My kids loved it there! It is awesome that during a time like this they were able to accommodate and keep their doors open. It is important for children to be social and even better in an educational environment! Definitely will recommend!

My son has always had the best time here. I am so thankful for all of the work that has been poured into making sure that children still have a good safe place to go to where they can learn, play, and feel a little bit of normalcy/familiarity for even just a couple of hours.

We had a great time there and there was plenty for the kids to do of all ages. I love that they also have an area for younger kiddos so that they can explore at their own pace without being trampled by the bigger kids. Its great that its also indoor and outdoor and they also have a cafe with places to sit and eat, even if you bring your own food! We will definitely be returning. They have amazing discounts for low-income, elderly, service members and their families, etc. It was well worth the drive!

This was our first visit, but it will not be our last! This was a great, interactive, and engaging environment for not only my 8 year old son but for me too! It is very nicely laid out and the staff were all helpful and friendly. The prices in both the cafe and gift shop were very reasonable too! A nice change from most kids entertainment. We loved it! My son made a friend almost as soon as we got there and they spent about 5 hours together!

We love this place so much! We call it the Blippi museum since first got to visit from a Blippi YouTube video! The boys have a blast every time we go with so many things to do and play with. We appreciate that its always clean and well kept up with! Nice staff and great deals with a membership

A great place (especially during COVID) for your child to play and learn!I take my daughter here almost weekly and we always have a great time.My literal only complaint is that many parents treat it as a daycare; allowing their children to run around the museum unsupervised.Need a break from your kid? Get a sitter, dont take them to the HOCM...

Fantastic place for my 4 year old. We got a groupon so it was pretty cheap for us to get in. They have 2 floors and a large outdoor area (which they are adding more to).Activities for kids of any age and most of them are a good learning experience. We went during the weekend they had the foam arena!

This place was amazing!!!! The were so many activities revolving around all different types of sensory, dramatic, explorative, and educational play. All the different activities kept my son busy for hours! I really appreciate all the different center available for my son to enjoy. The is cafe in house, but we opted not to eat there and explore other food options in downtown Olympia. The great thing about this is that the museum stamps your hand upon admission so you can come and go from the museum with ease. I would reccomend this place to any one with kids. It is definitely worth the admission fee.

This place is a wonderful museum in WA. It blows away the Seattle and Bellevue ones as well. The team is constantly cleaning and tidying up play areas to help keep the experience meaningful for the kids. Beautiful outdoor play area as well and a great cafe. Lots of parking too. The membership is worth it.

Just went recently and had an amazing time. My daughter loved all the fun activities and play grounds. They have different sections for different ages as well. We are definitely going back!!

Must visit place is your in 1-1.5 hrs drive, it’s worth it. It’s literally hands on and the staff is very nice and helping.It’s a two tiered museum with good cafeteria and eating place. The top floor has good activity area standing from art, sculpture to science. There is a slide across the two floors and kids love it. The outside area has light house, occasional new activities and bike (tricycle) riding. Parking is ample and also street parking is around. Staff is super nice and friendly.

This museum is a fun and cool place for kids to explore. The outdoor area is an awesome amentity!

We went on New Years Eve so it was jam packed with people. It was nice seeing our toddlers enjoy all the new things but it was also very overwhelming for the littles with so many people around. Maybe not a place for the holidays unless thats your cup of tea. I cant wait to go back on a calmer day to be more hands on in each area. Most definitely a place to spend a majority of you day.

Great place to come with your kids. Plenty of activities indoors and outside. They also have a great cafe with decent priced food.

Such an amazing place. Best childrens museum in the area. So many different activities. Hours of fun.

Loved this place! My kiddos were entertained for almost 5 hours! They had a wonderful mix of stimulating action, areas of intense focus, and sensory areas galore. My SPD kids were able to self-regulate because of how wonderfully everything was set up. Thanks for providing ice cold water on such a warm day!

The kids had a fantastic time, even us adults. Lots of cool new things have been added since we last came a year ago, the lighthouse provides an excellent view of the city as well.

This is one of the most interactive childrens museums that I have taken my kids to. It is so much closer than Seattle and much easier to access. My kids enjoyed it (ages 2.5 - 6).

The Hands On Childrens Museum is super fun for kids and adults. I love taking my grandkids. They know all the best activities! Im really impressed with how the kids use the stage and costumes to put on shows for the adults. Very outgoing! Id spend my time playing in the water activities or the wind pipe tunnels if I was alone, but the kids love to dress up and make meals in the huge play kitchen area or put on a show for me upstairs. A great venue for kids of all ages!!

