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 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.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-24