Unexpected Northwest: Hidden gems and local legends in and around Spokane

These are the places they don’t put on postcards … but maybe they should.

There’s nothing wrong with hitting the classics. Riverfront Park and Lake Coeur d’Alene are popular for a reason. But if you’ve done all that and still want more, the Inland Northwest has a quieter, stranger side worth exploring.

In Wallace, Idaho, the Oasis Bordello Museum (once a working brothel) was suddenly shuttered in the late 1980s. The staff left quickly and never returned. Today, makeup still sits on vanities, grocery lists are pinned on the fridge, and the furniture hasn’t moved in decades: turning it into an accidental time capsule of the Silver Valley’s saucier side.

Down the highway in Post Falls, Treaty Rock marks the spot where some claim city founder Frederick Post made an agreement with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe in 1871. It’s easy to miss if you’re not looking, but carvings that could be from that era are still there.

If recent landmarks are more your style, head north to Sandpoint. You can spot a mini Statue of Liberty standing proudly on a dock over Lake Pend Oreille. There’s no plaque, and nobody can really explain the statue’s significance. The statue was donated in 2003 in memory of Louise (Lee) Turner, a local businesswoman who had the statue in her backyard. No matter its origin, it’s been a fixture for decades, except for when it underwent repairs in 2024 due to damage from all the selfie-takers.

If you’re willing to venture farther, Ritzville hosts the Lasting Legacy Wildlife Museum, a 25,000-square-foot warehouse filled with taxidermy animals from around the world. Lions, giraffes, grizzlies, oh my!

Now, let’s cross the state line, as Spokane boasts its own oddities. In Riverfront Park, the Garbage Goat sculpture will “eat” your trash! While you’re there, slide down the giant red Radio Flyer wagon that’s part sculpture, part playground.

If you’re looking for something more scenic, the Indian Painted Rocks west of Spokane have ancient pictographs, clinging to basalt cliffs.

If you like your local history with a side of goosebumps, Greenwood Cemetery is your spot: where history and mystery meet on a staircase known as the Thousand Steps. Graves date back to the Civil War and early Spokane pioneers, but there’s also a plot for the circus community.

Locals know the rumors: ghostly figures caught in photos, cold spots on warm days, whispers when no one’s around. Whether it’s haunted or it’s just a good workout, the cemetery is a strangely beautiful spot tucked into the hillside with sweeping views of the city. To refuel after your fright, head to Mary Lou’s in the Garland District, where you can drink a delicious huckleberry shake inside a giant antique milk bottle.

These aren’t the places with souvenir shops or guided tours and they won’t show up on every brochure, but they’re memorable, they’re unusual and they remind you that the Inland Northwest still has plenty of surprises, if you’re willing to look for them.