Now, you’re standing in front of the new, much bigger home on East Bay. When they opened these doors in 2012, the crowds nearly doubled overnight-300,000 visitors in the very first year! The energy here practically hums. It’s like someone bottled childhood wonder and sprayed it everywhere.
Step inside and you’ll find eight fantastical galleries. There’s “Good For You!”-where kids can pretend to be chefs, nutritionists, or maybe just sneak a few imaginary veggies onto their plate. Or “Our Puget Sound,” where watery mysteries are just waiting to be uncovered. And if anyone’s a fan of tiny emergencies, there’s even “Emergency!” where kids tackle the town’s pretend disasters. The “Our Fabulous Forest” gallery lets everyone go a little wild in the woods. And if you hear excited shrieks, they’re probably coming from the “Tides-to-Trees Climber”-a two-story jungle gym crossed with a science experiment.
But let’s not stop at the front door-the Outdoor Discovery Center is the stuff of muddy dreams. There’s a Mud Pie Pit (bring your bravest washing machine!), Driftwood Forts, a real live Beach, and Raccoon Run-a sculpture tangled with sticks and stories. It’s all about letting kids go a little wild. Not to mention, after the museum was chosen as one of only three places in the country to show off new ways to connect kids to nature, Olympia became a secret headquarters for pint-sized adventurers.
And at the heart of it all? The belief that every child deserves to explore-no matter their background. With free family passes, classes, support programs, and their huge “Sand in the City” festival, everyone gets to play. Oh-and before I forget-this is the first children’s museum in the country to earn three Green Globes and LEED certification, so you can feel good about all that fun, too.
Ready to ignite your curiosity? If you’re not careful, you might have so much fun, you’ll want to come back tomorrow-maybe even borrow a kid as your excuse!
