Free & Cheap Things to Do in Olympia

History & Government

Washington's 1928 Legislative Building crowns Olympia's Capitol Campus beneath a 287-foot masonry dome — among the tallest in the world — hung with a five-ton Tiffany chandelier. Free 50-minute guided tours run several times daily, covering the rotunda, State Reception Room, and legislative galleries. The building and grounds are free to enter.

Address: 416 Sid Snyder Ave SW, Olympia, WA 98504

Tip: Reserve a tour online or walk up at the Tour Information Desk inside the main entrance; weekday tours run hourly 10 AM–3 PM. The dome's chandelier and bronze doors are the highlights — bring a camera.

Parks & Gardens

Beyond the Capitol itself, the landscaped campus is free to roam: a Tivoli replica fountain, a sunken rose garden, a flowering cherry-tree allée, a small greenhouse conservatory, and a cluster of war memorials overlooking Capitol Lake and the Olympic Mountains. It's one of Olympia's best free strolls.

Address: 416 Sid Snyder Ave SW, Olympia, WA 98504

Tip: Spring cherry blossoms and the rose garden peak from April to June, and free seasonal botanical tours cover the grounds. Pair a campus walk with the free Legislative Building tour next door.

Family Fun

Washington's largest children's museum sits on Olympia's downtown waterfront, with eight galleries plus a half-acre Outdoor Discovery Center of hands-on water, building, and nature play for kids under 10. It's the region's marquee family stop, with several budget-friendly admission pathways through the week.

Address: 414 Jefferson St NE, Olympia, WA 98501

Tip: First Friday evenings are $3, and the last hour after 4 PM is half-price. EBT, WIC, and Apple Health cardholders pay $3. The museum closes the week of Sept 8–12, 2026.

Museums & Culture

Run by the LOTT Clean Water Alliance, this free downtown science center is all about water — interactive exhibits on the water cycle, watersheds, and wastewater treatment, plus a rooftop garden and changing Saturday programs. A genuinely free, hands-on stop that pairs easily with the children's museum nearby.

Address: 500 Adams St NE, Olympia, WA 98501

Tip: Open Tuesday–Saturday 10 AM–4 PM. Saturday education programs change weekly, so check the calendar before you go. Free parking sits in the visitor lot just west of the building.

Parks & Waterfront

Percival Landing is downtown Olympia's free waterfront park, a 0.9-mile boardwalk tracing Budd Bay past public art, moored boats, and a three-story timber viewing tower with 360-degree views of the harbor, Olympic Mountains, and Capitol dome. The historic tugboat Sand Man is docked permanently along the route.

Address: 405 Columbia St NW, Olympia, WA 98501

Tip: Climb the viewing tower near Fourth Avenue for the best photo of the Capitol across the water. The Wooden Boat Festival (Memorial Day) and Harbor Days (Labor Day) draw big crowds here.

Food & Markets

Open since 1975, Olympia's covered farmers market near Percival Landing is among the largest in the state, with local produce, seafood, crafts, prepared food, and live music. It's free to browse, running Thursday–Sunday April through October and Saturdays through the winter season.

Address: 700 Capitol Way N, Olympia, WA 98501

Tip: Go hungry — the prepared-food stalls (oyster po'boys, dumplings, pastries) are a highlight, and live music plays most market days. It's an easy walk from Percival Landing and downtown.

Parks & Nature

Three miles south in Tumwater, this free park follows the Deschutes River through a gorge of rapids and pools to the misty plunge of Tumwater Falls. A half-mile loop trail crosses footbridges past historic brewery ruins and a salmon ladder, with fall Chinook running through the gorge in autumn.

Address: 110 Deschutes Way SW, Tumwater, WA 98501

Tip: Open daily 8 AM–8 PM (gate closes 8:30). Visit in late fall to watch salmon climb the fish ladder. The 1960s 'cement ship' playground near the parking lot is a quirky kid favorite.

Wildlife & Nature

Eight miles northeast of Olympia, this river-delta refuge is one of the Northwest's premier birding spots. Flat, accessible trails and boardwalks — including a one-mile Estuary Boardwalk over the tide flats — pass wetlands, riparian forest, and the Nisqually River, with herons, eagles, seals, and migrating waterfowl.

Address: 100 Brown Farm Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98516

Tip: Start at the Norm Dicks Visitor Center (Wed–Sun 9–4) for recent wildlife sightings. Cash or check only at the fee kiosk. Check the tide chart — low tides expose the mudflats best for shorebirds.

Parks & Nature

Formerly Priest Point Park, this free 314-acre forest park just north of downtown holds more than four miles of trails through second-growth woods, nearly two miles of saltwater shoreline on Budd Inlet, picnic shelters, and a playground. The Ellis Cove Trail leads down to quiet tidal beaches.

Address: 2600 East Bay Dr NE, Olympia, WA 98506

Tip: The Ellis Cove Trail (about 2.5 miles round trip) is the best walk — time it for low tide to explore the beach. Wooded and shaded, it's a good rainy-day option under the forest canopy.

Gardens

A small free garden beside Olympia City Hall, Yashiro honors the city's sister-city ties to Yashiro, Japan. Designed by Robert Murase and built by volunteers in 1990, its compact grounds pack a koi pond, waterfall, stone lanterns, bamboo, and a pagoda into a quiet downtown retreat.

Address: 1010 Plum St SE, Olympia, WA 98501

Tip: Open 8 AM–8 PM daily with free parking. It's a five-minute stop best combined with the WET Science Center or a downtown walk. Quietest on weekday mornings.

History & Museums

The 1854 Bigelow House is Olympia's oldest residence and one of the earliest homes still standing in the Pacific Northwest, furnished almost entirely with the pioneer Bigelow family's own belongings across three generations. Volunteer docents lead short interior tours that double as a window into early Olympia history.

Address: 918 Glass Ave NE, Olympia, WA 98506

Tip: Guided tours run Sundays at 1, 2, and 3 PM — no reservations needed, max 10 people — while the Welcome Room exhibit and grounds are free anytime. Free street parking on Glass Avenue.