Spokane Central Lions Club Fundraising for Final Project Dollars
311 or 509.755.2489
Monday, August 31, 2026 at 4:28 p.m.
Spokane, Wash. – The Spokane Central Lions Club is in the final fundraising stretch to build a Lions Learning Center in Riverfront Park.
The Lions Learning Center will be an outdoor classroom, housed under a revitalized and re-purposed shelter from Expo ’74, on the west side of the park at the Post St. Bridge.
The space will function as a reservable outdoor learning area for schools and community groups. The interactive classroom will promote nature-based, experiential learning and include a pollinator/native garden.
Planned improvements will feature amphitheater seating, small group break-out space and renovations to the shelter include roofing, seating, electrical, landscaping and fencing.
The center will be fully funded by donations. Currently, the club has raised $200,000 of the $300,000 project cost. Construction will begin once the fundraising goal is achieved.
“The vision of the Spokane Lions Club is to have this important educational center become a generational gift to the Spokane community,” said Gary Guenther of the Spokane Central Lions Club. “A welcoming place for people and groups to gather to enjoy Riverfront Park, and to use the Lions Learning Center as a safe, fun, and comfortable venue for teaching and learning. This project continues the Spokane Central Lions Club's 104 years of service and dedication to the people of Spokane. That future generations will use this beautiful location and facility to grow and learn.”
“Riverfront Park is a destination for learning about Spokane history, the Ice Age Floods, environment and hydro-electric power. As the only space in the park designed to support learning in an outdoor environment, the Lions Learning Center will serve as a safe, fun and comfortable home-base for students to explore Riverfront Park and provide teachers with a dedicated resource to enhance their lesson plans,” said Jon Moog, director of Riverfront Park.
Those interested in contributing to the project can donate here: Lions Club Outdoor Classroom in Riverfront Park. Businesses interested in donating in-kind trade services such as electrical, carpentry, roofing, painting, grading and paving should please contact Gary at spokgary@gmail.com.
The concept was proposed by students and teachers at Lumen High School, and Dig Studios created concept plans for the Lions Club through community input. The Spokane Parks Foundation is supporting fundraising efforts for the project. Both the Spokane Parks Foundation’s Board of Directors and the Park Board approved the concept and name at their May 2026 meetings (see renderings).
The Spokane Parks & Recreation division has been honored to work with the Spokane Central Lions Club on previous projects, including the Helen Keller Garden at Manito Park. We thank them for their generosity and commitment to improving our community’s park amenities to serve all people.
About Lions Club
Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world. The Spokane Central Lions Club has been serving our community for 104 years.
About City of Spokane Parks & Recreation
City of Spokane Parks and Recreation stewards nearly 120 properties across 4,000 acres of park land, including manicured parks, natural lands, aquatic centers, golf courses, sports complexes, and an arboretum. We also offer hundreds of recreation opportunities for all ages and abilities to improve the health and quality of life for our community. Enjoy all your city has to offer by visiting spokaneparks.org. Follow us @SpokaneParks on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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In Spokane
We All Belong
509.625.6200
parks@spokanecity.org
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
