The Children’s Museum of Spokane (110 N. Post St., 509/624-5437, Tues.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., $3.75 for kids or adults) features all sorts of fun exhibits to climb on, including a hydroelectric power station (hope they have the power turned off!).
Douglas Gallery (120 N. Wall St., 509/624-4179) is an impressive private art gallery housed in an old bank building. You’ll see the works of masters such as Manet and Rembrandt, along with a wide range of more modern pieces.
Folks with a taste for the bizarre and tacky won’t want to miss Carr’s One of a Kind in the World Museum (5225 N. Freya, 509/489-8859 or 800/350-6469, Sat.–Sun. 1–4 p.m., $5 adults, children under 10 free. Inside are JFK’s 1962 Lincoln Continental (not the one in which he was killed), Jackie Gleason’s 1968 limo, and Elvis Presley’s 1973 Lincoln. Other exhibits include a Chinese junk made from 27,500 matchsticks, plus a Cheyenne chief mannequin atop a papier-mâché horse! Only in America.
Located just 35 miles from bustling Spokane [1], Davenport is the seat for Lincoln County and a minor farming and ranching center in this open land of cattle ranches and wheat fields. There you can find the Lincoln County Historical Museum (Park and 7th Streets, 509/725-6711 or 800/326-8148, Mon.–Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. May–Sept., plus Sunday 1–4 p.m. June–Aug.) for local memorabilia and a fine collection of agricultural equipment in the back building. The strangest sight here is the death mask of the outlaw Harry Tracy, a member of the Hole-in-the-Wall gang who lived in Spokane for a couple of years and then committed suicide after being cornered by lawmen nearby. The museum also serves as the local visitors center. Bird-watchers will want to ask where burrowing owls can be seen right in town.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/washington/spokane