Garden District Tour & Celebration this Weekend!

As Preservation Month wraps up, Coeur d’Alene’s historic Garden District neighborhood will be showcased with a neighborhood walking tour on Saturday, May 31 and a celebration on Sunday, June 1.  

Join the Garden District Tour, a special History Walk through Coeur d’Alene’s tree-lined Garden District to see and hear about a few of the homes found there that were built in the late 19th Century through the middle of the 20th Century. Nestled between 4th and 11th Streets from just north of Sherman Avenue to just south of Montana Avenue on the north, the Garden District was, and still is, Coeur d’Alene’s central historic core. Along the way, you will see where the movers and the shakers of the early years of the city built their homes, and you will hear some of the stories about those people and the homes they built. You will also see examples of the wide range of architectural styles used in building the homes and churches there, including many examples of Craftsman, Tudor Revival, Victorian, Prairie, Colonial, Queen Anne, and Art Deco designs. The tour is from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm. Tickets are available on the Museum of North Idaho’s website at https://museumni.org/event/garden-district-tour/

The culmination of Preservation Month will be the Garden District Celebration on June 1 at Phippeny Park located at 827 N 8^th Street.  Join Garden District property owners and residents, Historic Preservation Commission members, and local dignitaries for an unveiling of a National Register of Historic Places plaque designating the neighborhood as a historic district and the presentation of a National Register of Historic Places Certificate signed by Governor Little.  The certificate will be presented by Idaho State Historical Society Trustee Don Pischner.  There will be live music, activities, and participation by Coeur d’Alene’s Fire Department and Police Department.  The event is scheduled from 1:00 – 3:00 pm with the unveiling of the plaque and presentation of the certificate at 1:30 pm.  Light snacks and water will be provided.  

The Garden District’s designation as a historic district became official in April 2025 upon the listing of the neighborhood in the National Register of Historic Places.  This concludes a 6-year effort that began as a grassroots initiative led by Garden District property owners that resulted in a reconnaissance survey under the guidance of the Kootenai County Historic Preservation Commission. The work was handed over to Coeur d’Alene’s Historic Preservation Commission in 2021 to complete the nomination process to designate the neighborhood as a historic district.  Both the reconnaissance survey and nomination were funded through Certified Local Government grants with close coordination and assistance provided by the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office.

“The Idaho State Historical Society is thrilled to join the City of Coeur d’Alene in celebrating the community engagement that resulted in this monumental achievement. The National Register listing of the Coeur d’Alene Garden District Historic District is proof of the value of our trusted partnership and the power of preservation.” - Janet Gallimore, State Historic Preservation Officer and Executive Director, Idaho State Historical Society

[for more information, contact Hilary Patterson at 208-769-2270 or [email protected]]