A Night at the Spokane Symphony

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Have you seen the Spokane Symphony yet? If not, attending the Spokane Symphony is a great way to get out, explore downtown, and listen to amazing performances from world-class musicians. Keep reading below for what you need to know about attending the Spokane Symphony in downtown Spokane.

Looking for more fun things to do in Spokane? Click here!

Visiting the Spokane Symphony

The Spokane Symphony’s home is located at The Fox, downtown Spokane’s art deco treasure. Specifically, The Fox is known as the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, so if you’re searching for The Fox on your GPS, you may need to search for Martin Woldson Theater. The Fox is located at 1001 W Sprague Ave.

The Fox opened in 1931 and is the only remaining large art deco-style theater north of San Francisco. Additionally, The Fox is on the National Register of Historic Places. Not to say the building is stuffy or run-down! The Fox staff does an amazing job at keeping the building in excellent condition and decorating the lobby to reflect what the current symphony is playing.

For example, we recently attended Haunted Hallows – The Music of Harry Potter, and The Fox staff did a fantastic job transforming the lobby areas into a Harry Potter wonderland. From Polyjuice Potion (for adults) to Butterbeer (non-alcoholic), flying dragons and Platform 9 3/4s, The Fox went all out!

The Fox actually hosts more than just the Symphony, so be sure to visit The Fox’s website to see what shows are coming up here.

Seating, Eating and Drinking at The Fox

There’s truly no bad spot in the house at The Fox, especially when you’re watching the symphony. The building has been completely restored, and you’ll hear it when you’re there. While we had seats up front for Harry Potter, even the balcony offers a great view and excellent sound. The Fox is a small enough theater that no matter where your seat is, you’ll still get a great performance.

At The Fox, you can also eat and drink. The concessions stand in the lobby (and, depending on how busy it is, upstairs as well) serves cocktails, beer, wine, desserts and appetizers. You can pre-order your drinks and/or food and have them waiting for you at intermission – no waiting in line!

We were able to order our drinks (a Polyjuice Potion for me!) at the Haunted Hallows event and take them into the theater, but be aware there are no cupholders, so you’ll be holding on to your drink until intermission.

Parking Around The Fox

For a sold out show, the parking surprisingly wasn’t that difficult. Yes, we did have to park on the 6th floor of a parking garage, but we were only 2 blocks away from the theater – a very easy walk in downtown Spokane. There are several parking options when you attend the Spokane Symphony, including:

“A limited number of reserved parking spaces are available for $12 per concert and can be purchased through the Box Office at 624-1200. Pre-paid parking must be purchased by the end of the day two days before the concert. The parking is located in the Parking West Garage lot one block west of the theater on Sprague Avenue.”

Pro-tip: Park for $5 (for four hours, $1 every hour after) at the Davenport Garage at Post and First (map directions below).

Things to Do in Downtown Spokane Before or After the Symphony

You can’t just visit the Spokane Symphony and not explore downtown! If you’re looking for places close by to eat and drink, here’s what you need to know.

Some businesses around the Symphony (not all of them are directly downtown) offer discounts to Symphony ticket holders, and you can learn more about those businesses here. Our recommendation? Although not directly downtown, Veraci Pizza is delicious and a must-visit!

For locations closer to downtown, we recommend:

• The Rain Lounge – a casual, well-decorated lounge with good drinks – directly across from the Symphony
• Scratch – also across from The Fox, serves terrific food
• Neato Burrito – one of the few food places open late (after 10 p.m.)
• Volstead Act – a very cool cocktail bar
• Steam Plant – one of Spokane’s most recognizable landmarks, Steam Plant is an overall restaurant, brewery and bar that offers something for everyone

Are There Discounts to the Spokane Symphony?

Yes! There are discounts for college and graduate students, plus group discounts, military discounts and special rush discounts you can find here.

Do I Have to Dress Up to Go to The Symphony?

The Symphony’s official policy is:

The Symphony provides a sophisticated musical experience, without sophisticated rules. Comfort is the key to enjoying your favorite Symphony music. We want your evening out to be as fun as possible, so dress up or dress down…as long as you dress comfortably.

Our most recent visit to the Symphony was for Harry Potter, so the atmosphere at that event was whimsical and casual. When you’re considering what to wear, think about which concert you’re attending: the upcoming Nutcracker, for example, would likely be more casual than attending a classic show like Rachmaninoff.

Overall, attending a concert at the Spokane Symphony is an excellent way to spend an afternoon or evening. You can find tickets in a variety of price points, parking is easy even for sold out shows, and you’ll have an excellent experience no matter where you’re sitting. Make it an evening out by visiting one of the many terrific bars and/or restaurants nearby – it’s the perfect night out in downtown Spokane!

For upcoming concerts for the Spokane Symphony, click here. For upcoming events at The Fox Theater, click here.