World Art Utopia

Spokane Falls

The lower Spokane Falls rushing over rocks beside a brick hydroelectric building in downtown Spokane, Washington.
Artwork FileSpokane, Washington, USA

Spokane Falls

SeenApr 2022

Natural waterfalls · Spokane, Washington, USA

Photo: Nick Bramhall / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0), as also published on Street Art Utopia.

Spokane Falls run through downtown Spokane, where the Spokane River carves a gorge through thick basalt. Source Checked Visit Spokane calls the falls a centrepiece of the city. Source Checked

Seen Apr 2022: the newest dated photograph we found on Wikimedia Commons shows the lower falls below a Riverfront Park gondola on 30 April 2022. The photo above was taken on 5 August 2011. Source Checked

More photos

Black-and-white print of Spokane Falls framed by pine trees, captioned 'View of Spokane Falls in 1880'.
1880 The falls on a print captioned 1880Photo: William E. Wing / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
The lower Spokane Falls at low water seen from the Monroe Street Bridge, with the Monroe Street Dam and a brick building marked Washington Water Power, August 2008.
2008 The lower falls at low water, from the Monroe Street BridgePhoto: Dicklyon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Close view of white water pouring over part of Spokane Falls, August 2017.
2017 White water on part of the falls, August 2017Photo: Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

💡 4 things to know

  1. A basalt gorgeWinding through thick basalt formations, the Spokane River carves a gorge through the city. Source Checked
  2. Ten street lampsIn the 1880s a small hydroelectric dynamo in a flour mill by the upper falls powered about 10 street lamps. Source Checked
  3. Washington Water PowerLocal businessmen founded Washington Water Power in 1889; the company, now called Avista, has provided hydroelectric power from its generating facility ever since. Source Checked
  4. Uncovered for Expo ’74Railway tracks and parking lots were cleared for the 1974 World’s Fair, and the riverbanks became Riverfront Park. Source Checked

📍 Where it is

Downtown Spokane, Washington, in and beside Riverfront Park. Source Checked

Open in Maps

Opens a Google Maps search for Spokane Falls.

🗓️ Sightings

  1. 1880

    Print captioned ‘View of Spokane Falls in 1880’ (W. E. Wing) · Wikimedia Commons

  2. 1889

    Washington Water Power founded · Visit Spokane

  3. 1974

    Dam rebuilt before the World’s Fair

  4. 200830 Aug

    Lower falls photographed · Wikimedia Commons

  5. 20115 Aug

    Lower falls and power complex photographed · Wikimedia Commons

  6. 201725 Aug

    Part of the falls photographed · Wikimedia Commons

  7. 202230 Apr

    Lower falls seen from the SkyRide · Wikimedia Commons

Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark dated records and reports.

✅ The facts

River
Spokane River Source Checked
Gorge
Basalt Source Checked
Power
Washington Water Power, founded 1889, now Avista Source Checked
Park
Riverfront Park, created for Expo ’74 Source Checked
Place
Downtown Spokane, Washington Source Checked

🔗 Related

All sources & image credits

Last checked: 3 November 2026. How we verify art