Riverfront Park 507 N Howard St Spokane Wa 99201

The City of Spokane was extended federal recognition of the environmentally-themed Expo ’74 by then-US President Richard Nixon on October 15, 1971. Soon after, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a proposal for federal participation in the event. It recommended that the president would find the national interest of the United States served by its participation. It stated that the theme of the fair was of great national importance and interest, and that participation would help provide a platform to showcase the country’s accomplishments in the environmental field on a world stage. Besides having a platform to increase awareness to the world about the dangers of environmental damage and initiatives taken to counter it, participation in the exposition would also yield economic benefits to the United States, including bringing foreign travelers and giving American manufacturers an opportunity to showcase their anti-pollution equipment that could create new overseas trade opportunities for the United States.The site of the park and the surrounding falls were a Native American gathering place, which had a number of fishing camps near the base of the falls. The first American settlers came in 1871, establishing a claim and building a sawmill near the falls that would later be purchased by James N. Glover, who was aware of the water power potential of the falls and that the Northern Pacific Railroad Company had received a government charter to build a main line through the area. By the late 19th century, much of the area along the Spokane Falls had become industrialized with sawmills and flour mills, utilizing the fast-moving Spokane River and Spokane Falls for its hydropower. Flumes and waterwheels were used to mechanically drive sawmills and flour mills located along the river. To satisfy the growing demand for electricity and modernize the city, the Washington Water Power company constructed a timber dam (replaced in 1974) on the river at the Lower Falls in 1890 and another dam on the Upper Falls in 1922. These operating hydroelectric facilities on the falls from the park’s industrial past are among the sights of interest in Riverfront Park. One of the park’s most popular installations is Goat, a sculpture that was installed in 1974 as part of the art for Expo ’74. Commonly referred to as the “Garbage Goat” or the “Garbage Eating Goat”, the sculpture is located just east of the Looff Carousel along the southern edge of Riverfront Park. Going along with Expo ’74’s environmental theme, the sculpture was created as an interactive art piece that doubles as a unique trash collector. Its creation and installation was sponsored by the Spokane Women’s Council of Realtors and sculpted by Sister Paula Mary Turnbull, a local nun and leading figure in the Inland Northwest arts scene. As its name suggests, the corten steel sculpture was modeled after a goat and features a vacuum mechanism that sucks up small pieces of garbage through its mouth, allowing users to “feed” it. The Pavilion’s tower stands 150 feet (46 m) tall, and the structure contains roughly 4.6 miles (7.4 km) of cabling. As part of its original design, the Pavilion featured a vinyl covering that was installed in 1973. The covering, which cost $1 million and weighed 12 tons, was not meant to last, and was removed in early 1979. The Pavilion has had its iconic skeleton-look with exposed cabling ever since.A number of animal species have been spotted in the park, including marmots, osprey, beaver, and mule deer. Some of the more common animals seen at the park are ducks, Canada geese, squirrels and marmots. Marmots are common in and around the river, the park, the Centennial Trail, and other areas around the city, which is unusual outside the region as they typically live in more remote, mountainous locations.

The ribbon was constructed to replace the seasonal Ice Palace ice skating rink that Riverfront Park set up annually under the U.S. Pavilion. During its planning and design stages, the design and format of the ribbon, which features a 715-foot (218 m) meandering and sloped path as well as an ice pond, drew criticism from certain user groups for its contrast to the flat and open ice rink format of the former Ice Palace. The new format meant that the ribbon would no longer be able to accommodate hockey players and ice skating instructors with large classes for the same purposes as before.

Construction on the phased, five-year long project began in 2016 with a ground breaking ceremony on July 8 at the site of the future Numerica Skate Ribbon and the final major phase of construction associated with the park, the north bank playground was completed and opened to the public in May 2021. Another city project adjacent to the park, The Podium sportsplex, along the park’s northern boundary was also completed in 2021. A reconstruction of the Post Street Bridge that form’s the park’s western boundary is estimated to be completed in Winter 2023.By the late 1880s, demand for electricity in the young city was skyrocketing, including 24-hour electric service in the wealthy Browne’s Addition neighborhood. This led the EEICSF to expand, installing a new generator at their plant that increased its generating capacity by four times, and also sparked the formation of two competing power companies — the Spokane Falls Water Power Co. in 1887 and Washington Water Power (now known as Avista Utilities) in 1889. Though the demand was high around this time, attaining financing to further the expansion of hydroelectricity began to prove difficult, especially for EEICSF and its east coast-based investors. Many, including Edison himself, began to favor the output consistency of steam power, which was not dependent on the highly-variable flow of a river, as the future of electricity generation. The Ice Age Floods Playground is themed after the Missoula floods that shaped the landscape of the region and caters primarily to children, providing an interactive way to learn while they play. It features the three story Columbian slide tower, a Glacial Dam splash pad, a log-jam climbing wall, and a play fossil dig with buried “fossils” among other playscapes. The climbing wall, which is supposed to represent the ice dam, that caused the ice age floods bears a quote from geologist J Harlen Bretz, who is credited with the then-controversial theory of the ice age floods that created the regions unique geography amid decades of skepticism from the scientific community, the quote reads: “I could conceive of no geological process of erosion to make this topography, except huge, violent rivers of glacial melt water…” In the center of the play area is the Roskelley Performance Climbing Boulder, a climbing rock dedicated to mountaineer and Spokane native, Jess Roskelley, who died in an avalanche in 2019 while descending Howse Peak in Alberta; in addition to bearing his name, the rock has his life motto inscribed on it: “fortitudine vincimus” or “by endurance, we conquer” in Latin. With approvals and funding falling in place, one last challenge was transforming the site and removing the railroads. Through intense negotiations, the Expo ’74 planners, including King Cole were able to convince the railroads to agree to a land swap and donate the land needed for the Expo site. The railroads we
re consolidated onto the Northern Pacific Railway lines further to the south in downtown Spokane, freeing up the site for construction to transform it to host the environmentally-themed Expo ’74. Demolition began in 1972, and the fair was held from May to November 1974, welcoming nearly 5.6 million attendees.The current iteration of the ride was constructed in 2005 by the Doppelmayr Garaventa Group. The original version of the SkyRide was built in the 1960s by the Riblet Tramway Company and purchased by the City of Spokane secondhand for Expo ’74. The ride had two routes at Expo, one over the exposition’s fairgrounds, and the other descending down the Spokane River Gorge to view the Spokane Falls. The fairgrounds route was removed after the conclusion of Expo, but the Falls route was retained. The original ride had open-air gondolas, which served until the ride’s reconstruction in 2005, which rebuilt the attraction and upgraded it with fully enclosed gondolas as part of a $2.5 million project. Refurbishment to the original ride was considered, but ultimately the decision was made to replace the entire system and its parts.

