Downtown Olympia is home to several iconic destinations that draw crowds of locals, families and visitors all year round. The ever-bustling Hands On Children’s Museum is one of the most popular tourism hubs thanks to their creative, interactive, immersive play experiences both indoors and out.
Located in the Port of Olympia’s East Bay waterfront District, the Hands On Children’s Museum welcomes community guests, school groups and even after-hours adults seven days a week. Thanks to partnership with the Port, they’re working towards future expansion of their nationally recognized and award-winning offerings.
Expanding Olympia’s Hands On Children’s Museum Means More Fun for Everyone
The Hands On Children’s Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that was founded in 1987 and moved to its current waterfront home in 2012. They serve more than 300,000 visitors each year and partner with regional organizations, individuals, schools, social service agencies, Tribes, medical professionals, nonprofits, regional artists and educators.
“From our earliest days of operation, the Hands On Children’s Museum has wanted to build its permanent home on Olympia’s East Bay,” shares CEO Patty Belmonte. “We imagined the benefits of developing a destination attraction on the waterfront that would connect children and families to the Puget Sound, serve as a catalyst for downtown and warehouse district revitalization and reclaim a brownfield site for public use.”
Their current location, Belmonte says, has far exceeded expectations. “Its re-affirmed its value to the community as a space that draws a broad array of visitors to both the museum and the neighboring waterfront area,” she adds. “As a treasured amenity for residents and visitors alike, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand our current footprint and take the next step in the organization’s growth to serve more families and improve the visitor experience.”
The Port of Olympia Is Proud to Help the Hands On Children’s Museum Grow
Port Commission President Jasmine Vasavada is proud that the Port, who owns key parcels across the downtown peninsula, can partner with Hands On Children’s Museum in realizing a shared vision of economic opportunity and community vitality. Vasavada explains that they regularly choose to support projects with a broad community benefit which welcome visitors – both guests and locals alike – to the central corridor.
By helping the Hands On Children’s Museum grow, the Port knows tourism revenue will increase and allow both visitors and residents to enjoy the public amenities and natural wonders of downtown Olympia.
But Vasavada and the other commissioners aren’t just focused on the Hands On Children’s Museum’s growth plan. They’re also working to recruit businesses to the Swantown Marina area as well as filling two currently vacant Port properties. Thanks to a new lease at the Olympia Regional Airport, they hope to invest in exploring the feasibility of supporting electric aviation.
In addition to land and air ventures, Vasavada says the Port’s new leadership team is “actively working to build partnerships with other local jurisdictions. We hope to consult with Intercity Transit about launching passenger ferry service to connect to SeaTac without getting stranded on I-5.”
Downtown Olympia Community Partnerships: Working Together for a Bright, Fun Future
You can follow updates from the Port of Olympia through their Facebook, Instagram, X and newsletter. They even have an informative YouTube channel with videos from the working waterfront and beyond.
For information about the Hands On Children’s Museum, check out their Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages. The museum also has a newsletter, which details schedule changes, visiting exhibits, news and special events.
The Port welcomes community involvement in their upcoming projects. They maintain a Citizens Advisory Committee which meets regularly and staff offer free educational walking tours. These take attendees behind the scenes of daily operations and explain the Port of Olympia’s detailed role in global trade and Thurston County economic development.
If you can’t come to them, consider requesting a speaker from the Port of Olympia for your next neighborhood association, community, club or professional organization meeting.
And don’t forget that the Port also hosts some of our most popular, festive and fun festivals, events and activities. From Procession of the Species to the Olympic Air Show, Movies at the Marina, South Sound Block Party, Summer Nights at the Port to Capital City Pride, Music in the Park at Port Plaza, Harbor Days to Oly on Ice, there’s something for everyone all year round. Because the best partnerships are hands on, community focused and a whole lot of fun.
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