washington state capital museum

Provides great history of Washington State. Recommend coupling it with a Capitol tour to enjoy the full experience!

construction made it hard to get around and the capital was much better. sort of a statewide welcome station than a true capital museum

Having visited the Capital a couple times with visiting friends from overseas last year. We wanted to experience a sunset and views of the South Sound from the grounds of the Capital hill. We got there an hour and a half earlier so we could wander around the campus as the Capital building in the changing light was perfect for pictures. The gardens were no longer in bloom but the statues, fountain and memorials were fun to explore. The guided tour of the Capital is full of (for me)unexpected history about the planning, building and more recently the reconstruction after the Nisqually earthquake did it's damage.

We visited the State Capitol after visiting hours but spent some time viewing the facility and walking the grounds. Impressive building with great views towards the Puget Sounds. The grounds are nice as well.

We did a self guided tour of the museum. Their were many displays -- paintings, sculptures, etc. Even artwork done by various school children in the area.

Located in the old Lord Mansion, the museum is a little hard to locate. Use GPS to find. Give yourself 1 hr to tour the limited content.The museum is primarily historic/modern photos of Olympia "then and now" with accompanying text. Most of the info I had already seen on the internet before arrival in town. Very few artifacts were on display. Some displays seemed almost amateur and old school (outdated interpretive technique and equipment). I felt the museum missed an opportunity to interpret the 1920s, in the mansion. Perhaps one or two of the bedrooms could have been furnished with period furniture and then the museum could tell a story about Lord family, politicians, bankers, lumber Barron's, railroad barons, etc and the building of Olympia community/ Washington State by these people.Take some time to walk the grounds. The landscaping is beautiful with places to sit in the shade and fragrance of pines.The grounds and building structure are well maintained. It is worth the $2 admission to help preserve until a curator and Historical Society can develop/update a vision/technique for interpreting the building of Olympia which is more meaningful and relevant to young adults and children.

First, many people are confused about the Capital museum, wondering 1) why it's not in the domed building down the street and b) why they misspelled the name. The museum is really about the city, the Capital, not the building. Technically, Washington does not have a Capitol. The official name of the building is the Legislative Building. This creates more confusion when the grounds on which the Legislative and other State office buildings sit are officially the Capitol Campus. Nevertheless, if you are new to Olympia, take some time to get oriented to the city's history by a stop at the museum. Or, if that's not your thing, come by in the summer for the movies.

We may not be the best judges of the museum because we only had about 20 minutes before the closed. The information about the history of the capital building was very interesting. We were there on the anniversary of Mt St Helen's erruption so it was interesting to see the photos and information on the event. I guess I would have expected a little more highlight of the erruption on the anniversary but that is okay.....

Don't miss this interesting visit. The guided tour was well done, informative without being tedious or overbearing. The museum answers some questions about Washington, and the State, and has plenty of atmosphere.

The Capital Museum is housed in the former Lord Mansion, which is a beautifull building, but after seeing the displays on the history of the Capitol, there was little else to hold our attention. It's only $2 to get in, a little hard to find, we actually passed it by once. But if you're touring Olympia, you should check it out.

This is such a beautiful building. I liked the giant bust of Washington and there was a smaller one of Martin Luther King. A bride was actually having her wedding pictures there. Its right by Heritage Park so you can get in a nice stroll or people/dog watch too.

Staff was very helpful in helping me pick up gifts for loved ones.Went out of their way to help me.Lots of selection to pick up gifts.

The topic listed is the WA State Capital Museum and carriage house, which is several blocks from the Rotunda and legislative buildings in the historic South Capitol Neighborhood. It is a Spanish Colonial villa surrounded by lush lawns and evergreen trees - one of Olympia's few genuine mansions, owned originally by CJ and Elizabeth Lord. They were both prominent in WA State history and she donated the house to the state after his death. It is only open on Saturdays but can be rented for special events. It has both permanent and temporary history and art exhibits. Although the home's interior has been remodeled for use as a museum, its paneled dining room and sweeping central staircase remain in their original state.

My husband and i took a tour through the Capital this past weekend for the first time! The tour guide was great with a good sense of humor and a very interesting history lesson. The tours are every hour and last about 45 mins. you can still go in the capital building without the tour but there are rooms you can only enter if in the tour, so the tour is a must! Plus you learn all the history as well! What can i say the building is just breathtaking inside with all the marble and sandstone and the many georgeous tiffany light fixtures! I have driven past Olympia many many times and never left the freeway! Well now i know what i was missing! can't wait to return with my 13 year old!

I visited when I moved here in 2010. We have a beautiful state!