The City of Spokane announced plans for a dog park to be located on Havermale Island and incorporating the existing Expo ’74 forestry shelter in February 2022. Originally called the American Forest Pavilion, it was the Expo exhibit for the American Forest Institute and features wood beams and a high pitched roof which is meant to “reflect the spirit of being in a forest;” shortly after the fair it was moved slightly and outfitted with restrooms. The siting of the park was in part determined to make use of the underutilized shelter as a shade structure in the summer months. The initial construction cost for the park is estimated to be $750,000, which will be wholly funded from donations collected by the Spokane Parks Foundation; the Spokane Humane Society contributed $250,000 to the project. Community interest in a new dog park had been building after a local developer had proposed one to the Spokane Parks and Recreation Board the prior July.The Skate and Wheels Park is an 8,000-square-foot (740 m) skatepark that was designed with input from the public and replaces the makeshift Under The Freeway (UTF) Skatepark built under an Interstate 90 underpass downtown. The Skate and Wheels Park incorporates a flatbar from the UTF Skatepark as the centerpiece among other street features and a wallride and two bowls.

Efforts to host the expo just three-and-a-half years later began immediately and was a tall order considering that Spokane would become the smallest city at the time to ever host a World’s fair, and that the proposed site had 16 owners, including the railroads. Funding came from local, state, and federal sources, including a new business and occupation tax that the Spokane City Council passed in September 1971 after a ballot bond measure to provide local funding failed the month prior. The event was officially recognized by then-President Richard Nixon in October 1971, and the following month, the Bureau of International Expositions gave their sign-off on the event as well.In February 2019, Numerica Credit Union acquired the naming rights for the Skate Ribbon along with the adjacent SkyRide. The $90,000 a year deal runs through early 2029, with an option to extend another 10 years. The revenue will be used to support programming and maintenance at the park.

Riverfront Park features a number of open grassy meadows on the south side of Havermale Island facing the calmer south channel of the Spokane River, including the Lilac Bowl, which is a natural amphitheater, and the Clock Tower Meadow, adjacent to the Great Northern clock tower.Riverfront Park is also known for its built attractions. Two of Riverfront Park’s structures, the U.S. Pavilion and Great Northern clock tower, are a couple of Spokane’s most recognizable landmarks and have been featured prominently in the logo of Riverfront Park for a number of years. While prior versions of the park’s logos depicted the two landmarks more literally, the park’s latest logo, released in 2017, features abstractions of the landmarks’ forms. The logo evokes the triangular-shaped form of the pavilion along with its arc-shaped bottom structural component and leaning posture. The thin, rectangular shape and triangular top of the clock tower, along with its round clock faces are also abstracted into the design. Other geometric aspects of the logo are inspired by the cable-work of the Pavilion’s structure, Spokane’s street grid, and the crossing of many paths.The Numerica Skate Ribbon, originally known as the Riverfront Skate Ribbon, opened in 2017 as part of Riverfront Park’s redevelopment. The venue is located at the southwest corner of the park, across from River Park Square and Spokane City Hall. The ribbon primarily serves as a year-round skating venue, with hard surface skating accommodated in the warmer months and ice skating offered in the winter months. The facility also has a café and hosts other events throughout the year on its concrete surface, such as art walks, beer gardens, weddings, and other events.To prepare for the design and construction of the Pavilion, the Department of Commerce issued a request for proposal in December 1971 from firms across the country for preliminary design concepts. Twenty firms initially responded to the proposal, of which half were chosen to advance in the competition. Three finalists were eventually named, with Los Angeles-based Herb Rosenthal & Associates being awarded the contract to develop the plan, including schematic concepts and cost estimates. The firm partnered with the Portland, Oregon office of Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill as well as Spokane-based Trogdon-Smith, a firm that would later merge with other firms and eventually become NAC Architecture. In an ironic juxtaposition for the environmentally-themed fair, the art piece was heavily debated before it was even installed, with dairy goat farmers protesting that the creation of the whimsical piece perpetuated the stereotype that goats are reputed to eat anything; they stressed that the public be educated that goats needed to be fed properly like any other animal. A compromise was eventually reached between the farmers and the Expo ’74 organizers, which saw the installation of the garbage eating goat sculpture in exchange for real-life dairy goats at the fair getting signage installed that touted their milk production capabilities if fed a proper diet of the “finest of hays and grains”. Local artist, Harold Balazs has a number of pieces installed throughout the park, most notably the Centennial Sculpture, which is an abstract aluminum sculpture floating in the Spokane River, as well as the Rotary Fountain at the southern entrance to the Howard Street Promenade. During the major redevelopment of the park for its 50th anniversary, two additional standalone works were commissioned, The Seeking Place by Sarah Thompson Moore and Stepwall by Meejin Yoon.

A zip line was originally proposed as an attraction during the 2016–2021 redevelopment of the park. Though not selected as a part of the redevelopment project, it has since gained traction and on May 9, 2022, Spokane City Council voted 5-1 in favor of continuing project planning of the zip line. Running from A Place of Truth Plaza near city hall to Glover Field Park in Peaceful Valley, under the Monroe Street Bridge, the zip line would span 1,400 feet.

