Best for: Easy outdoor access close to town
Location: East of Walla Walla
Price: Free

Five miles east of downtown, Bennington Lake sits within a 600-acre recreation area built around a flood control reservoir completed by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1941. More than 20 miles of trails wind through the property, ranging from an easy 1.7-mile loop to a 4.8-mile perimeter trail. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout each spring and sits along the Sun and Sage National Birding Trail. Free, open year round.

Best for: History buffs with kids
Location: Walla Walla
Price: $

On the grounds of a 19th-century military fort, Fort Walla Walla Museum sprawls across 17 acres with five exhibit halls and a 17-building pioneer village staged with artifacts. Highlights include Washington state’s oldest surviving locomotive, a life-size 33-mule team harvesting a wheat field, and a replica jail cell from the Washington State Penitentiary — the same walls that inspired a certain local winery’s name. Living history performances run throughout the year. A good choice for families. Open daily.

Best for: Farm-to-table enthusiasts
Location: Walla Walla
Price: $–$$

Founded by Amy and Jeff Dietrich in 2006, Frog Hollow Farm is a certified organic, eight-acre farm on the banks of the Walla Walla River. They grow 100 varieties of heirloom tomatoes alongside vegetables, herbs, and flowers. The farm store also sells artisan foods and gifts. Come summer, u-pick vegetables and flowers are offered, while seasonal classes in tea blending and canning round out the offer. Open spring through fall.

Best for: Local produce and handmade goods
Location: Downtown Walla Walla
Price: Free to enter

If you enjoy browsing food halls to see how a community eats, carve out time for this weekly market. Every Saturday from May through October, the Farmers Market Pavilion on Main Street fills with farm-fresh produce, local meats and dairy, baked goods, and handmade products. Food trucks and live music turn it into a relaxed, sociable morning. Pick up something for a picnic in the vineyards. Open rain or shine.

Best for: Honey tasting
Location: Milton-Freewater, Oregon (15 minutes from downtown)
Price: $

The Lieuallen family has kept bees since 1860; today, 5th-generation beekeepers Ryan and Stacie run Sweet Bee Honey on 15 acres above the Walla Walla River. Inside their tasting room, try a flight of eight honeys to learn how the flavor shifts with the season and flora. Through their foundation, the family has restored 60 acres of habitat, with a walking path where visitors can see pollinators at work. A family-friendly stop.

Best for: Live performances and historic architecture
Location: Downtown Walla Walla
Price: $–$$

Walla Walla’s Gesa Power House Theatre began as an early 1900s electricity-generating facility that lit the city’s streets and homes. It sat vacant for decades before the Port of Walla Walla donated it to the community in 1994. In 2011 it was converted into a 300-seat performing arts venue with an interior modeled on Shakespeare’s Blackfriars Theatre in London. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, it stages concerts, comedy, and theater year-round, with summer chamber music a particular draw. Check the calendar before your visit.

Best for: Nature-lovers looking for wilderness
Location: Blue Mountains near Dayton, WA
Price: $

A 330-acre private wildlife sanctuary in the Blue Mountains of Washington, Jasper Mountain Reserve sits at 3,400 feet on former logging and cattle land now being restored to native habitat. Founded by conservationist Hartmut Stecher, the nonprofit offers 13.1 miles of trail for hiking, trail running, birding, and wildlife viewing across a mosaic of arid slopes and forested ravines. Day pass required. Open April through November. Order lunch from Graze before heading up.

Best for: Indigenous culture
Location: Near Pendleton, Oregon
Price: $; free first Friday

About 50 minutes from Walla Walla near Pendleton, Oregon, Tamástslikt — meaning “interpret” in the Walla Walla native language — is the only Native American museum along the Oregon Trail. Operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the museum tells the story of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla peoples across 10,000 years through artifacts, photography, and interactive exhibits. The Kinship Cafe serves Native-inspired lunch on site. Open Tuesday through Saturday. Free admission the first Friday of every month.

Best for: A free afternoon walk with art
Location: Whitman College
Price: Free

A self-guided walk through the Whitman College campus takes in 29 outdoor sculptures across roughly 1.5 miles of tree-lined grounds. Several pieces were cast at the Walla Walla Foundry, including a Jim Dine bronze and Deborah Butterfield’s iconic driftwood horse. Free, open year-round, and dog-friendly. Pick up a coffee from Carte beforehand — the best specialty coffee in town.

Best for: Planning a trip around a tasting event
Location: Walla Walla Valley
Price: Varies by event

Walla Walla’s wine calendar gives you a reason to visit in any season. Summer brings Celebrate Walla Walla Valley Wine in June, the heavy-metal-meets-wine Blood of Gods in July, and the Basalt Bash auction in the Rocks District, which raises money for local schools. Fall Release and Grenache Fest land in early November, the latter now in nearby Waitsburg. Wrap up the year with Holiday Barrel Weekend in December and Spring Release in May. Check each event for current dates.