The North Front Street Historical District boasts some of Yakima’s oldest buildings, including the 1898 Lund Building, which once housed a saloon and brothel (now the Greystone Restaurant) directly across from the Northern Pacific Railroad depot.
Three miles northwest of Yakima on Highway 12 you’ll find the mysterious Indian Painted Rocks, a state historical site. Although the pictographs were partially destroyed by an early irrigation flume, some remain at Naches Highway and Powerhouse Road. The cliffs nearby are popular with local rock climbers.
The Ahtanum Mission, east of Yakima along Ahtanum Creek, was built in 1852 by Catholic priests. Though it burned down during the Yakama Indian wars of the 1850s, the church was rebuilt in 1869 and is still used. You can visit the mission and surrounding park for a small fee.