic Garland Theater (1945) as a cheap night out. The Milk Bottle restaurant is photogenic — go for ice cream rather than dinner if you're budgeting.

Parks & Nature

A 65-acre free botanical collection along Garden Springs Creek in southwest Spokane, with more than 2,000 labeled trees and shrubs from around the world. The wooded grounds make a quieter half-day alternative to the busier Manito Park.

Address: 3404 W Woodland Blvd, Spokane, WA 99224

Tip: Open daily 6am–10pm year-round. Restrooms only open May 1 through October 31. Easy walking on flat paved paths through labeled tree collections — pick up a free map at the kiosk. Free parking on site.

Architecture & Walks

Spokane's twin 225-foot steam-plant smokestacks have anchored the downtown skyline since 1916. The 1990s adaptive-reuse turned the Cutter & Malmgren-designed plant into Steam Plant Square — but kept the boilers, catwalks, and original industrial pipe networks intact. You can walk in for free and wander the interior catwalks any day.

Address: 159 S Lincoln St, Spokane, WA 99201

Tip: On the National Register of Historic Places since 1996. The stacks are illuminated at night — best photo angles are from Riverfront Park looking south. The on-site brewpub is a paid splurge; the historic structure itself is the free attraction.

Trails & Biking

This paved 37-mile trail follows the Spokane River from the Idaho border through downtown out to Nine Mile Falls, passing Riverfront Park, the Gonzaga campus, and the river gorge. Flat and mostly car-free, it's the spine of Spokane's free outdoor recreation for walkers, runners, and cyclists.

Address: 507 N Howard St, Spokane, WA 99201

Tip: The downtown-to-Gonzaga stretch is the most scenic and easiest to reach on foot. Rent a bike downtown to cover more ground. The trail connects seamlessly to Riverfront Park's falls and bridges.

Hiking & Outdoors

Washington's largest state park hugs the Spokane River just northwest of downtown, and its signature Bowl and Pitcher area frames dramatic basalt rock formations and a swinging suspension footbridge over the rapids. Miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails thread the pine-and-river canyon.

Address: 4427 N Aubrey L White Pkwy, Spokane, WA 99205

Tip: Cross the suspension bridge at Bowl and Pitcher for the best rock views, then loop the river trails. It's only 15 minutes from downtown, and the Discover Pass covers every Washington state park that day.