Published Date: 10-21-26

In the 1963 Looney Tunes short, “Transylvania 6-5000,” Bugs Bunny transforms the evil vampire Count Blood Count into a two-headed vulture by reciting the incantation “Walla Walla Washington.” That’s pretty awesome – but it’s not as awesome as the real Walla Walla – a charming city in Southeastern Washington known for its wine scene, its arts and culture, and its scenic natural beauty.

Today, we’re looking at our favorite creative destinations in Walla Walla, so take a seat, uncork your favorite pinot noir, and enjoy a digital excursion to Washington’s wine country.

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The Incubators at Walla Walla Airport District

On the outskirts of the Walla Walla Airport District, a row of colorful cottages sits huddled under the busy skies overhead. These are the Incubators, a cluster of facilities dedicated to helping fledgling vintners enter the wine business. While the whole region is known for its winemaking, the Incubators are a space reserved for experimentation.

These upstart entrepreneurs are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the winemaking space, all while giving visitors to Walla Walla the chance to be part of something new and exciting. One new tenant, Mast Year Cider Collective, is using Washington’s most famous crop, the apple, to craft sophisticated ciders. This is one airport where we wouldn’t mind having our flight delayed!

Gesa Power House Theatre

In 1890, the Walla Walla Gas Plant was built to produce coal gas and distribute it to local streetlights, homes, and businesses for lighting and heat. Today, coal gas has lost its popularity, and the building has been repurposed as Walla Walla’s premier performing arts theatre.

The interior design was modeled after Blackfriars Theatre in London, where William Shakespeare produced his plays indoors when the winter made it inconvenient to perform outside. Power House is operated by a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing high-quality performing arts to the Blue Mountain region.

Upcoming events include a live panel discussion on the history of Washington’s first highway, a screening series of films about fly fishing, and a “psychic stand-up” show featuring live comedy and tarot card readings. Our sixth sense is predicting you’ll have a good time in Walla Walla.

Whitman College Outdoor Sculpture Walk

Fancy a stroll while you appreciate Walla Walla’s artistic offerings? Consider taking a mosey through the Whitman College Outdoor Sculpture Walk. There are 21 sculptures in total along the path, most of which were created by local artists and Whitman College alumni.

Among the first sights you’ll see is a cast bronze figure of a horse, consisting of dozens of individually sculpted tree limbs. The pieces are modeled after pieces of driftwood taken from the nearby Columbia and Snake rivers. Later on your walk, you’ll encounter a 24-foot-tall totem pole carved by the Lummi Nation of Native Americans of northwestern Washington.

After appreciating these and several other wonderful sculptures, you’ll be back in Downtown Walla Walla, where there’s plenty more to explore.

The Downtown Walla Walla Wine District

Main Street Walla Walla has been called one of the most beautiful streets in the United States, and for good reason. It’s hard not to feel amazing when you’re sipping a Cabernet Sauvignon after enjoying a leisurely walk down a picturesque tree-lined boulevard. Downtown is home to the flagship locations of several of the region’s best wineries, but there’s more than just vino in this historic core of the city.

You’ll also find several hubs for Walla Walla’s local arts scene, including The Cotton Wool, a gallery and studio for modern craftwork housed in a historic building. Owner Kim Nemeth first came to Walla Walla as an AmeriCorps volunteer, working with local master weavers to develop a textile center in the region. Nemeth was so inspired by observing the artisans that she took up weaving herself and opened the Cotton Wool to celebrate the art of loom weaving.

Just steps away from The Cotton Wool is Combine Art Collective, a gallery featuring works by 14 local artists, in addition to special exhibits and featured collections. During the month of October, the gallery will be showing works from western artist Bonnie Griffith, whose stunning oil and cold wax paintings capture the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. 

Walla Walla Symphony

Founded in 1907, the Walla Walla Symphony is the oldest continuously operating symphony orchestra west of the Mississippi. What began as a local “symphony club” founded by some neighbors with a casual interest in music is now a fixture of the Walla Walla community, fostering a love and appreciation of classical music in Southeastern Washington through live performances, community programming, and educational outreach.

Most of the orchestra’s performances take place at Whitman College’s Cordiner Hall where (don’t worry) there is a wine sponsor for each concert. What can we say? Walla Wallans love their wine.

Demonstrating their commitment to arts education in the community, Walla Walla Symphony offers an instrument lending library so young people can get hands-on experience with orchestral instruments, regardless of their economic background.

Tamástslikt Cultural Institute

For over 16,000 years, the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla Tribes have inhabited the land where the city of Walla Walla sits. The Tamástslikt Cultural Institute is dedicated to telling the stories of these peoples, those who lived in the past, and the vibrant communities that still live in the region.

On your visit, you’ll see precious artworks and cultural artifacts from these indigenous groups. You’ll learn about their history with the land before the arrival of European settlers, and their struggle to remain independent in the face of Westward Expansion. The grounds surrounding the institute feature traditional dwellings used by the various tribes as they would have been used in the past.

A current special exhibit titled Tíkaaš – The Precious Art of Cradleboards celebrates the craftsmanship and artistry of traditional baby carriers used by tribal mothers to keep their hands free while doing their daily chores. While the Tíkaaš serve a utilitarian purpose, they are also stunning examples of native creativity.

Fort Walla Walla Museum

Walla Walla has long been known as the “Cradle of Pacific Northwest History.” At Fort Walla Walla Museum, more than 60,000 artifacts explore that rich history across a 15-acre educational campus. Make your way through 17 buildings from various points in the Walla Walla Valley’s history, each staged with period-accurate furnishings.

In the “Heritage Skills” series of classes, visitors can learn about historical handicrafts like candle making, blacksmithing, camp cooking, and more. One of the more unique offerings of the museum is the “Living History” series, a programming block of immersive historical reenactments that allow guests to experience a version of Walla Walla that’s long since passed.

The Lloyd family collection contains over 250 unique pieces of well-preserved Native American art. The collection is comprised of gifts given to the family of Albert G. Lloyd by the Palouse people, who lived beside one another for nearly a century in Southeastern Washington. Regarding the collection, the museum says this: “As we appreciate the vibrancy of color in woven bags, embroidery, baskets, and beadwork, we embrace a remarkable example for our time, a story of friendship between two different cultures.”

The Little Theatre of Walla Walla

Demonstrating the Walla Walla community’s commitment to the arts is the Little Theatre of Walla Walla, an aptly named tiny building on the edge of town where volunteers have been putting on productions for over 80 years. The building is delightfully quaint, perfectly encapsulating Walla Walla’s blend of small-town charm and cultural richness.

A recent fundraiser titled Wine, Dine & Death took patrons on a hair-raising murder mystery tour around the Whitman College campus, “where ivy-covered walls hide sinister secrets.” Hopefully, it’s not as scary as exam week!

There’s a host of great upcoming productions, including the Tony-winning® musical Come from Away, the historical play Inherit the Wind about the famous Scopes “Monkey” Trial, and a theatrical adaptation of the beloved children’s classic The Wind in the Willows.

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Well, that’s our roundup! We hope you’ve enjoyed your digital vacation to Walla Walla. If you end up going on a real-life visit to the town, we hope you’ll bring us back a case (or two) of wine. Something dark and jammy, but not too sweet, you know? Whatever you pick out is fine with us as long as it pairs well with art, music, film, or the creative craft of your choosing.

Until next time!