Amazing place. My 3 year old son loved this place too much and he didnt want to leave. Everything was awesome including the outdoor area. Only downside I can point out is that there are too many kids bumping into each other. Weekday visit could be better in that sense, but parking is not free on weekdays.

This place is beyond expectations! It is well worth the visit and has something for everyone. This was my first time there with my kids (who have been there before) and I was blown away at everything they had to do. It is a learning experience for the kids and to let them use their imagination.

The kids never get tired of this place and always ask to go back soon. Ive been to several different childrens museums and this is our favorite. There are a lot of outdoor and indoor activities.

Update. They were fun. My sister like it. Alot

My children love this place, and I love it as a parent of the kids loving it. I do wish it was a little more younger kid accessible in places, but I like that there is an area for young toddlers.My almost four year old loves it all!

Various stimulating attractions, food, cheap (can get in free if you have a food stamp card and only $2 per extra person). Also has a very shallow rocky river in the court towards the right of the entrance. Huge play tunnels that connect the 1st and 2nd floors. *pay for parking per hour. Has outside play grounds with a tall 3 story light house for the daring and a wide sandy beach area for the kids that like to play in the dirt. Lots of safe crawling and climbing and learning. Outside the entrance there are percussion instruments to play. Basically something fun everywhere you turn. Great place to burn off energy.

So much stuff to do! I dont think kids will ever want to leave! The activities are educational, great for a field trip. There are many activities that use imaginations, such as the food area where there is plastic foods that you can cook. I recommend going here.

They have variety of activities which are good for the kids.

Awesome place to bring kids of all ages. There is always some educational activity going on. It can get pretty busy and crowded on event days so its good to get there earlier or later, but not at the peak times on weekends. Parking in the back can get a little crazy. There is so much to do and even a few water based activities. When the weather is warm, theres a bunch of outside areas set up too.

I have a 5yr old girl she loves this place. There are all kinds of interactive activities . We come here so often we found it more affordable to buy the year pass. The picture was from a modeling clay activity we did as a family

The museum itself is spectacular, but I wanted to take a moment to honor two parts of the organization that dont often get mentioned.First, the preschool is one of the best Ive ever seen -- teachers Kitty and Natasha in particular are kind, warm, attentive, and in touch with the little ones. Every day is a fresh challenge in a crowded and crazy museum, but they make it feel like home to the kids -- the most stimulating and exciting but safe and secure home a little kid could ever dream of. They are both wonderful at their jobs and deserve all the recognition they could ever get.Secondly, the staff at the cafe are uniformly friendly, competent, and sweet and approachable to the kids. They bring legitimate cheer and excellent energy to their interactions with the kids, and the meals are healthy, tasty, and well prepared and thoughtfully balanced.This organization is such a gift to the Olympia area on so many levels.

Lots of fun for the 2-7 crowd. Plan to spend several hours. We were there for three hours and only were able to complete a few rooms. Never made it upstairs. Very impressive. Complex, complete and detailed in breadth and depth of activities.

Our boys always want to go the museum. We have a family membership and it makes it easy for random quick trips or when we plan a day around it. Good luck getting your kids to leave. There are loads of rooms with different themes, an outdoor area, and a diy area upstairs. Also great for birthday parties. Parents - check.out their Adult Swim nights!

If I lived across the street, this is where all the little children whom are deserving would go every day. Just kidding. This is a wonderful place to go to challenge kids minds and dexterity. They can spend all day here and not get tired and especially those high-energy type of children would find entertainment if not only for a second. This is a must stop for all families.

This is really a neat learning environment for kids of all ages. We were happy to get a membership after our initial visit, but have regretted getting it ever since. Heres why: The problem is they have no limit on capacity numbers and it often gets way too overcrowded to enjoy anything. It basically becomes a Hunger Games-esque environment where its every kid for themselves and they have to fight to get to explore anything. Additionally, there are several exhibits that dont have working buttons or fully functioning displays. Makes it quite disappointing. What are we paying for? Lastly, they never turn away visibly sick children! So, until they decide to monitor their capacity levels, fix ALL the broken buttons & displays, and refuse entry to visibly sick children we wont be back.

Big indoor and outdoor areas. So much fun stuff for toddlers and kids. Even infant section with tons of great resources for new moms. I wish I would have known about this place earlier.Best place for kids and parents in Olympia!

