Cultural Attractions

The Bigelow House Museum: 918 Glass Ave. NE, Olympia.
Olympia's historic Bigelow House, built during the 1850's by pioneer lawyer Daniel R. Bigelow and his school teacher wife Ann Elizabeth, is one of the oldest homes still standing in the Pacific Northwest. The Bigelow House has been home to a single family - a family that saved things, so it contains a remarkable collection of original furnishings. Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 1:00-3:00 p.m. (April - October); Sunday, 1:00-3:00 p.m. (November - March); special tours by appointment. Call (360) 753-1215. Small admission fee.

The Hands On Children's Museum:106 11th Ave. SW, Olympia.  Hands On is one of the largest youth museums in the Northwest with over 10,000 square feet of exhibit space!  Designed for children and parents to enjoy together, the Museum contains four exhibit galleries with over 50 interactive exhibits, a Young at Art Studio, and the TotSpot in the Early Learning Gallery that's specially designed for kids four and under!

The State Capitol Museum, in the historic Lord Mansion, is a few blocks south of the Capitol Campus. Featuring two floors of exhibits, the museum offers interpretations of regional Native American history and a series of interesting temporary exhibits. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.. Saturdays from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.; closed on Sundays. Small admission fee. (360) 753-2580

The Washington Center for the Performing Arts hosts the Olympia Symphony Orchestra and dozens of other community theater, music, and dance groups. Many national acts stop here, too. For box office information call (360) 753-8586.

The historic Capital Theater (206 Fifth Avenue, SE) is home to the Olympia Film Society which offers innovative films throughout the year and an acclaimed film festival each November. Call (360) 754-6670 for details.

Music in the Park is Olympia's summer outdoor concert series, held Fridays at noon in Sylvester Park from mid-July through August. Twilight concerts known as Music in the Dark, take place in the park on Wednesday evenings during those same weeks, 6:30 p.m.

Arts Walk is Olympia's bi-annual arts celebration showcasing the quality and diversity of South Puget Sound's artistic and cultural resources. Organized and sponsored by the City of Olympia, the Olympia Arts Commission, and individuals, organizations, and businesses throughout the community. This event is held in April and again in October. Businesses open their doors to artists to display their unique talents. Take a stroll to one of the local coffee shops and view the latest from local watercolor artists. Go around the block and find performance art in a business store front window. Art Walk is a great way to meet friends, have a leisurely dinner, and experience local south sound culture. For information call Olympia's Parks, Arts, and Recreation Department, (360) 709-2678.

Art
From murals on back walls in alleys to an original Mark Tobey painting in the Washington State Library (on the Capitol Campus), you'll find plenty of art on display in Olympia.

Olympia Farmers Market
Mountains of dusky purple beets, mounds of red-skinned potatoes, pretty garden perennials and polished wooden toys wait for you at the open air Olympia Farmers Market. It's one of the best and busiest farmers markets in the state, second in size only to Seattle's Pike Place Market. If we sell it, we grew it, reads a sign over one local farmer's table. That goes for the handcrafts, fresh backed goods and tubs of fresh flowers, too. Almost all of the market's vendors either grow or make what they sell. This is more than a place to buy garlic and greens. It's a place to eat lunch, listen to live music and soak up the small town atmosphere. The Olympia Farmers Market is located downtown at the foot of Capitol Way. It is open Thursday through Sunday April through October; and weekends in November and December until Christmas. Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more information call (360) 352-9096.

Yashiro Japanese Garden
This traditional Asian garden, designed in the ancient hill and pond style, honors Olympia's sister city Yashiro, Japan. Classic gates, built without nails, open into a walled world where splashing water muffles the sound of the city. Smooth stones contrast with lacy maples and spiky clumps of iris. Two cutstone lanterns and a 13-tier pagoda were gifts to the garden from the city of Yashiro. Open daily until dusk; free.


The State Capitol Campus

Washington's opulent Legislative building, completed in 1928, was the last great domed capitol built in America. Set on a bluff overlooking Puget Sound, it stands 28 stories high. Forty-two broad granite steps lead up to the entrance which symbolize Washington's place as the 42nd state in the Union.

A team of thirty artisans spent five years carving the building's details in sandstone, marble, and wood, Stone ox skulls circle the base of the dome in a frieze that commemorates Washington's ox-cart pioneers. Elaborate plaster ceilings, rich with eagles and gilded rosettes, crown each legislative chamber. Interior railings and doorknobs bear the official state seal. Louis Comfort Tiffany in the last of his major commissions, designed the building's floor lamps, sconces, and chandeliers. His five-ton Angels of Mercy chandelier, centerpiece of the rotunda, hangs from the dome on a massive 101-foot chain. THE LEGISLATIVE BUILDING IS CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR REPAIRS. Tours are available of the Temple of Justice and the Capitol Campus grounds and memorials. For tour information, go to the State Capitol Visitor Information webpages, or call 360-586-8687.

The State Capitol Visitor Center is located at 14th Avenue and Capitol Way. The visitor center is open 8-5, Monday through Friday, September through May. Summer hours are 8-5, Monday through Friday, and 10-4 Saturday and Sunday. For more information call (360) 586-3460.


The Best Views in Town

PERCIVAL LANDING TOWER (north end of boardwalk)
A 360-degree panorama sweeps from the capitol dome--framed by a forest of sailboat masts--across Budd Inlet to the Olympic Mountains that gave this city its name. A schematic map points out prominent peaks.

BEACH AT PRIEST POINT PARK
An unusual look at the city skyline across the east bay of Budd Inlet, with the capitol rising above the town like a modern greek temple. Best seen from the pebbly beach on the north shore of Ellis Cove.

THURSTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE (2000 Lakeridge Drive, SW)
A backdoor look at Olympia, out over the glassy Capitol Lake to the town and the bay beyond.

HISTORIC WESTSIDE GROCERY (903) NW Rogers Street)
On sunny days, broad shouldered Mt. Rainier looms straight ahead from the porch of this 1904 corner store. Catch an even better view of the peak from your car, heading east down Harrison Avenue toward downtown.

MADISON SCENIC PARK (10th Avenue East at Lybarger Street)
From Olympia's east side, a territorial view of the city set against the dark backdrop of the rumpled Black Hills. An excellent place to watch sunsets.