Entry No. 14 — the Spokane file — filed under: offbeat-museum
Fire Lookout Museum
Ray and Rita Kresek turned their one-acre north Spokane home into a shrine to forest fire lookout towers, packing in roughly 19,000 artifacts: Osborne firefinders, a restored lookout cab, vintage ranger radios and telephones, dozens of weather instruments, and 2,100+ Smokey Bear collectables they bill as possibly the world's largest such collection. There are real towers on the grounds too, including a restored 1930s L-6 and a 1936 CCC-built guard station moved in from Usk. It started as one man's obsession with the lonely mountaintop watchtowers and grew into the definitive archive of a vanishing profession. Admission is free, the tour is led by the family who built it, and it runs by appointment only March through November (call ahead, 509-466-9171).
The story
In a quiet residential neighborhood in north Spokane, Ray and Rita Kresek turned their one-acre yard into a shrine for an endangered slice of Northwest history: timberline fire watchtowers. What started in 1969 as Ray’s personal preservation effort—the Historic Lookout Project—eventually took over the entire property. Today, it stands as the definitive archive of a vanishing profession, holding roughly 19,000 artifacts dedicated to the lonely rangers who once scanned the forest canopy for wisps of smoke.
The grounds are laid out like a salvaged Forest Service compound rebuilt piece by piece. You'll find a 1936 CCC-built guard station trucked in from Usk, Washington, and an L-6 tower assembled from the Frankenstein-style remains of seven different torn-down 1930s lookouts. Inside the cabs and display rooms, the collection packs in Osborne firefinders, hand-crank radios, vintage weather instruments, and an overwhelming wall-to-wall hoard of over 2,100 Smokey Bear items—widely considered the largest collection of its kind on the planet.
What it's like
Because this museum sits on a private residential lot, you can't just roll up unannounced. You have to call Ray directly (509-466-9171) to arrange a slot between March and November. When you arrive, you aren't getting a slick canned tour; you're stepping into a backyard archive guided by the historian who wrote the book on fire lookouts. Expect him to demonstrate how an Osborne firefinder actually pinpoints a blaze, walk you through real restored cabs, and share decades of obsessively gathered backcountry lore.
The move: Book an appointment and let Ray walk you both through the Smokey Bear hoard and the lookout-tower relics, then drive up to a real fire lookout for the view.
📍 Before you go Open March through November by appointment only; call (509) 466-9171 ahead. It is essentially a visit to the owners' home, so be courteous and flexible on timing.
- 📍 Spokane (north of downtown)
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 123 W Westview Ave, Spokane, WA 99218
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Mary Lou's Milk Bottle — Pair a tour of 1930s forest service relics with a diner burger inside a 1935 giant milk bottle down in the Garland District.
- Spokane Neon Museum — Keep the local preservation obsession going by moving from salvaged mountain lookouts to a warehouse packed with restored vintage Spokane neon signs.
- Midnight Movies at The Garland Theater — Cap off an afternoon of niche regional history with late-night cult cinema inside a 1945 neighborhood movie palace.
Good to know
How much does it cost to visit?
Admission is free, though the museum is non-profit and run directly out of the Kresek family home.
How do I schedule a visit?
The museum operates by appointment only from spring through November. You must call (509) 466-9171 in advance to arrange a time.
Where is the museum located?
It is located on a one-acre residential property at 123 W Westview Ave in north Spokane.
What kind of items will I see?
Expect full-scale lookout towers, a 1936 guard station, vintage ranger radios and telephones, weather instruments, Osborne firefinders, and over 2,100 Smokey Bear collectibles.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · outthereoutdoors.com · spokesman.com · mynorthwest.com · nhlr.org
last checked: 2026-06-24