This free discovery center across from the Children's Museum was a lot of fun, and educational…read more They have a scavenger hunt for the kids to do to help them learn more about water, and they get a prize once they finish it. They have a small free lot for parking which is nice. Staff was very friendly and helpful when the kids needed a hint about one of the questions on the scavenger hunt.

This place makes a great stop off if you happen to be next door at the Children's Museum or at some…read moreother location nearby. It might be better for older, science oriented kids, but adults will likely find it interesting as well. It's free and all they ask you do is provide some info about how many people are in your party and the zip code you are visiting from. It's a good rainy day activity and can provide some educational moments. There is an interactive scavenger hunt which involves doing 8 tasks and ends with the ability to choose a prize. The maze pen we won is pretty cool. My 10 year old nephew was easily able to complete all the tasks and seemed to enjoy doing it. Some things were like video games, which he seemed to like and maybe it will give him some ideas about career possibilities for the future. It was a good learning opportunity about the importance of saving water and learning about what happens to all the water we waste, etc. I wish I lived in Olympia and was able to trace where the water goes when I flush the toilet. It was nice that they ask you to share what you learn when you go to redeem your prize. I'm not sure if my 8 year old niece would have found it as interesting, but there are places to sit and some kitchen toys to play with if not. It looks like they also have some crafts available. Check it out if you are in the area.

Very interesting! Our guide was very knowledgeable and explained everything about the planes and…read morehelicopters. Our toddler grandson loved it too. It was well worth the visit!

My hubby's a SERIOUS aviation fan, and we're pretty spoiled by the Air Force museum here in the…read moreDayton, OH area, but the one plane that's his ABSOLUTE favorite, the Corsair, is MIA here in this area. We've been on a quest to find it here locally and on recent trips back east, with no luck, so when he heard that there was one on the W. Coast, not too far from where we would be visiting in Oregon, this tiny but well-laid out museum became our (his...) first MUST STOP location, even if it was several hours out of our way!! The Corsair was back on display after several years of being completely restored, and even from a non-fanatic's point of view, they did a GREAT job on this baby, and are justifiably proud of it here!! Interesting, informative displays, lots of history, and very informative friendly guides if you need more info. Not a ton to see, but if you're in the area (or even several hours/time zones away...) it's definitely worth a visit!!

A Seattle gem, free admission and donations appreciated. Small enough to be comfortable and large…read moreenough to be always interesting. Permanent collection housed in a large room of very well hung various interesting paintings. Always new art collections in other smaller rooms. Excellent programs offered like Wednesday meditation and See You at the Movies. Staff is welcoming and knowledgeable. Highly recommend!

I haven't been here in years and was pleasantly surprised! The exhibits were unique and…read moreinteresting to look at. It was free to get it, too! The store had random items in it that didn't really seem to match with anything that was exhibited, but my teen son was excited to find a little mini crow puppet there. All in all, it is a great museum right in the middle of town to check out every once in a while.

This museum was well planned and the exhibits are detailed and engaging. It helps that the staff…read moreall have been part of this community for 50+ years and we were fortunate to have Lisa on location as she knows everything about every detail of this community. The history of this tribe is inspiring and the art is of best quality I've ever seen. Cheers!!

This was a nice find while visiting the area. The museum is very educational about this Native…read moreAmerican people, their history, and their culture. My children enjoyed seeing many of the different tools that were used for catching fish and holding ceremonies. The architecture is intriguing as it is based on the Thunderbird. The museum and grounds are peaceful, allowing one to reflect on the history and culture of this people. The staff were friendly and the admission was reasonable. Visiting the museum was a great experience.

This was a really fun experience. Myself and my wife really enjoyed the two hour Chehalis valley…read morerailroad tour. We were in town for the weekend for other activities, and we decided to do this as a tourist activity as well. We took the last train of the day, so unfortunately we did not get to tour the museum as we were running late, but the train ride was amazing. The steam engine train is not running right now, which was a bummer, but they still run rides on a diesel engine train. We had a very funny conductor that kept us entertained. The ride was very peaceful and tranquil and on an older train so we appreciated the tranquility. There were not many people on the train with us, just two other couples. We were almost running late and the employee met us at the coach to give us our tickets, which was appreciated. The ride included pictures of the Chehalis River, scenery, wildlife, and more. The train and coach were definitely older, so we appreciated that classic vibe. I do know they also have special event dinner rides and such as well that they host several times per year. Overall, I definitely recommend the Chehalis railroad tour. It was a great experience!

Very fun they served hot chocolate and cookies and Santa was there the kids loved it.....I'd…read moredefinitely take the kids back to do it again..

