Hands On Children's Museum

Olympic Peninsula & Washington Coast


This $9-million facility is the ne plus ultra of interactive fun for kids. Highlights include a climbable eagle's nest – a slide tumbles down from here to the Puget Sound interpretative area, where there's an underwater world and a crane-lift port. Open until 9pm on the first Friday of each month.

The WET (Water Education & Technology) Science Center next door (open 10am to 4pm Monday to Saturday) is dedicated to water-reclamation education (and has an artificial creek to play in). Admission is free.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Olympic Peninsula & Washington Coast attractions

1. Olympia Farmers Market

0.32 MILES

Second only to Seattle's Pike Place in size and character, Olympia's local market is a great place to shop for organic herbs, vegetables, flowers, baked…

2. Percival Landing Park

0.35 MILES

When Olympia was founded, its narrow harbor was a mudflat during low tides, but after years of dredging a workable harbor was established. This park, a…

3. Washington State Capitol

0.92 MILES

Olympia's capitol complex is set in a 30-acre park overlooking Capitol Lake with the Olympic Mountains glistening in the background. The campus' crowning…

4. Priest Point Park

1.65 MILES

Many Olympians cite this as their favorite park, for the lush green forest, the network of nature trails that lead to Budd Inlet on Puget Sound, the many…

5. Tumwater Falls Park

2.35 MILES

The historic town of Tumwater is where the Deschutes River empties out into Capitol Lake after its long run through the Cascade Mountains. Here at the…

6. Point Defiance

24.9 MILES

Take Ruston Way out to Point Defiance, a 700-acre park complex with free-roaming bison and mountain goats, a logging museum, a zoo, an aquari­um and miles…

7. Federal Courthouse

25.63 MILES

The Tacoma Federal Courthouse is a grand government building that features glass pieces by beloved local artist Dale Chihuly.

8. Tacoma Art Museum

25.69 MILES

For a look at his small-scale work, don't miss Dale Chihuly's permanent collection at the Tacoma Art Museum. While there you can also check out…