Entry No. 20 — the Spokane file — filed under: roadside-oddity
Garbage Goat
A roughly 200-pound corten-steel billy goat tucked into a basalt 'Goat Grotto' actually vacuums up litter through its mouth, sucking trash down a 4.5-inch tube into a hidden bin. It was welded in 1974 by Sister Paula Mary Turnbull, a nun-artist known locally as 'the welding nun,' for the ecology-themed Expo '74 world's fair. Decades later it's still sucking, having reportedly 'eaten' over 14,000 cubic yards of garbage. Feeding it a candy wrapper is a beloved Spokane rite of passage.
The story
If you wander past the Looff Carrousel in Riverfront Park, you'll spot a 200-pound corten-steel billy goat emerging from a wall of dark, jagged basalt columns. It looks like standard park art until you get close enough to hear the low mechanical hum coming from its gullet. This is Spokane’s Garbage Goat, and it doesn't just sit there—it actively devours your trash.
The beast was welded together in 1974 for Expo '74, the world's fair that reshaped downtown Spokane around an environmental theme. Its creator was Sister Paula Mary Turnbull, a local Catholic nun and sculptor known across town as 'the welding nun.' Rather than building a static monument to ecology, Sister Paula designed a functional motorized trash collector. Hold a paper napkin or candy wrapper near its open metal mouth, and an internal vacuum system yanks the scrap down a 4.5-inch tube into a concealed bin hidden behind the stone grotto.
Decades after the world's fair packed up, the goat is still on duty. It has swallowed well over 14,000 cubic yards of garbage since the Nixon administration, turning litter disposal into a beloved local sacrament. While other cities install standard municipal cans, Spokane keeps a half-ton iron goat on the city payroll to suck up scrap paper.
What it's like
Head just east of the historic Looff Carrousel building and look for the basalt rock grotto. You'll usually find a small cluster of locals or kids standing around clutching paper receipts and napkins, waiting for a turn at the goat's mouth. Hold your paper scrap near the lips until you hear the distinct *whoosh* as the vacuum takes hold. Keep your scraps small—jamming rigid plastic or bulky food containers into the 4.5-inch pipe is the easiest way to break the mechanism. In the dead of winter, park staff sometimes shut the vacuum motor off to protect the intake from freezing up, but the rest of the year it runs during park hours.
The move: Take turns feeding the goat scraps of paper and listen for the satisfying whoosh, then ride the historic Looff Carrousel a few steps away.
📍 Before you go Free, outdoors, near the carrousel; the vacuum runs during park operating hours and may be off in deep winter.
- 📍 Spokane (Riverfront Park)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Riverfront Park, near the Looff Carrousel, Spokane, WA 99201
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- The Childhood Express (Giant Red Wagon) — Walk a few hundred yards across the park lawn to climb another oversized Expo '74-era steel icon.
- Rotary Riverfront Fountain — Keep the interactive public art streak going by heading over to Harold Balazs's walk-in abstract sprinkler structure.
- Boo Radley's — Head two blocks south into downtown to trade park oddities for pop-culture novelties and weird gifts.
Good to know
How does the Garbage Goat work?
An internal vacuum pump powered by the park's electrical grid creates continuous suction at the goat's mouth, drawing paper and small trash down a 4.5-inch tube into a hidden collection container inside the basalt grotto.
Who built the sculpture?
It was created in 1974 by Sister Paula Mary Turnbull, a Spokane-based nun and artist dubbed 'the welding nun,' who sculpted several prominent public metal artworks around the city.
Is it free to feed the goat?
Yes. It sits in a public outdoor section of Riverfront Park and costs nothing to operate—just bring your own paper trash.
What should I avoid feeding it?
Stick to paper scraps, napkins, and thin wrappers. Large plastic cups, heavy cardboard, or bulky items can clog the 4.5-inch tube and force staff to clear the throat.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · Atlas Obscura · spokanehistorical.org · spokesman.com · Reddit · Roadside America
last checked: 2026-06-24