Museum of Arts and Culture

The Eastern Washington State Historical Society houses its extraordinary collection in two buildings at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (2316 W. 1st Avenue, 509/456-3931, www.northwestmuseum.org [1], Tues., Thurs., Sat., and Sun. 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Wed. and Fri. 11 a.m.–8 p.m., $7 adults, $5 seniors, and free for kids under 5) and the Campbell House. Both facilities are open. Get in for half price on Wednesdays. Fascinating half-hour tours of the Campbell House are included in your museum entrance fee.

The Museum of Arts and Culture recently underwent a massive $28 million renovation. It houses the largest collection of Native American pieces in the U.S. and also has regional artifacts from the prehistoric to the present, as well as changing contemporary and traditional exhibits in the Fine Arts Gallery. The collection spreads through a number of spacious rooms, with exhibits on the fur trappers and early settlers, an electric car, and much more.

The Campbell House, built in 1898 by renowned Spokane architect Kirtland K. Cutter, is a restored Tudor revival–style mansion from Spokane’s [2] early 1900s “age of elegance.” Amasa B. Campbell made his fortune in the mines of the Coeur d’Alene region and spared no expense on his home. His family lived here until 1924.

The home is lavishly furnished with Persian carpets and period antiques. Be sure to check out the basement-level gambling room and safe. Out back is a Japanese-style fountain; the Spokane River rolls along directly behind the house.