Connell

Connell offers travelers several specific points of interest: local railroad history, the North Franklin Heritage Museum, public art, and trails and parks. The city was founded in 1883 as a railroad stop under the name Palouse Junction. When planning your stay, you can choose from a range of activities—from visiting the museum and seeing public art to spending time in the parks.

Connell and Its History

The North Franklin Heritage Museum includes a restored 1904 Gothic Revival church. Its collection also offers several ways to explore local history: it includes historical artifacts, photographs, costumes, tools, and furniture, as well as DVDs featuring oral histories, books on local history, maps, brochures, obituaries, and school photos. The museum is open Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; appointments may be available at other times. Check the hours before you arrive if you are planning your stay around a museum visit.

Public Art

Several works of art tell stories about Connell and its surroundings. The Harvest History Mural, a Downtown Development Group project, is based on a photograph provided by Feathers Thompson in 1928. It depicts a large team of draft horses in front of an early combine harvester. The steel flower sculptures “Prairie Flowers, Potato & Wheat” add another visual feature: six of these sculptures stand along Connell’s roughly one-mile walking and biking path.

Tom Otterness’s “Wild Life” series of bronze sculptures runs along Columbia Avenue, with benches and tables complementing the series. The “Stalk of Wheat” sculpture is on the footpath next to Highway 395, near Pioneer Park and East Elm Street. If you would like to see murals and sculptures on foot, a walking map brochure is available for Connell. You can use it to include art and local stories in your plans.

Trails and Getting Around

The Connell Community Bike Path runs parallel to U.S. Highway 395 and is just under one mile long. The path has four entrances and exits. It offers an option for cycling.

Parks also add to the selection of places you can compare when planning your trip. Historic Old Town Park at 350 W. Adams Street was Connell’s first community park. It has public restrooms, a half-court basketball court, a volleyball court, swings, and climbing bars. The skatepark is located in Pioneer Park at 341 E. Birch Street. There is also a park at the intersection of East Clark Street and North Chelan, with a large soccer field, a goal, and a ball rebound net.

Event and Bus Service

The Connell Fall Festival is an annual community event that has been celebrated for more than 100 years. If an event affects your stay, check the dates in advance. For travel, the Wheat Line intercity bus connects Connell with Pasco, Eltopia, Othello, Moses Lake, Ritzville, and Spokane. Check the schedule before your trip so you can include the service in your plans.

Discover more destinations: Pasco, West Pasco.

Return to the main travel overview: Franklin County.