Downtown Pullman
Most visitors to Pullman, Washington, come to see Washington State University (WSU), but there is more to Pullman than just WSU. If you find yourself in the middle of downtown Pullman, Washington, you can rest assured that your day will not be a dull one.
Downtown Pullman is the home of many locally owned businesses. Not only will a walk downtown give you an opportunity to have a lot of fun, but it is a good way to see the rich history and culture of Pullman, Washington.
If you are going to go through Pullman, Washington, and you want to do it on foot, you can find a place to park around the corner of North Grand and NE Whitman Street and use the Pullman Chamber of Commerce as a starting point.
The Pullman Chamber of Commerce will give you much information, like brochures about what to see within the city and even places located outside of Pullman.
Near Scout’s Park, you’ll find a small fountain, which is a replica of an Artesian Well (Pullman was once called Artesian City). The Artesian Well isn’t the only piece of Pullman’s history that you will find in this area, as you will begin to see some dark tiles on the sidewalk. This is part of Pullman’s Walk of Fame, and each tile has the names of distinguished Pullman residents such as mayors, WSU presidents, and other outstanding members of the Pullman/WSU community.
If you head down Olsen Street, you can check out the interesting vintage store of Dregs or check out Neill Public Library. If you keep following Olsen until you hit Grand again, you will see the Cougar Plaza of the City of Pullman, complete with the Washington State University Logo (the iconic one) as well as a statue of Butch the Cougar (the official mascot of WSU).
Keep walking down Grand Avenue, and you’ll see a lot of interesting stores like Palouse Games, where you can just stop and play a game together. There is also Michelle’s Closet, an interesting consignment store. The RTOP theatre is also on Grand, and there might be a show to see. There are also many great restaurants on Grand, like O-Ramen and the Mandarin House. For dessert, check out Palouse Country Candy, located at the intersection of Main and Grand, which will please all tastes.
While you are Main and Grand, you can continue uphill on Main to The Gladish, and there is an art gallery known as Studio 509. If you don’t want to go uphill and out of the way for the arts, you can head down Grand Avenue for some great places such, as the Monarch Boutique, Kure & Co. Clothing store, and the Terracotta clay pot studio. Keep going down Grand, and you’ll hit Rockstar Tan Bar and A Modern Plantsman, which has a lot of live plants inside.
On Paradise Street, which starts at Rancho Viejo Mexican Restaurant, Paradise Creek Brewery, and Noshies.
Down the way, you will find the Hotel McCoy, the home of Art, Coffee, Beer, and Wine, as well as the Roost Coffee and Market and Foundry Restaurant at Bell Tower Event Venue.
Nearby, you’ll find Sanctuary: A Yoga, Barre, and Dance Studio, which has smoothies. There are some great benches and a bridge on this trail, and it will end with a charming waterfall.
Across the bridge you’ll find Thomas Hammer Coffee House, which has a huge mural on the outside and many great beverages inside if you need another break.
All of that makes for quite a great day/night in downtown Pullman, and you should take the time to explore even more of the city or even outside of it. There is also more to discover on the Palouse!