We love the hands on childrens museum. We are members because we attend at least once a month and during the summer, usually once a week. The facility is always clean, the staff there are CONSTANTLY walking around cleaning up after the kids so there is somewhat a sense of order despite it being busy at times. One of the best parts about being a member is having member only times to visit. There are far fewer people and for about an hour, the museum is semi-quite. My daughter always has a great time and we thoroughly enjoy watching her explore.The ONLY downside is that some parents do not thoroughly watch their children so you do get occasional stinkers taking over areas or being rude but that goes with any establishment with kids.

This Place is great! Well worth the drive from Seattle. My girls are 7 and 9 we spent 4 hours here and they wanted to stay longer. Each area is well developed ands opens the imagination.

My two older kids have both been here for a feild trip and loved it. I am babysitting full time now and theyre always asking to go so I finally got a family pass. I took my youngest and a little boy I babysit, 2 & 1, and they had the best time ever. They absolutely did not want to leave. We packed a lunch and were able to use a table inside which is rare for some places. We were there for three hours and didnt even see or do everything but itll be nice to go back. Their favorite was the river maker and the sand pit outside, with the tot lot and career area coming in close second. Theres tons to do for all ages. Were going to go again next weekend with all my kids, 9,7&2.

Such a great place for kids and grown ups! Took our 4 and 6 year old, there was enough to keep everyone busy and happy. There’s tons of indoor stuff and plenty of outdoor stuff as well. It’s very hands on, the kids literally touch everything in sight. You can pack a picnic and some swim suits to play in the little river outside the museum. They also have a small gift shop. There’s a deli inside, they have grilled sandwiches, deli sandwiches, and pre made salads along with some little pastries. Looked like there was coffee and some other drink options like iced tea of some sort. Food was decently priced. We found a groupon ticket to get in, saved us some money. Parking was $1 an hour, we paid for 3 hours thinking we’d only be there for 2, but indeed stayed for 3! The earlier the better, expect lots of groups such as camps/schools, but either way it’s totally manageable to get around and see everything. A good time was had by us all!!

My children spent a few good hours loving the fun filled adventures this facility had in store for them. Much fun. Many recommends. A

There are so many things to do and see!! We spent 2 hours here, but my 3 year old could have stayed longer. There are two floors with a tree house in the middle, grocery/house/garden/restaurant, water table, emergency vehicles, South sound with boat to play on, outdoor area (closed due to rain), construction site, stage with costumes, woods, and a toddler area. There is also a craft room. I might have missed something...there was so much to do and see! Price is high, but to maintain everything it seems worth it. The place gets super busy in the afternoon, so if you can, arrive early.

This is a wonderful place of discovery for children!

Words cannot do justice to this place. Literally the most amazing place in the Puget Sound area to take kids. Adults love it too. So much to do. Just go. ASAP!

This place is a treasure! We became members so we can enjoy it again.

This place was hands down the best adventure I have had with my two-year-old it was a great Family Day so much hands on things to do

My child is never bored here. I love the free day once a month. I buy extra salads at the cafe to take home every time.

Fun place for kids but would recommend only for kids aged 1-7. Our kids were 7 and 9 at the time we visited and they were a bit old for the attractions we found.

My family LOVES it here. This last visit, we were here for 5.5 hours and didnt do nearly all that was available. $70 got in three adults and two kids, $20 bought three of us lunch (though you can bring your own food, as some of us did). They have day camps, seasonal activities, art rooms, water areas, a creek to play in, the list just goes on and on. There is parking, though on busy days you may have to park on the street. Street parking is .50 per hour (change only, as far as Ive seen), and there are some homeless in the area, but weve never had a problem. This place is totally worth a vist, just give lots of time, because the kids will not want to leave.

So many options for kids bigger and smallerWe purchased a membership before we leftAnd the food is well priced! I also was pleased with how clean they kept everything my kids had a blast

Kids love this place! I wish it was open late more than just once a month. The kids often ask to go after work and weekends get so busy. But the new outdoor boat is cool!

So much fun for the entire family. Its a great place to help kids imaginations grow and to learn about different adult jobs and tasks in a fun way. We had a blast

Best place ever... cant wait for next year..Bring a lunch a big umbrella and water toys for after play in the stream that runs along the side ..

If you have kids around 3 to 10 years old tgis is a must if youre traveling through Olympia. So many interesting things for kids to do. The food court was a little pricy but everything was served fresh.

So much fun! I used to take my son to the original Childrens Museum and now I take my granddaughter. Everytime we go she is as excited as the first time. So many different activities for all kids to play and explore.

This is a great place to take the kids. They have something for everyone. I highly recommend taking your kids. We are there for 3 hours and didnt see it all.