The impacts of hydroelectricity generation on the Spokane Falls throughout Spokane’s history remains visible in Riverfront Park today and plays a major role in its attractions. The adjacent Huntington Park, Lower Spokane Falls, and Monroe Street Power Station are the primary sightseeing features of Riverfront Park’s Numerica SkyRide. Additionally, a 2014 project that renovated the Avista Utilities-owned Huntington Park at the Lower Falls, added a new plaza in front of Spokane City Hall that created an unofficial extension of Riverfront Park, effectively bridging the two parks together. Hydroelectric power generation on the Upper Spokane Falls has also shaped Riverfront Park’s features. In addition to the Upper Falls Power Plant being listed as an official Riverfront Park sightseeing attraction, the construction of the Upper Falls Diversion Dam created the calm waters of Riverfront Park’s South Channel, which is home to a number of the park’s attractions including the Looff Carousel, Red Wagon, First Interstate Center for the Arts, and Howard Street pedestrian bridge. The calm water enables many of these attractions, including the steps and floating stage at the First Interstate Center, as well as the lowered viewing platforms on the South Channel Bridge allowing visitors to interact with the river. Avista’s Post Street Electric Substation is home to the Mobius Science Center children’s museum.

From the east, the Spokane River Centennial Trail, a 37-mile (60 km) National Recreation Trail that is a continuation of the North Idaho Centennial Trail in Idaho, meanders through from the adjacent University District and WSU Health Sciences Spokane campus, entering Riverfront Park from underneath the Division Street Bridge as it travels to its western terminus in Sontag Park near the Nine Mile Dam. As it meanders westward through the park, it passes by many of the park’s features including the Spokane Convention Center, First Interstate Center for the Arts, Red Wagon, Looff Carrousel, Rotary Fountain, and the Numerica SkyRide and Skate Ribbon. The trail exits the west end of the park via the Post Street Bridge, continuing on underneath the Monroe Street Bridge toward Kendall Yards, and eventually, Riverside State Park.

As the demand for electricity increased, Fitch was bought out the following year by a group of local businessmen who formed the Spokane Falls Electric Light and Power Company. The group purchased 1,200 incandescent bulbs from Thomas Edison’s company and, as part of the purchase agreement, agreed to only use Edison-patented equipment to power them. A 30-kW plant from Edison was soon purchased and installed on the Spokane River’s North Channel along the Post Street Bridge, which today forms the western boundary of Riverfront Park, and powered among other things, the city’s first opera. The company, looking to expand, would seek an investment from the Edison Illuminating Company in New York, and would rebrand as the Edison Electric Illuminating Co. of Spokane Falls (EEICSF), headquartering in downtown Spokane at the southwest corner of Sprague Avenue and Howard Street.By the late 19th century, much of the area along the Spokane Falls had become industrialized with sawmills, flour mills, and hydroelectricity generators. Several residences also began to occupy Havermale Island in the heart of what is now Riverfront Park, but, they were forced to relocate when the Great Northern Railway began to build tracks into downtown Spokane in 1892. In 1902, with the completion of the Great Northern Railway Depot on Havermale Island, trains began running to the city’s center and began an era in which railroads would dominate the landscape in downtown Spokane. In the 1950s, the core of downtown Spokane began to empty out due to suburbanization, a trend that was prevalent amongst many American cities during this time. This trend sparked urban renewal discussions in Spokane and in 1959, a group called Spokane Unlimited was formed by local business leaders to try and revitalize downtown Spokane. The group would hire New York-based Ebasco Services to create an urban renewal plan, which was released in 1961 and called for the removal of the numerous train tracks and trestles in downtown and reclaiming the attractiveness of the Spokane River in the central business district. After the world’s fair concluded, the site was converted into Riverfront Park by landscape architecture firm Robert Perron and Associates. Perron sought to accentuate the site’s natural features such as the upper and lower falls by utilizing observation points that were previously occupied by industrial buildings and warehouses, train tracks, and parking lots. Flowing footpaths connect the various sites and follow the terraformed landscape, revealing elements and viewpoints around the edges of the park, at the center of which is a natural amphitheater. The more developed southern edge of the park adjacent to the downtown central business district features the more artificial and manicured elements of the park, such as green spaces, fountains, and pools while the northern edge retains a more rugged aesthetic that more closely resembles the appearance of the natural environment. The park was dedicated in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter in a ceremony on May 5 that was attended by roughly 50,000 people. To help ensure a successful construction project and on-time delivery, the construction of the project was managed and administered by the General Services Administration (GSA) rather than the Commerce Department. The Commerce Department was short-staffed and experiencing a heavy workload at the time, and its base in Washington, D.C. was considered too remote to Spokane to run the construction successfully. It subsequently entered an agreement with the GSA, which leveraged its Pacific Northwest connections at the GSA regional office in Auburn, Washington. The GSA’s agreement with the Department of Commerce called for the project to utilize a construction management technique, and by mid-December 1972, the GSA began the process of selecting a construction management firm through an invitation-to-bid process, eventually selecting California-based Rhodes-Schmidt as the low bidder. Due to time constraints, the GSA decided to use a phased-bid project delivery method so that as soon as the architects completed a portion of the design, it could be put out to bid for construction. The first construction contract was awarded on April 25, 1973, for earthwork, foundation components, and underground utilities, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held just six days later on May 1, 1973 in a ceremony attended by a number of distinguished guests including local, federal, and Expo ’74 officials, and foreign dignitaries representing nations such as the Soviet Union. The redesign also added plexiglass “blades” illuminated by LEDs to the cables that make up the Pavilion. The redesign team wanted to highlight the Pavilion at night in a way that would incorporate and enhance the unique look of the net-like canopy. There are 476 blades that measure 3 ft (0.91 m), 4 ft (1.2 m), and 6 ft (1.8 m) in length but are controllable in 6 in (150 mm) segments. The U.S. Pavilion displays animated light shows from Dusk-10pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and specialized light shows or static looks created for holidays and special events. In August 2020, the lighting design for the Pavilion won awards for Outdoor Lighting Design and Control Innovation from the Illuminating Engineering Society.Riverfront Park, branded as Riverfront Spokane, is a public urban park in downtown Spokane, Washington that is owned and operated by the Spokane Parks & Recreation Department. The 100-acre (40 ha) park is situated along the Spokane River and encompasses the Upper Spokane Falls, which is the second largest urban waterfall in the United States.

The naming rights to the ride were acquired in February 2019 by Numerica Credit Union for a ten-year term along with the adjacent Numerica Skate Ribbon.

