Olympia Downtown Historic District

The Capitol Theater, at 206 East Fifth Avenue in downtown Olympia, Washington, was built in 1924. It was designed by architect Joseph Wohleb and has a capacity of 1,500. Since 1986, the Olympia Film Society operates the theater. The theater suffered major plaster damage to the ceiling during the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, but has since undergone repair and has re-opened. The marquee, a 1940 addition, was removed in January 2008. The theater played host to the International Pop Underground Convention, a punk and indie rock music festival in 1991, as well as the similarly themed Yoyo A Go Go in 1994, 1997, 1999, and 2001.

The Mottman Building is an historic commercial building located at the Northwest corner of Capitol Way N & 4th Ave W in downtown Olympia, Washington. Originally constructed in 1888 as the Olympic Block by Samuel Williams for Toklas & Kaufman to house their department store, the building was remodeled and expanded to its current state in 1911 by prominent Olympia realtor and eventual mayor George Mottman, whose own department store, the Mottman Mercantile, occupied the building until 1967. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

The Elks Building in Olympia, Washington is a concrete building with a brick veneer that was built in 1919. It was built for the Elks local chapter that had been formed in 1891. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.A 1985 historic buildings survey described it as the "only historic building built exclusively for a fraternal lodge still standing in Olympia."

The Old Capitol Building is a building in Olympia, Washington. Designed by Willis A. Ritchie, it was built from 1890 to 1892 as the Thurston County Courthouse, and served from 1905 until 1928 as the state capitol, seat of the legislature of Washington; in 1928 the legislature moved to the current Capitol Building. It is now the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.The building has survived several disasters, after each of which it has been repaired. A fire in 1928 resulted in the loss of a central tower. After the 1949 Olympia earthquake, the building was evacuated and suffered severe damage to its masonry exterior that had to be repaired over the following few months at a cost of $1.1 million. 10 of the 12 towers were lost in the earthquake, along with a rotunda, the House chamber, and several galleries in the East Wing.

Artesian Commons is a 0.2-acre (0.081 ha) park in downtown Olympia, Washington built in May 2014 around an artesian spring. It is described by the city as Olympia's first urban park (Sylvester Park in the Olympia Downtown Historic District is state-owned).

American Legion Hall, at 219 W. Legion Way in Olympia, Washington, was built in 1921. It served as a meeting hall and as a sport facility. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The concrete, stucco and brick structure was designed by Joseph Wohleb.

Heritage Park is a 24-acre (9.7 ha) state-owned park adjacent to the campus of the Washington State Capitol, Capitol Lake and downtown Olympia, Washington.

Percival Landing Park is a public park located in Olympia, Washington.

The Arc of Statehood is a series of 39 bronze markers mounted on sandstone blocks by Capitol Lake on the Washington State Capitol campus, in Olympia, Washington, United States. The markers were installed in 2002.

The Woman's Club of Olympia was founded in Olympia, Washington, United States, in 1883. It is one of the oldest woman's club on the West Coast. Founding members included Mehitable Elder, Pamela Case Hale, Mary Hartsock, Janet Moore, Phebe Moore, Mary Shelton, Ella Stork, Abbie Howard Hunt Stuart, and Sarah E. Whitney. Its first president, Mrs. A.H.H. (Abbie Howard Hunt) Stewart, a college graduate and a veteran of the Women's Club in Boston, was a "driving force" in the club's organization and was known as the "Mother of Women's Clubs" for having founded other clubs, too.Of note was the club's early operation of Olympia's only library facility from 1896–1909 and subsequent assistance obtaining a Carnegie Library grant for a public library. A grant of $25,000 was obtained in 1903, which like other Carnegie grants included requirements for the local community to meet, and led to the building in 1914 of the Olympia Public Library. The library had 900 books when it was turned over to the city to operate in 1909.As of 2018 the club is still active. It is a member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs.

Hands On Children's Museum is a children's museum in Olympia, Washington, USA. It was founded in 1987 and received over 150,000 visitors a year at its old location near the Washington State Capitol. After moving to its new, permanent home on Olympia's East Bay, at 414 Jefferson Street on Olympia's East Bay, visitorship grew to over 300,000 in its first year (Nov 2012-Nov 2013). The New Hands On Children's Museum, geared for children ages 0–11, features 8 themed galleries focusing on science and nature, plus an enhanced Arts & Parts Studio. The galleries include: "Good For You!" (healthy eating and living); "Our Puget Sound;" "Emergency!;" "Our Fabulous Forest;" "Move It!;" "Build It!;" "Snug Harbor" (for ages 0–4); and the two-story "Tides-to-Trees Climber and Stream Slide." The half-acre Outdoor Discovery Center was chosen by the Association of Children's Museums as one of only three "Going Wild!" pilot sites to demonstrate innovative ways to connect kids with nature; it is the only one of its kind in Washington. Opened in late Summer 2013, the Outdoor Discovery Center includes a Beach, Driftwood Forts, Mud Pie Pit, an interactive Stickworks sculpture "Raccoon Run," and a Fire Pit/Storytelling Ring. Once complete, the Outdoor Discovery Center will also feature a Hike-and-Trike Loop (summer of 2014), Children's Garden with edibles and flowers (summer of 2014), Compost and Worm bins (summer of 2014), an educational Rain Garden (summer of 2014), a Naturalist Cabin for holding nature workshops (summer of 2014), a ride-up Ferry (TBD), a Lighthouse (TBD), and much more. Check their website for the most updated exhibit plans: www.hocm.org. Founded on the belief that all children deserve respect and the opportunity to learn, regardless of their ability to pay, the Museum offers a robust and award-winning Access Program for underserved and at-risk families. Access Programs served 86,000 children, families and educators in 2013, which represented a 37% increase since 2012. Programs include free monthly parenting classes, a free weekly preschool enrichment program, Free Friday Nights every month, and a library partnership to "check out" family admission passes. The Museum also offers discounted military admission and memberships, free field trips for rural, Title I and underserved elementary schools, and several family support programs. Its signature event Sand in the City is the second largest event in the region, offering free art and science activities for 35,000 children and families every year since 2000. In 2013, Hands On was received the #4 spot in King5's Best "Fun Place to Take Kids" in Western Washington, and the Museum received the Best of South Sound's "Best Museum" and "Best Family Entertainment" Awards. The Museum is the first children's museum to receive a three Green Globes certification for green building and LEED certification.

Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and most populous city of Thurston County. It is 60 miles (100 km) southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region. The Squaxin and other Coast Salish peoples inhabited the southern Puget Sound region prior to the arrival of European and American settlers in the 19th century. The Treaty of Medicine Creek was signed in 1854 and followed by the Treaty of Olympia in 1856; these two treaties forced the Squaxin to relocate to an Indian reservation. Olympia was incorporated as a town on January 28, 1859, and as a city in 1882. It had a population of 55,605 at the time of the 2020 census, making it the state of Washington's 23rd most populous city. Olympia borders Lacey to the east and Tumwater to the south.