Education, fun, and a family vacation rolled into one? Consider it done when your family visits Thurston County. These days, museums are not just for quietly walking around, daring not to touch anything. At the Hands on Children's Museum, each play area has been designed for maximum interactive, imaginative play. From a water table to a spacious arts-and-crafts room, the museum will provide hours of entertainment. At the Olympic Flight Museum you can climb into the cockpit of an historical war plane and let your imagination take flight. Take an up-close look at their World War II-ear planes, original artwork, rate aircraft models, and other memorabilia.
(Text provided by the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater Visitor & Convention Center)
We hope you will have time to visit all of our wonderful museums while you are visiting Olympia.
Bigelow House Museum
Oldest in Olympia (circa 1860)
The Bigelow House Museum is the oldest residence in Olympia, Washington, and one of the oldest still standing in the Pacific Northwest. Open Sun 1-3 Memorial Day through Labor Day, year round by appt. • 918 Glass Avenue NE • (360) 753-1215
Crosby House Museum
The Crosby House dates from ca. 1860 and was built by Nathaniel Crosby III. Nathaniel III had married Cordelia Jane Smith in August 1860. Miss Smith was the daughter of Jacob and Priscilla Smith who lived in the Lacey area. Open Thu, Fri and Sun, 1-4 • Deschutes Way
Hands on Children's Museum
Visit the award-winning Hands On Museum, explore the waterfront, shop in our quaint and historic downtown, and visit the Farmer's Market.
Lacey Museum
The Lacey Museum is located in an historic structure originally built in 1926 by Fred Russell as a private residence. In the late 1940s the building was used by the Lacey Volunteer Fire Department, and was later used as city hall when Lacey was incorporated as a city in 1966. City government outgrew the facility, and by 1979 the decision was made to create a local museum on land donated by Lacey Women's Club. The building was moved, and in 1981 the Lacey Museum opened to the public.
Olympic Flight Museum
The Olympic Flight Museum is an active flying museum. It is a place where aviation history is alive and honored. We contribute to local air shows and host our own annual Northwest Gathering of Warbirds in June.
Tenino Depot Museum
The sandstone building housing the museum was built in 1914 as a Northern Pacific depot and was active until after WW II. On the main line between Seattle and Portland, eight or nine trains daily stopped here at the height of train travel. In 1965, NP sold it to the town and with the help of a Federal grant, it was moved ten blocks to a city park and converted to a museum.
Washington State Museum
Begin your journey through Washington with an architectural masterpiece: designed by Charles Moore and Arthur Andersson, the 106,000 square foot museum building stands proudly on Pacific Avenue in Tacoma. The museum boasts soaring spaces and dramatic archways that invite you into a history experience full of colors, textures, sights, and sounds.
Area Museums
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