Over the years, the goat has developed a cult following across generations of Spokanite parents and children. The goat has an unofficial Facebook page with thousands of followers and the Spokane County Regional Solid Waste System has its public educational outreach blog named after it. For its 40th birthday, the City of Spokane put on a celebration of the goat, “feeding” it a slice of birthday cake, and holding a goat-themed party for the public in its honor, which featured beer from a local brewery called Iron Goat Brewing that was sold by the pint at prices found in 1974, the year of the sculpture’s creation.Riverfront Park is located just north of the downtown Spokane core, in Spokane’s Riverside neighborhood, and is generally bounded by Spokane Falls Boulevard to the south, Post Street to the west, and the northern banks of the Spokane River, and Division Street to the east. Portions of its North Bank area extend farther north from the river, bounded by Howard Street to the west, Cataldo Avenue to the north, and Washington Street to the east. A majority of the park’s elevation ranges from 1,880 feet (570 m) to 1,890 feet (580 m) above sea level, placing it more or less level with the surrounding downtown Spokane, but the elevation varies as one moves onto the park’s two islands and closer to the Spokane River.

In collaboration of the Spokane Humane Society, on June 18, 2022, the Spokane Parks Foundation announced the Spokane Humane Society Paw Park which will be developed across from the Lilac Bowl. The timeline of the project is not yet solidified.

It was proposed that the best way for the United States to participate in the exposition would be through an exhibit to be housed within a pavilion constructed by the United States government. Additionally, in order to ensure a good cost-benefit to the U.S. government, it was recommended that the pavilion be designed to be permanent and remain after the fair for residual use by the Department of the Interior as a component of a civic center and urban park (what is now Riverfront Park) that would be left over as a legacy after Expo ’74 concluded. A four-acre plot of land within the Expo ’74 site was to be deeded by the City of Spokane to the U.S. Government for the Pavilion. Prior to the transformation of the larger 100-acre Expo site, a Travelodge motel, built in 1959, sat on the land that the U.S. Pavilion now occupies.

The tower stands at 155 feet (47 m) and 6 inches (150 mm) tall, and features a 9 ft (2.7 m) diameter clock face on all four of its sides. The clock itself is controlled by a solid 700 lb (320 kg) brass pendulum that needs to be hand-cranked every week by park staff. While the clock chimes every hour, it has never had bells in its entire history. Even when it was first built, it had electronic speakers that replicated chime tones.

Riverfront Park is home to one of the many hand-carved carousels built by prominent late 19th and early 20th century carousel builder, Charles I. D. Looff, who is notable for building the first carousel at Coney Island and one of the piers that make up the Santa Monica Pier. Spokane’s carousel, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and still operates for riders today, was built in 1909 as a wedding gift from Looff to his daughter Emma and her husband Louis Vogel. The ride was first installed in nearby Natatorium Park, and operated there until the park’s closure in 1968. When Expo ’74 came, organizers originally wanted to bring the carousel out of storage and showcase it to the world during the event, but it was deemed impractical due to the restoration and moving costs. It would not be until 1975, after the conclusion of Expo ’74, that the ride would be installed on the expo’s legacy site that is now Riverfront Park. The building that housed the German Hofbrau during the world’s fair became the new home for the carousel, and it operated in there until 2016 when the ride temporarily closed for Riverfront Park’s redevelopment.The Great Northern Railway clock tower is located on Havermale Island and was originally constructed in 1902. It was part of the Great Northern Railway Depot that existed on the Riverfront Park site prior to Expo ’74. When the rail tracks were removed and site transformed in preparations for Expo, the depot was demolished in 1973, but the clock tower was left standing after a public push to save it and has now become a Spokane icon, reminding people of the role that railroading played in the development of Spokane. This local historic preservation effort was headed by Jerry Quinn, who organized a group that sought to preserve the Great Northern Railway depot in its entirety called “Save Our Stations”, although failing in that effort at the ballot box, the committee overseeing the World’s Fair site preparation thought something had to be retained to appease the “railroad buffs.” The location roofline of the former depot can be seen on the face of the tower where the sandstone masonry blocks change color.

In 1922, Washington Water Power would construct an additional dam known as the Upper Falls Diversion Dam at the eastern tip of Havermale Island, spanning across the North Channel of the Spokane River over the Upper Spokane Falls. The dam would divert water through the river’s South Channel to a 10 MW generator at the Upper Falls Power Plant which was built that same year.

Despite the market conditions, entrepreneurs at the newly established companies continued to forge ahead in their investment with hydroelectric power generation. Washington Water Power was in the process of installing a generator on the Lower Spokane Falls, just outside of present-day Riverfront Park, when Spokane’s Great Fire struck in August 1889. After the fire and the rebuilding of the city, demand for electricity grew so rapidly that Washington Water Power moved ahead with plans for an even larger power generating facility on the Lower Falls and constructed an 18 feet (5.5 m) tall rock-crib dam made of timber, to raise the water levels behind its Lower Falls generator. The construction of the dam, along with a new powerhouse, collectively became known as the Monroe Street Power Station and was completed on November 12, 1890. The enormous generating capacity of the new facility began an era of dominance for Washington Water Power over the other companies that operated smaller generators in the vicinity. Washington Water Power gradually began to purchase portions of the EEISCF, taking a controlling stake in their competitor by 1891, and also acquired other companies that eventually became unified under the Washington Water Power Company name. The dynamos of the other companies were consolidated into the Monroe Street Power Station, which increased its generating capacity from 894 kilowatts to 1,439 kilowatts in 1892.

The Spokane River and Spokane Falls are the main natural attraction of Riverfront Park and are visible from many areas of the park. Along the river’s calm south channel, many of the walking paths and lawns go right up to the river’s edge, allowing park-goers to get close to the water. People have been known to stick their feet in the water and fish in the south channel from time to time. Access and visibility to the river’s north channel, which is home to the falls, is generally more limited due to the faster and rougher water and river gorge that is created by the falls. However, many official viewing points exist, most notably two pedestrian suspension bridges at the west end of snxw meneɂ that provide up-close viewing of the falls.Users can enter and exit the wagon through a staircase located at the underside of its rear end, taking them up to a wooden platform “within” the wagon. The platform covers the entire extent of the wagon, allowing users to walk right up to the edge of the wagon where its “walls” double as guardrails. At the front end, the wagon’s handle doubles as a playground slide, providing another way for users to exit and interact with the sculpture. In May of 2022, The Red Wagon received significant repairs for the first time in the 33 years since its construction, and a fresh coat of paint.

