Manito Park & Duncan Garden

A look at one of Spokane’s most iconic parks as spring planting begins and Duncan Garden prepares for the season ahead

By Like Media Team

As Spokane moves out of winter, Manito Park is one of the first places where the transition to spring becomes visible. Located on Spokane’s South Hill, the 90-acre park has been part of the city since 1904 and remains one of Spokane’s most visited public spaces. April marks the start of the seasonal reset, when city gardeners begin preparing beds, planting early flowers, and getting the park ready for the months ahead.

At the center of the park sits Duncan Garden, a three-acre formal garden designed in 1913 by park superintendent John Duncan. Inspired by European Renaissance gardens, the space is arranged with symmetrical walkways, trimmed hedges, and a long reflecting pool anchored by a granite fountain. Throughout the growing season, more than 30,000 plants fill the geometric beds, rotated several times a year as displays change with the seasons.

While the most dramatic flower displays arrive later in spring, April offers a quieter look at the garden as planting begins and the landscape shifts toward early growth.

Points of interest inside Manito Park:

• Duncan Garden spans about three acres and is one of the most photographed garden spaces in Spokane.

• Manito Park covers roughly 90 acres and includes several themed gardens connected by walking paths.

• The Gaiser Conservatory, built in 1912, houses tropical plants and seasonal displays inside a historic glass greenhouse.

• Rose Hill features more than 1,500 rose bushes representing over 150 varieties that bloom later in the season.

• The park was originally developed as a trolley park in the early 1900s, encouraging residents to ride Spokane’s electric streetcars to the South Hill.

Whether visiting for a short walk or exploring the gardens and open lawns, Manito Park remains one of Spokane’s most recognizable outdoor spaces as the city begins settling into spring.

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