My husband loves bonsai trees and while I think they look nice, I don't really know much about…read morethem. When I saw that we would be in the area of the Pacific Bonsai Museum on our most recent travels, I was super excited to put it on our itinerary. Unfortunately, while I was researching, I noticed that although this is an outdoor museum, they have a " service dogs welcome but no pets" policy. It was disappointed because we travel with our small dog so I decided to take it off our list of stops. When my husband noticed he was visibly saddened and I knew I had to do my best to see if we could make it work. I messaged the museum here on Yelp and explained my situation to them. They responded immediately, and said that although that is their policy, because my dog is small, well behaved, always on a leash and has no behavioral issues, staff would likely not approach me to ask me to leave or show my credentials. I truly appreciate their fast response and understanding. They have amazing customer service here. Our visit to the museum was lovely. Our dog enjoyed the shady walk along the path to get there and sat patiently while we looked around. The museum is not only gorgeous, but laid out by region, so it's almost like walking through the world showcase at EPCOT but better because there were no crowds and the environment was incredibly peaceful. It was so interesting to see all the bonsais displayed and to learn about them. Masterfully designed and curated and incredibly tranquil, it was definitely one of the highlights of our stops in the area. I encourage you to stop by and to donate to this amazing museum if you have the opportunity.

The Bonsai Museum is a hidden gem. We had a few hours to kill before picking up dinner and heading…read moreover to my cousins house. Since she and her family live in Fife, I ordered and scheduled pickup for 2:30 pm in Federal Way. We weren't what to do in the meantime and so I looked up botanical parks. The bonsai Museum and the Rododendron botanical Park came up. We noticed they were across from each other and so we headed over to the parks. It's a nice drive over there as everything is so green and lush. Once we parked, we noticed that we needed to walk a bit to get to the exhibits. Once we got to the exhibits, the Rododendron botanical park was on the left side with $12 entrance fee and on the right side was the bonsai Museum with free entry. On the outside, they do have restrooms available before heading into the bonsai museum We didn't know what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised with all the bonsai displays they had by the different artists from different countries, and there were a lot. It took us about 30 minutes to get through the entire exhibit. We would've stayed longer to read all the information, but we were running short on time and we still wanted to visit the botanical park across the way. I highly recommend the Pacific Bonsai Museum if you're in the Federal Way area especially because it's free.

I was told Hands On Children's Museum is a must do with kids and I'm glad we finally got here…read morebefore we move back east. I think we spent close to 5 hours here and my kids would of stayed longer but I had a few stops to make and saw their was going to be some traffic going home so decided it was time to go. There 2 floors and a decent size outdoor area. It was rainy when we went but that didn't stop by kids from checking out the outdoor area. The art lab was huge. There were so many things to check out my kids were so engaged and didn't want to leave.

Children's museum is always awesome and my nephew had such a fun time. The food was pretty good - a…read morestep above fast food. I got the pizza quesadilla and while it was pretty basic it did genuinely taste good, especially dipped in their marinara sauce. Big pieces of pepperoni and melted cheese. The chicken bites were decent, the breading was a little thicker than I would have liked but the chicken meat was moist. The slushie was, well, a slushie. It didn't feel overpriced and as far as having food in the building after kiddos play for hours and hours, I was pretty happy with our meal. It's worth it to just grab some lunch here if the kids are hungry!

This is a famous Tacoma landmark - a glass bridge that performs its job well as a pedestrian bridge…read morewith a touch of beauty from the glass artwork instillation that lines the sides of the bridge. It's a great alternative to visiting the Museum of Glass for people who are short on time or arriving during closed hours (this bridge is open 27/7), yet still want to experience some beauty in their lives. This bridge connects the Thea Foss Waterway and the Museum of Glass. When I visited, it was quite hot and the sun was beating down. This illuminated the three amazing Chihuly glass installations, but I wished that there was more than a little covered area on the bridge to protect me. Oh well, they do say that beauty is pain, don't they? I saw that there were multiple photographers on the bridge to take in the peaceful surroundings. Definitely don't miss this in your visit to Tacoma.

On our drive north, we made a quick stop at the Bridge of Glass, and it was worth the 15-minute…read moredetour. Parking was easy, and it was the perfect place to stretch our legs while enjoying some beautiful public art. We didn't have time to visit the Museum of Glass, so I was glad we could still experience some of Chihuly's work with this free outdoor exhibit. From the bridge, it also looked like the nearby courthouse features Chihuly glass, but unfortunately, we didn't have time to explore further. If you're passing through Tacoma, this is an easy, free stop that's well worth it. It's a great way to experience a bit of Pacific Northwest art and it's perfect for a few memorable photos before getting back on the road.

The volunteer that met us at the entrance was very knowledgeable and seemed passionate about his…read morejob. Great museum with educational videos, and some hands on for both adults and children.

My wife and I had the best time exploring this museum. We spent over 3 hours looking over and…read morereading the fascinating displays. There's tons to see and learn and knowledgeable docents to add their personal knowledge and life experience. The parking is plentiful and free and admission is free, but why not sign the visitor book and then donate a few bucks to this great place to help keep things going. Very highly recommended!