Washington State Magazine associate editor Adriana Janovich has written a book about curious and quirky Spokane spots. Secret Spokane: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure was released in spring 2026 by Reedy Press. Part bucket list and part travel guide, it provides snapshots of 84 interesting places to see in the Lilac City. Here, Washington State Magazine uncovers some of the secrets of Secret Spokane.
What inspired you to write Secret Spokane?
Secret Spokane is my second book with Reedy Press. My first, Unique Eats and Eateries of Spokane, came out in 2024. And when I finished it, I realized I really missed the work. I missed the research, the writing, the editing, the photography—everything about the entire process. So, you could say what inspired me to write this book is that I had so much fun working on the first book that I wanted to do another one.
How involved was the research?
I had a year to research and write Secret Spokane, same as for Unique Eats and Eateries of Spokane. The process involved brainstorming potential story ideas and tracking down historical images that are in the public domain. Spokane Public Library was a huge help. I also read a lot of public and historical documents as well as old newspaper articles, including some I wrote during my time at the Spokesman-Review where I was the food editor from 2013 to 2019. Those stories discuss the Spokane Hobbit House, Baby Bar, Greek Fest, Durkin’s Liquor Bar, Europa Restaurant and Bakery, and Pie and Whiskey—just to name a few.
What is the weirdest thing you discovered in your research?
I discovered all kinds of interesting things. I learned Charles Manson’s mother is buried in Spokane. I learned a little girl got her arm torn off by a polar bear in Manito Park back when it used to include a zoo. And then there’s this bizarre—and kind of scandalous—story: I learned that after a man, his new wife, and her three children died in a downtown apartment fire, it was found that he had another wife in another nearby downtown apartment and she didn’t know about the other woman. So her husband had been living this dual life. And when that story got out, a third wife—his first wife, actually, who was living in Montana with their three remaining children and didn’t know about his other two wives—came forward and ultimately had his remains brought home to Montana.
Did you find some good ghost stories?
Lots. You could write an entire book just on spooky Spokane. And, actually, several people already have. Spokane has haunted theaters, haunted mansions, haunted libraries, haunted gravesites, haunted disaster sites. A few haunted locations in this book include the restaurant and bar in the old Hillyard Library, the Bad Seed, which is reportedly haunted by a ghost named Veronica. There’s a cocktail named after her. There’s also the Music Building on the Gonzaga University campus. It’s an old mansion, and eerie things have been apparently happening there since the 1970s.
One ghost story that really stands out to me originates in 1920 at the Davenport Hotel. A guest—a widowed New York dressmaker—wasn’t feeling well and decided to skip dinner with her traveling companions. A short time later, she came crashing through the skylight that overlooks the lobby, falling 30 feet. She was conscious for a few seconds after hitting the floor, asking, “Where did I go?” before becoming incomprehensible. She died an hour later. Since then, guests have reported seeing an apparition of a woman dressed in 1920s attire, wandering around the second-floor mezzanine above the lobby. That chapter is Breaking the Glass Ceiling.
What is something even many Spokanites might not know about?
Spokane is home to a historical pet cemetery that dates to the 1930s. And it’s not at all creepy or scary in a Stephen King kind of way. In fact, it’s quite charming. It’s private property, and it’s fenced. But, from the sidewalk or alley, you can see these tiny gravestones for Spot, Rowdy, and other beloved pets from long ago.
How did your perspective on Spokane change while writing this book?
I already thought of Spokane as the arts and culture, culinary, and economic capital of the Inland Northwest. It’s a thriving, outdoorsy, approachable city with a relaxed and creative vibe. Working on this book gave me a deeper sense of place and history. It also strengthened my appreciation for Spokane and its quirks. It gave me an excuse, or a reason, to further explore the city, and it showed me places I didn’t know about or hadn’t been to before. It was a lot of fun—and also a privilege—to get to highlight places of historical and cultural significance as well as bizarre spots off the beaten path.
Is there something specific you hope your readers take away from Secret Spokane?
Spokane is full of interesting stuff—waterfalls, bridges, historical buildings, haunted mansions, works of art—that hide stories you’d never know or expect unless someone pointed them out. And that’s what Secret Spokane let me do. I get to point them out. I hope the book takes readers on a whimsical and maybe somewhat strange tour through the silly and surprising places that make Spokane special. I hope readers use the book to celebrate and engage with Spokane and see the city in a new light or grow to love it even more. I aimed to keep the tone approachable, straightforward and, in most cases, light-hearted and fun. So I also hope people just enjoy the stories. And I hope they learn something new about Spokane—whether they were born and raised in Spokane, lived in Spokane their entire lives, just moved to Spokane, or are just visiting. Secret Spokane is for anyone who wants to get to know the city better, and who is open to finding charm and history in places or things they might walk or drive but not really notice or know the stories behind.