The Pavilion underwent a full renovation in 2018 as part of Riverfront Park’s redevelopment. As part of the project, the IMAX theater was removed along with a number of other structures that had been added to the pavilion since its original construction. The renovated pavilion reopened on September 6, 2019, and features an open floorspace for events and sloped and terraced landscaping to provide seating areas for audiences. One “indoor space” from the pavilion before redevelopment remains incorporated into the redesign to be used as a ticketed entry point when needed, and also features rental space and park offices. Additionally a 40 ft (12 m) high platform was constructed in its center to provide views of the Spokane River. There was debate about recovering the pavilion’s structure like it was during Expo ’74, but concerns about budget and schedule made it unfeasible. Instead, several dozen panels mounted on the west side of the cable structure create shade for portions of the renovated pavilion’s floor and seating areas.The site of the park and the surrounding falls were originally inhabited by Native Americans, who had a number of fishing camps near the base of the falls. Regional tribes would convene at this bountiful fishery during the annual Chinook salmon run to fish, trade, and engage in cultural activities. Along the falls, the salmon would be caught using various fish trap methods and the catch would be dried and smoked on site to preserve and store them for sustenance during the sparse winter months. Among the gathering tribes, a “Salmon Chief” is chosen to coordinate fishing efforts, hold prayer, lead singing ceremonies, and bless and distribute the catch equitably to the tribes. Riverfront Park had remained largely unchanged and had not seen any major investments since its conversion to a park after Expo ’74 and many of its physical facilities were beginning to show their age and disrepair. In 2012, with a vision to reinvigorate Riverfront Park for the next generation, the Spokane Park Board approved the beginnings of an updated master plan for the park. This first phase of the new master plan would outline general concepts only, but in June 2013, details and estimated costs began to be developed by a 20-member advisory committee. Aspirations for the park’s future included using it as a key fixture in downtown Spokane to draw more people to the center of the city, boosting the number of events in the park, creating sustainable revenue, increasing viewing opportunities to the Spokane River, and also protecting natural resources and habitat around the park. The Providence Playspace is a Shane’s Inspiration playground that was opened in October 2020 on the park’s south end near the Upper Falls Power Plant. The project is not part of Riverfront Park’s redevelopment bond, rather, it was funded by donors, including a $1 million donation from Providence Health & Services. Shane’s Inspiration focuses on designing playgrounds that are all-inclusive and accessible to all children, including those with physical or developmental disabilities, and Riverfront Park’s playground will be the first of its kind in Spokane. The playground totals 11,600 sq ft (1,080 m) and includes 20 different kinds of play pieces, including a sand box table for a hands-on tactile experience, a “cozy dome” quiet space, and several music making pieces.The Spokane River and its waterfalls, the park’s namesake and main natural attraction, flows from east to west through the park, beginning as a single run, and eventually splitting up across three channels, creating the two main islands featured in the park. The first split into a northern and southern channel creates Havermale Island, the larger of the two islands. Further downstream, at around the midpoint of Havermale Island, the northern channel splits again into the north and mid channels, creating snxw meneɂ (pronounced sin-HOO-men-huh, which means “Salmon People” Island in Salish), formerly known as Canada Island. These northern two channels contain the Upper Spokane Falls, surrounding snxw meneɂ. All three channels converge back into a single run just downstream of the Upper Falls. The park’s Upper Spokane Falls is the second largest urban waterfall in the United States.

In January 1973, after unsuccessful negotiations with Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, who was already on the design team, a contract for the pavilion’s final design was awarded to Seattle-based architecture firm Naramore, Bain, Brady & Johanson, now known as NBBJ. The final design differed slightly from the earlier conceptual designs, but still retained a lot of the original elements including soft canopy covering a courtyard, theater, holding area, and permanent building. The Pavilion was formed to look like a giant tent (and was originally covered) as a way to support the fair’s environmental theme and was the largest structure at the fair. The design of the pavilion was described by the U. S. Department of Commerce as “an expression of environmental concern…[with the] structure’s smooth, graceful contour harmonized fully with the surrounding shoreline terrain.” In 1972, the United States Congress provided $11.5 million ($80.5 million in 2022 dollars) to build the pavilion and outfit it with exhibits.The final major phase of construction associated with the $64 million 2014 park bond was the development of the 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m) North Bank park which included the Ice Age Floods Playground and the Skate and Wheels Park. Designed to be a destination park that can appeal to all ages and a variety of interests, the grand opening of the North Bank was on May 21, 2021.

