The Conservatory is open to the public, free of charge, throughout the year. The greenhouses contain tropical, sub-tropical, and temperate plant specimens from around the world. The displays are changed seasonally.
No portrait photography or tripods allowed.
No pets allowed – service animals only.
Open 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. daily, closed Wednesdays.
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Manito Park Greenhouse, 1912, Courtesy of Washington State Archives
The first greenhouse at Manito Park was originally situated near East 18th Avenue and South Grand Boulevard. In 1912, workers constructed a replacement at the current location of the Manito greenhouses and Gaiser Conservatory. Before the Expo ’74 World’s Fair, the greenhouse was updated to be a nearly exact copy of the original 1912 design by Lord & Burnham. While the original greenhouse featured a redwood frame, the current structure has a metal frame.1
In 1988, the Gaiser Conservatory received its name in honor of Dr. David Gaiser, a longtime Park Board member who funded a significant expansion of the central dome.
The current greenhouse is divided into three distinct sections. The west end features a variety of succulents, bromeliads, and cacti. The center section, known as the dome, contains the tallest plants and trees, including a decades-old Norfolk Pine, a coffee tree, and various palms, ficus, and citrus trees. It also boasts a wall of orchids and an assortment of foliage from around the world. In 2014, a waterfall and stream were added to the west side of the dome. The east section showcases a large banana tree and a staghorn fern that is over 10 years old.
Over the years, many generous donors have contributed tropical plants to the greenhouse’s collection, which makes up a significant portion of the plants featured throughout the conservatory. Notably, Hattie Claypool donated an almost 120-year-old Christmas cactus in 1971, and in 2001, the John A. Droter family made a generous donation of 100 large cacti, which nearly doubled the conservatory’s cactus collection.
Manito staff make frequent updates to the conservatory display as each plant flowers and peaks at different times of the year. For the holidays, staff display a variety of poinsettias in the conservatory, some of which are over 10 years old. Over the winter, staff use a technique called forcing to cause bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths to grow and bloom early. These are featured in the conservatory in late winter and early spring.
Chrysanthemum Display, 1905-1915, Courtesy of Washington State Archives
Chrysanthemum Display, 1905-1915, Courtesy of Washington State Archives
Pelargoniums, 1910-1920, Courtesy of Washington State Archives
1Lord & Burnham Greenhouse Designers & Manufacturers, “Renovation of Greenhouses for Manito Park, Spokane, Washington,” December 6, 1972. Image on file with the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department, Spokane, Washington.
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509.625.6200
parks@spokanecity.org
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
