Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture

The MAC's Plateau Indian holdings are its crown jewel and are described as the largest such collection anywhere. They span fine art, regalia, tools, documents, and photographs from the peoples of the Columbia Plateau, whose homelands stretch across eastern Washington and the wider Inland Northwest. The museum's Center for Plateau Cultural Studies anchors this work.

Just as important as the objects is how they are shown. The MAC has prioritized collaboration with Plateau tribes, inviting tribal members to help shape how their heritage is interpreted and displayed. Exhibitions like recent shows celebrating the enduring artistry and continuity of Plateau cultures reflect that living partnership, presenting these communities in the present tense, not as history.

Next to the galleries stands the Campbell House, an elegant 1898 mansion designed by the noted architect Kirtland Cutter for a family that made its fortune in the mining boom of the Coeur d'Alene region. Preserved with much of its original furnishing, it offers a vivid look at how Spokane's wealthy lived at the height of the city's early prosperity.

The house is more than a period piece for the museum, it is its foundation. Helen Campbell left the mansion and its contents to the museum's predecessor institution in the 1920s, giving the fledgling organization its first permanent home. From that gift grew the museum that stands today.

Beyond the Plateau collection and the house, the MAC mounts rotating exhibitions of regional and national art and dives into the history of the Inland Northwest, from its Native roots through the mining, railroad, and timber eras that built Spokane. The museum's own architecture, with much of its gallery space set below ground, is part of the experience.

Founded in 1916, originally under a different name, the institution has broadened steadily over the decades into the region's cultural cornerstone, a place that holds both fine art and the deep human story of this corner of the country.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, known as the MAC, in Spokane, Washington, is the premier museum of the Inland Northwest, dedicated to the art, history, and cultures of the region, with particular strength in the heritage of the Native American peoples of the Columbia Plateau. Located in Spokane's historic Browne's Addition neighborhood, the museum features exhibits on regional and Native American art and history, rotating art exhibitions, and the beautifully restored historic Campbell House, a Victorian mansion on the grounds. With its rich collections celebrating the art, history, and Native cultures of the Inland Northwest, the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture offers an enriching cultural experience in Spokane, Washington.

You can explore exhibits on the art, history, and Native American cultures of the Inland Northwest and the Columbia Plateau peoples, including significant collections of Native American art and artifacts, view rotating art exhibitions, and tour the beautifully preserved historic Campbell House, a grand Victorian mansion that offers a glimpse into life in early Spokane. The museum's blend of Native culture, regional history, and art gives it broad appeal. With its rich collections, exhibitions, and the historic Campbell House, the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture offers an engaging and enriching cultural experience celebrating the Inland Northwest in Spokane, Washington.

The Campbell House is a beautifully restored historic Victorian mansion on the grounds of the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, built in the late nineteenth century for a wealthy Spokane mining-era family. Furnished to reflect the affluent lifestyle of the period, the elegant home offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into life during Spokane's boom years, with tours revealing its period rooms and history. The Campbell House complements the museum's exhibits by adding a tangible connection to the region's history. Touring this grand historic home is a highlight of a visit to the museum, so checking its current tour availability is worthwhile.

As an indoor museum, the MAC is enjoyable year-round and a great option in any weather, including a good choice on a cold or rainy Spokane day. Weekdays and mornings tend to be less crowded, and checking the schedule for current exhibitions and Campbell House tour times before you go helps you plan. Allowing a couple of hours lets you enjoy the exhibits and the historic house. The indoor setting means almost any time works, making the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture a reliable and enriching cultural stop year-round in Spokane, Washington.

The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture is in Spokane's historic Browne's Addition neighborhood, near downtown Spokane, Riverfront Park with the Spokane Falls, the Mobius science and discovery center, and the city's shops and restaurants, with Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge within reach to the south. That makes the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture an enriching stop to combine with Riverfront Park, the Spokane Falls, and the other attractions of Spokane on a visit to Washington.