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!

This is a sad little museum. There are many things, but almost nothing has context. Plenty of signs…read moresaying "don't touch" or "not for sale" but nothing to explain what I was looking at. The walls are covered in faded, unlabeled pictures of people and airplanes. There are cases jammed full of items that are difficult to look out due to the poor displays, and have no labels so what are they? It was reasonably priced at $7, but only took 5 minutes to wander through.

Great option for a free museum in Seattle! It's a bit smaller but still full of great art work…read more There is also a store/gift shop & cafe in site!

The Frye Art Museum, located in downtown Seattle, was found on Yelp. I did notice that people said…read morenot to have a car so we walked here from the hotel which is about a 20-minute walk. Some uphill walks but it was a nice walk actually. The museum is free which is nice you walk through and it is pretty much filled with many unique rooms, each with different pieces of art. It was pretty quiet but I do enjoy the placement of every piece. It's not a big museum so this probably won't take up so much time.

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..

Admission to the Pacific Bonsai Museum is free and there were a vast amount of bonsai trees on…read moredisplay. I loved that the exhibit is located among the Pacific Northwest trees. I enjoyed seeing the variety and reading about its history from the original owner who started the growth of the tree. This museum is next to the former Weyerhaeuser headquarters which is now vacant. Highly recommend this museum whether you are a bonsai fan or not.

Oh my godddd; easily one of the most incredible hidden gems we've found. Simply WOW…read more It's free (donation-based) and an absolutely lovely time. Some of the trees are hundreds of years old, and we learned so much about the art of bonsai while exploring the huge variety of beautiful trees on display. We spent a little over an hour wandering around and honestly could have stayed longer. A stunning, peaceful, must-visit spot for any tree lover!

I don't often find myself in Olympia but when I do and I have the family in tow, then this is it!…read moreThis is the family friendly, rain or shine you're going to want to visit. The Museum is quite large with both indoor and outdoor space. There's a cafe area with food and drinks. I was quite impressed about the amount of activities to do from crafts, to science projects to all sorts of ways to flex your creative muscles. This was quite the experience and bonus points for all the seating for adults. I can't wait to come pack!

A must-go for all families with littles. Hours of exploration and hands-on entertainment. Our…read moredaughter especially enjoyed the bubbles and water exhibits. What could be better than endless play stations for them and zero cleanup for us?! Would go again and again.

Interesting history but marred by overly strong messaging about women's suffrage, including a table…read moremanned by the members of the League of Women Voters advising me how to vote on legislative issues. I came for history, not politics.

I'm so glad I did this today! What a huge piece of amazing history. Our guild Kristen was full of…read moreknowledge and you can see her heart through her presentation. She spent over an hour and I could tell she could go on for hours! I'm excited to explore more of that area so rich in Olympia history.

Great bridge to see the city view and the high way. The bridge connects the city to harbor and…read moreglass museum. It has great promenade on other side of the bridge to connect the harbor. On the bridge it displays some of the beautiful glass sculptures. You will pass cover walkway with flower type glasses on top. Then it is two glass pillars. Then follow by the grass sculpture cabinet. It really beautiful.

Free and a magnificently beautiful walk. I saw a small inconspicuous sign and followed it to a…read morebeautiful public display of Chihuly glass art. Please come and create your own adventure.

If you appreciate our great military forces, you will enjoy visiting this beautiful Naval Museum…read more The history of undersea warfare is definitely on full display and proud Americans will be impressed and other visitors will be delighted. The admission is free and the volunteers are very knowledgeable.

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!