With support around beautification growing, Spokane Unlimited would go on to commission a feasibility study in 1970 for using a marquee event, proposed to be in 1973 to celebrate the centennial of Spokane, to fund the beautification. However, the report stated that a local event would not have the stature to bring in enough funding for the group’s beautification aspirations, and that it needed to go bigger; it suggested that Spokane host an international exposition that could bring in state and federal dollars, as well as tourists from outside Spokane, to fund a riverfront transformation. This idea caught on and inquiries were made to the Bureau of International Expositions and an additional study was commissioned in the fall of 1970, and the results both came back very positive. The 1974 world expo was identified as the target event.Riverfront Park can be described through several unofficial, general areas: the South Channel area, Havermale Island, and the North Bank area. The South Channel area of the park is located along the southern branch of the Spokane River after its initial split, along Spokane Falls Boulevard, and contains several of the park’s features including the Looff Carrousel, Numerica Skate Ribbon, and Rotary Fountain. The area also serves as the South Gateway to Riverfront Park. Unofficial extensions of this area of the park came as a result of the linking of Riverfront Park to Huntington Park via a plaza between Spokane City Hall and the Post Street Electric Substation and a combined sewer overflow project featuring a 2,200,000 US gallons (8,300,000 L) subterranean storm water tank with a multi-level plaza on top of it above ground, connecting the sidewalk fronting Spokane City Hall with a wide promenade and plaza that overlooks Huntington Park and reaches the south landing of the Monroe Street Bridge. Moving northward across the South Channel is Havermale Island which encompasses a number of grassy meadows, natural conservation areas, amphitheaters, the U.S. Pavilion, and the Great Northern clock tower. The northern area of Riverfront Park, just across the Spokane Falls from Havermale Island, is generally referred to as the North Bank and contains the park’s northern gateway. Up until Riverfront Park’s 2021 redevelopment, much of the North Bank area was underdeveloped as a park and primarily used for parking and park maintenance facilities. The North bank redevelopment created features which included an ice age floods themed playground, Hoopfest basketball courts, the Skate and Wheels Park, and a climbing boulder as well as the Howard Street Promenade which showcases ample views of the Spokane falls and other water features of the Spokane River. Overlooking and adjacent to the north bank playground is The Podium, a multi-use sportsplex with a seating capacity of 3,000 constructed in 2021. The plan proposed a timeline that would incrementally renew the area over the next two decades, wrapping up in 1980, and proposed that the effort be funded through bonds, gas taxes, and urban renewal money from the federal government. One part of the plan, and the first portion to go to voters for approval, would have constructed a new government center. However, efforts to pass bonds to fund the construction were overwhelmingly defeated by Spokane voters over the next couple of years, and by 1963, Spokane Unlimited had to revise its vision. They hired King Cole, who had recently worked on some urban renewal projects in California, to execute Ebasco’s urban renewal plans in Spokane. In light of the failed votes, Cole formed a grassroots citizen group, called the Associations for a Better Community (ABC), to build community support through the 1960s around the idea of beautifying the riverfront and turning Havermale Island into a park. The park is also well connected to the urban areas and destinations that surround all sides. The park’s southern and western boundaries consist entirely of roadways, which are lined with sidewalks that open directly onto adjacent plazas and lawns within Riverfront Park. Further east, the First Interstate Center for the Arts, and Spokane Convention Center physically occupy a large amount of the park’s frontage, but, access between downtown and the park, and even access from the buildings themselves, is integrated into the architectural design of those facilities through large breezeways, terraces and door openings. Along the northern boundary of the park, the natural topography of the Spokane River’s banks, combined with private development that lines much of that side of the river, makes access slightly more limited. Despite this, access points to the park are still frequently available through trails that parallel the river and intersect with roadways and connect with the parking lots of these private developments along the way.A number of paths and roadways also traverse the park, providing further connectivity to surrounding areas beyond. In the north—south direction, the Howard Street Promenade provides a direct link between the core of downtown Spokane and the North Bank areas of downtown. The promenade runs from the Rotary Fountain on the park’s southern boundary, across snxw meneɂ, and ends at the park’s northern entrance across the street from the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Prior to the completion of the promenade, it was still possible to pass through the park in a north—south manner, but the route was much more circuitous and did not offer a direct link (neither physically or visually) between the two ends of the park. Other major north—south paths through the park include pedestrian suspension bridges over the Upper Spokane Falls toward the west end of the park, pedestrian bridges near the east end that connect the First Interstate Center for the Arts with a hotel on the north bank of the river, and the Washington Street Bridge which carries cars and pedestrians through the center of the park.

The new master plan was completed by early summer 2014, and put toward the Spokane City Council for adoption that summer with the goal of putting it on the general election ballot for a public vote later that year. In November 2014, Spokane voters passed a $64.3 million bond to redevelop Riverfront Park. The bond measure was approved by 67 percent of votes, having the required 60 percent to pass. Passage of the bond measure, called Proposition No. 2 did not raise taxes on citizens as it effectively replaced another parks special property tax that was set to expire. The new bonds raised to pay for the park’s redevelopment are set to mature in 2035. Key projects of the bond measure included a renovation of the U.S. Pavilion, construction of a new skate ribbon to replace the former Ice Palace that was hosted each winter at the Pavilion, construction of a new building to house the historic Looff Carousel, and the construction of new public spaces such as the Howard Street Promenade and a regional playground. The advisory committee hired Olson Kundig Architects to conceptualize the design of the new structures and grounds within the framework of the master plan and with input from stakeholders. One of the principal architects of the firm, Tom Kundig, was raised in Spokane and is the son of architect Moritz Kundig, who had a leading role in the design of the same grounds to prepare for Expo ’74; the new additions to the park pay homage to the fairs’ environmental theme.

By 1914, the Union Pacific had built their own station on the park’s site, along with elevated tracks leading up to it. The heart of downtown Spokane became a hub for passenger and freight rail transport and remained that way for several decades. By the mid-20th century, the problems of having a large amount of railroads in the middle of the city were beginning to be realized. The elevated railway, warehouses, and other lines leading into the park severely restricted both physical and visual access to the Spokane River and its falls, leading some locals to compare it to the Great Wall of China. Additionally, the high volume of train traffic created a very noisy downtown, and numerous at-grade railroad crossings were causing traffic congestion issues.American settlers first occupied the site in 1871 when a claim was established at Spokane Falls. In 1873, James N. Glover, who would go on to become influential in the initial birth and growth of Spokane and is considered one of its founders, passed through the region with his business partner Jasper N. Matheney. The two, who recognized the value of the Spokane River and its falls for the purpose of water power and were also aware that the Northern Pacific Railroad Company had received a government charter to build a main line through the area (a line that would eventually become the Northern Transcon route), proceeded to buy the claims of 160 acres (65 ha) along with the sawmill from the original settlers. The Numerica SkyRide is a gondola lift ride located at the southeast corner of Riverfront Park that takes people westward from the park, past Spokane City Hall and over Huntington Park, descending down into the Spokane River gorge to view the Lower Spokane Falls. The ride then crosses the river and makes a loop back toward Riverfront Park after passing beneath the Monroe Street Bridge. Washington Water Power’s timber Monroe Street Dam at the Lower Spokane Falls was damaged in a high water event and eventually replaced with a concrete gravity dam in 1974 in the same location just a few hundred feet west of what would become Riverfront Park. The reconstruction of the dam was completed just before Expo ’74 and included the construction of Huntington Park, immediately adjacent to present-day Riverfront Park, that allowed visitors to see water fed into the plant’s turbines. In 1992, a project at the Monroe Street Power Station replaced its original powerhouse with an underground one, further expanding Huntington Park by creating a new plaza over the underground powerhouse. The project also replaced its original, century-old 1890 generator (which was then donated to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan for permanent display) with the station’s current 15-MW generator.This is one of the larger esthetic challenges facing Downtown. Given all the front doors into the neighborhood, much discussion ensues amongst civic leaders about how to better beautify and provide way-finding signage into the heart of the city. Although identification of the problem is a great first step, action oriented improvements are still largely absent, despite years of talking about it.From a retail perspective, health of the sector is simple to measure. Are store spaces filled with tattoo parlors, pay-day lending firms, and pawn shops? Or are they filled with Apple stores, Nordstrom’s and Banana Republics? As other cities throughout the country, big and small, lost their healthy downtown retail environments to suburban growth, Downtown Spokane bucked the trend, and today hosts an ever growing platoon of top-tier retailers.There is always room to improve an urban environment as dynamic as Downtown Spokane but you can bet cities throughout the country look toward the destination with lustful eyes and wonder where they can find a candle bright enough to hold to it.This criterion is interesting for Downtown Spokane, seeing how it’s already the center of the city. I will, however, take a stab at it: River Park Square, Downtown’s largest entertainment and retail center, is where the energy of the urban environment peaks; thereby, it’s the center of the center.From a livability perspective, Downtown’s resurgence as a viable residential destination occurred most rapidly in the 2000s, whereby a significant number of historic structures were renovated for market rate condominiums and apartments. Prior to the early 2000s, most housing options were low to moderate income and subsidized. Today, Downtown is a healthy mix of mixed-market housing for all income levels.

