Parks

Lilac Garden

The Lilac Garden contains well over 100 named cultivars from 23 distinct species, making it one of the most important lilac gardens in the West. The lilacs are typically in bloom between mid-May and early June.

Garden History

The common purple lilac first arrived in the United States around the middle of the 1700s. The first recording of a lilac bush in Spokane was in 1906. Two lilac bushes were planted by J. J. Browne, one of Spokane’s early builders, at W. 2226 Second Avenue in Browne’s Addition. Soon thereafter, local garden clubs such as the Spokane Floral Association began to officially promote the flower in context with its community.

Before the development of the garden, the present area for the lilac garden housed a buffalo exhibit as part of the Manito Zoo. In 1912, Superintendent John Duncan envisioned the Lilac Garden as one of the first planned gardens in the park. By the end of the 1930s, Spokane had earned the name “the Lilac City” with local interest so high that Manito Park boasted over 140 lilacs, and a springtime Lilac Festival was introduced in 1938. The one-day event quickly blossomed into a weeklong gala featuring a parade, royal court, parties, and flower shows. Still immensely popular today, Spokane’s Lilac Festival draws an annual attendance of around 160,000 people.

In 2003, plans for extending the Lilac Garden began, and funds were raised to purchase 30 new plants. These were planted both in the main garden and adjacent to the garden in what is now known as the lilac extension. Lilacs can still be seen today in this area blooming in a natural setting. In 2010, Syringa vulgaris ‘Spokane’, a lovely and fragrant double pink lilac, was planted in numerous places in both the main garden and the extension. As of 2025, the garden hosts around 125 total plants with close to 100 different cultivars, many of them well over 30 years old.

In addition to the common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) native to Southeastern Europe, several other species of lilac can be found in the garden. These include many cultivars the early blooming lilacs (Syringa Oblata and Syringa xHyacinthiflora), the miniature Korean lilac (Syringa pubescens ssp microphylla), the Asian tree lilac (Syringa reticulata), and the late-blooming lilac (Syringa villosa). Although the main display of blooms typically occurs in late May shortly after Bloomsday, colorful lilacs can be found in the garden from late April until at least the end of June.

• View Park Map and get directions

Please refrain from cutting or damaging flowers in the Garden.

Weddings and wedding photography in the gardens is by reservation only. Please call 509.363.5455 or email us at parkopsreservations@spokanecity.org, if you have any questions.

NOTE: Some garden history information was accessed via the National Register of Historic Places Application for the National Parks Service (reformatted for clarity).