Walking Tour: Geology in Downtown Spokane’s Historic Buildings

There’s Norwegian granite on a building in downtown Spokane? Yes! All too often, we walk through downtown with blinders on, intent on where we’re going but not seeing the amazing historic buildings and stone all around us. Going on a self-guided walking tour to see new things is a fun way to learn about our city. Whether you are interested in history, geology, or just pretty marble, we’ve got you covered!

You can begin the self-guided tour anywhere, but the Davenport Hotel is a good starting place if you are meeting a friend for a physically-distanced visit. You’ll see several examples of marble here and can use the map to either take the western loop or head out east. You can use mobile data on your phone to follow the Google map or simply open the PDF version on your phone and look at it as you go. If you would like to print it out, that works too! In fact, you can request a printed copy to pick up with your curbside pickup.

If you’re interested in learning more about geology, check out these books from the library. And Spokane’s office of Historic Preservation has some great information about the buildings and neighborhoods of our region.

This walking tour was first written in 1981 by a team of geologists who gave us permission to update it. Unfortunately, some of the buildings on the original tour are no longer standing. Who knows what another forty years will bring for these landmarks! Please abide by any building or street closures and keep safety in mind when walking downtown.

Adapted from Cornerstones of Spokane A guidebook to the building stones of downtown Spokane McKelvey, G. E.; Bunning, Bonnie B.; Burnet, F. William; Hamilton, Mike; Swanson, Byron, 1981, Cornerstones of Spokane—A guidebook to the building stones of downtown Spokane: Northwest Mining Association, 46 p. Used by permission. Updated by Eva Silverstone and Vanessa Strange