Downtown scores well here, too. Aside from a couple of mistakes built during an era where everyone thought it was okay to set-back a building with on-sight parking, the vast majority of Downtown structures are zero set-back from the sidewalk.

From a planning and economic development perspective, there are few better places than Downtown Spokane. Compared to most downtowns throughout the nation, Spokane’s is among the healthiest. For many coming off the farm fields and timberlands surrounding the city, Downtown represents an easily accessible cosmopolitan experience providing all the big-city amenities one would need.High density urban environments are going to have their fair share of challenges, and if you pick up one of the newspapers every day, you’ll see Downtown’s. I could probably write a book describing the challenges unique to Downtown Spokane (and recommendations to cure them). However, for the purposes of this post, I will only dwell on one: recognize that Downtown is in fierce competition for investment alongside the other regional market centers — Valley Mall, Northtown Mall, and Coeur d’Alene. If one of these market centers snags a top-tier tenant, it will likely be the only one to locate in the market. Thus, for the health of Downtown, civic leaders would do well to utilize more tools, desire, and creativity to ensure Downtown wins the most significant regional investments.

Downtown has a great mix of historic structures and modern architecture. In fact, the most architecturally ornate street in the city is Riverside Avenue from the Spokesman Review building winding all the way to 1 Avenue about 2/3rds of a mile away.

We use cookies to deliver our services, personalize content, and get feedback on how people use BringFido so that we can improve. By clicking OK, you accept this as outlined in our Cookie Policy.Want to feature your creature? Upload a photo of your pet at Riverfront Park! You can also share by using the hashtag #bringfido on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.All of Riverfront’s parking lots require payment. Visitors have the choice to pay at the parking kiosk in the parking lot or pay through the Flowbird App.

Notice: Construction is ongoing in Riverfront Park and may impact some bicycle and pedestrian routes. Before you visit, please see the latest construction map for the best routes around redevelopment zones. Some attractions are currently unavailable due to redevelopment.

We thank you for choosing Riverfront Park for your downtown parking needs and we hope you continue to utilize our affordable parking. If you have any questions, please email us at Riverfront Park Parking Services or call 509.625.6605.

The maximum timestay of the meter is the longest amount of time you are allowed to park at that meter (2, 4, or all day) before you have to move your car. Feeding the meter past the maximum timestay even with a different form of payment is a violation of the Spokane Municipal Code. If you are caught feeding the meter, you may receive a citation.

The Spokane Municipal Code, Section 16A.05.310D, states once you have stayed the maximum time allowed by the parking payment device or by posted signage, you must move your vehicle off the block face. A block face is one side of a block between road intersections. Pulling into a stall on the same block face could result in a ticket.Please note: $1.20 is the minimum charge if paying by credit/debit card at meters, kiosks or through ParkMobile. There is a $.35 transaction fee if using ParkMobile. Rates are set in the Spokane Municipal Code, Section 08.02.083C. Non-paid parking spaces are on the map as well. Some require permits to park in them, other spaces are time regulated for picking up or dropping off. Non-paid parking spaces are: If you are unable to pay with coin, card or the app at a meter or kiosk, you should not park in that spot. We would also appreciate knowing there is a problem with a meter or kiosk if you have time to report it, so we can fix the issue.

Wait for the charges to go from “Processing” to “Completed” or “Settled”. Once the charges have gone through, contact [email protected] and they will walk you through the next steps. Please Note: The City CANNOT refund any charges that have not completed processing. In All-Day areas where the time limit is posted and the meter or kiosk allows you to park beyond 4 hours, payment is required for your parking session after the maximum 4 hour limit is reached. There is no charge for parking with a valid disabled plate or placard for up to 4 hours of parking. In All-Day areas, where the meter or kiosk allows you to park beyond 4 hours, payment is required to start a parking session at the end of the first four hours allowed free of charge.No. Disabled veteran plates do not have the same qualifications for issuance as disabled placards or plates. You must have a disabled placard, plate, or registration tab sticker in order to park for free at a parking payment device or in a marked disabled space.You can also see the different districts within the on-street Paid Parking Zone such as the Entertainment District and Congested District as well as individual block numbers.

In 2 and 4 hour areas where the time limit is posted by sign or decal, you must move your vehicle to a new block face after the maximum 4 hour limit is reached. The On-street Paid Parking Map is updated regularly with the most recent information we have available. Please verify time limit information on the payment device, payment app, or signs to make sure you are in compliance. May 10, 2023: Due to its condition, the south suspension pedestrian bridge was closed in May 2022. The north suspension bridge and snx? mene? island will also be temporarily closed beginning Monday, May 8, 2023 to accommodate construction. Pedestrian detours will continue along the Howard Street Promenade through the center of the park. Learn more about repairs being made.The iconic Riverfront Park (507 N. Howard Street) is located in the heart of Downtown Spokane along the Spokane River and the upper Spokane Falls. Several convenient and affordable parking lots are available daily for park visitors. View parking information

When people think Spokane, they think Riverfront Park. Home to Expo ’74, the park has been beautifully renovated to honor its history and provide modern attractions. Here you will experience the Spokane River; calm in places, gently rippling in others and then thundering over the Spokane Falls. Take in a view of the Spokane skyline from the Pavilion’s sky bridge, take a ride on the hand-carved Looff Carrousel and Numerica Skyride, then take a spin on Skate Ribbon.Riverfront Park is adjacent to the Spokane Convention Center and a short walking distance from River Park Square and dozens of restaurants, wineries, breweries, shops, and hotels.I am coming from Florida to visit my great grand son whom I have never seen age 16 can you send me info on your park I am 83 and not good with the computer please and thank youRiverfront Park is a 100-acre public park in downtown Spokane that is open year-round for public access. Initially created for the World fair event of Expo’ 74, Riverfront Park iS one of Spokane’s most prominent parks today attracting a huge number of visitors every day. Set in a scenic location alongside the Spokane River, Riverfront Park has plenty of activities for families and kids alike. Some of the highlights of the park include Looff Carrousel, IMAX theater, clocktower, skyride over the falls, pavilion amusement rides, mini-golf, the ice palace, tour train, sculpture walk, skating rink (winter) and a small amusement park for the kids. There is also a separate outdoor dining area that serves ice creams, hamburgers, wines, cakes, and plenty of other pleasantries.

Weather permitting, boat tours and boat taxis operate from 9:00 am – 9:00 pm daily. Dinner cruises require advance reservations. Tour and taxi tickets may be purchased in advance online or at three locations on the River Walk.

The River Walk is 15-miles long. It flows through approximately 5-miles of downtown San Antonio. As such, there is no one address. For GPS purposes, use the address for the Shops at Rivercenter, located directly on the River Walk, in the heart of downtown, at 849 E. Commerce Street, San Antonio, Texas 78205.

Thanks to a series of locks and dams, the downtown section of the River Walk does not flood – even during heavy rain periods. Street level water around the River Walk is routed into the river to avoid street level flooding as well. A sophisticated monitoring system ensures water level does NOT rise to flood the sidewalks on the Downtown section of the River Walk.As tempting as it is, we ask that all visitors refrain from feeding the wildlife people-food. It is not healthy for them, and it has a direct affect on the delicate eco-system of the river by changing the PH balance of the water.The Downtown and Museum Reach sections of the River Walk are open 24-hours a day. Please check with businesses directly for their hours of operation. The Mission Reach section of the River Walk is open during daylight hours only.South of downtown is the Mission Reach section of the River Walk which can flood. If you can’t see the sidewalk or a barricade is up, turn-around and avoid the area.

100,000 Christmas lights are turned on each year the day after Thanksgiving to kick-off the Ford Holiday River Parade. The lights remain on until a few days after the first of the New Year. The turn-off date varies. The lights go on at dusk and off at dawn each day during the season. There is! It is called Marriage Island and is located on the bank of the river near Hotel Contessa. Reservations and fees must be requested through the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department at 210-207-7275. Parking in a taxicab stand will result in a fine of $250, which was increased by the City Council in 2015 amid rising concerns from local taxi companies about non-taxi vehicles taking up spaces marked for cabs.If you’re a cash and carry kind of person, the City is still happy to accept your change, but paying for parking by phone or credit card means you’ll no longer have to lug around handfuls of coins.

The cost of parking varies depending on the location and type of space your vehicle is parked in. On street meter parking in the central core costs $1.20 per hour while off street parking can cost $10 for the day, surface lots and garage parking may increase in price during a popular event.

In 1993, Spokane County implemented the Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Law to reduce traffic congestion, air pollution and fuel consumption through employer-based programs that reduce the number and distance of single occupant vehicles on the road. Utilize a wide range of programs that are good for you and good for the environment.

While you shop, dine, have fun, or utilize many of the services downtown, participating downtown businesses help pay for your parking by giving you an EasyPark validation whenever you make a minimum purchase. Validated EasyPark coupons are redeemable at downtown parking facilities displaying an EasyPark sign.If you work in the downtown area and your employer does not provide parking for you, there are many parking lots and garages that offer monthly parking passes ranging in cost from $100 to $200 depending on location and accessibility.

The maximum timestay of the meter is the longest amount of time you are allowed to park at that meter before you have to move your car. Plugging the meter past the maximum timestay is a violation of the Spokane Municipal Code. If you are caught plugging the meter, you can receive a citation. Once the maximum timestay has been used, vehicles must be moved to a different block face.

Did you know that by parking at a downtown meter you’re helping to improve the downtown environment? From infrastructure, to beautification, parking meter money is invested back into the streets and work to make Spokane better. SEE HOWIn the City of Spokane, the owner of any vehicle with four or more unpaid parking citations in collections and having been provided proper notifications will be given a final notification and added to the Vehicle Scofflaw List, and assessed an additional $25 fee. Cars belonging to owners who do not to pay all the outstanding parking citations will be booted. The owner will be given 48 hours to pay all the tickets plus an additional $50. After 48 hours the vehicle will be towed. to recover the vehicle, all citations and collection fees must be paid in full.

Meters are free between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., and on Sundays and Federal Holidays. Off street parking options vary, but are rarely free, make sure to find and read parking rules thoroughly.

Downtown Spokane offers a variety of parking options from on street meters and surface lots to day and long-term garages at a fraction of the cost of other cities. If you’re coming downtown for the day, for a special event, or to enjoy the many shopping and dining opportunities, you don’t have to look far to find a place to park. Use the map above to locate the right space for you.

The Downtown Spokane Partnership is excited to welcome your parking option to our suite of services. To make sure that your information is accurately listed and promoted, reach out to our office by contacting Andrew Rolwes at [email protected] or calling 509.456.0580.