My daughter absolutely loves this museum there are so many places to play inside and outside. You just pay outside for parking. There is also a large area in the back for the kids to play too when it’s not raining. Sometimes they offer free days or discount days these are the worst times to go if you experience anxiety because there are so many people

I absolutely loved this place. My 3 year old found out about this place from watching Blippi on YouTube. It was in our area so I figured Id surprise him. He immediately knew where he was, calling it Blippis house. It was about 40 dollars for my wife and 2 kids and with that you get access to everything. He was screaming when we had to leave but I guess that just means he had fun.

What an exciting and fun place for children (and the whole family). Could use some more space though...

My 5 year old daughter and I got the chance to come here as guests. We had so much fun! 10/10 would come back. We did run into a less enthusiastic worker outside in the tricycle area, but her short tone didnt rain on our parade. My daughter has been asking to go back and we would definitely return!

My kids love this place. This last summer they put an old sail boat outside and the kids love to be pirates. Once in a while they have an adults only night and serve beer from the local Fish Tale Brewery. Overall this place is straight thuggin.

This place is wonderful! So fun for the kids, and the staff is always incredibly friendly. Perfect rainy day activity. Also, you can book birthday parties here.

We found this place on Groupon which made it ultra affordable. I have 2 and 6 year old boys and thats the perfect age for this place. Every direction is something to do and investigate. Fun for adults too. Lots of variety. Great areas for various ages. The cafe closes at 3 i think, so dont plan on eating dinner here.If your kids are wild like mine i recommend one adult per kid. We came on a Sunday and it was absolutely packed which was great for the kids to have playmates. But difficult to keep an eye on multiple kids at once. I was very relieved to have grandpa and grandma on hand. This place was very cool. 5 stars

Always a fun place to be with the whole family. Easy to spend 2 hours there playing around!

Lots of different things for kids to do inside and out. No kid could be bored here. We usually stay about 3 hours.

Great place for kids to touch and learn things. Fun for whole family.

Very hands on and interactive from the small grocery store to the arts room upstairs. There are occupational interests for the kids to try out. It can get busy and at times hard to keep track of multiple kids. Sometimes it can be hard to find a quiet area but it is possible in the art room. Up and Down and a gaggle of kids! The outside areas are also enjoyable. The stream in front uses reclaimed water from the neighboring Treatment Plant. Also some is used in the building. It is treated but my concern is there is no known treatment for pharmaceuticals that will pass through with out treatment and the kids can come in contact with it. But that’s my concern. Overall a great place for kids. Also the staff is always, always aware of adults in the building and who they are with. That’s a plus!

Had plenty of activities for my child! Definitely not for kids under 2!

First Friday (usually) is free to attend and its a wonderful time. Have enjoyed coming here and there is always something different to do with a handy event schedule given out. I have told everyone I know who had children to come here.

This is one of our favorite places and my children want to live here when theyre adults (since we currently drive 2 hours to meet Nana here). The staff is helpful, the opportunities for play are amazing, and things like food and potties are convenient. Parking on the street is cheaper than their lot, and it can be irritating to move your car if you stay that long, but I do it anyway.

Took the four grandkids and had the best time. A lot to do and see. They really enjoyed it!

This museum was so much and so many different activities for the kids. I love that they are part of the ACM Reciprocal Network, and we will definitely go back the next time we are in Washington.

Highly recommend! Weve visited kids museums across the country and this is definitely one of the better ones (especially for smaller kids). The only downside for parents is that you cant bring your coffee into the museum

Friendly staff and lots of fun activities for sensory play.

Very fun place and has a lot of attractions for young children my son loved it

We had a blast. Took 7 kids and one has ADHD and sensory issues, and all of them behaved and had so much fun. Will be back again for sure.

We drove up here from Oregon and had so much fun! The staff was friendly and upkeep the place pretty well for how many kids there were running around. We managed to get some good footage so if youre a family planning on going check out this video on youtube. (Childrens Museum Pretend Play|Indoor Playground for Kids) #indoorplayground :) WILD ONES Kids channel. Thanks hope you check it out and have fun!

I was shocked at how awesome this place was. Its like the biggest play room with a bunch of different sections and rooms and toys and gadgets and messy stuff and fun stuff, inside and outside! Our daughter had a blast! Its the perfect place to let your kids of all ages just run! Keep a good eye on them of course, because this place can get packed!! It seems the earlier you get there, the better!

Such a neat place for kids and adults.

Fun for the whole family!! We spend a couple hours here each time & time always flies! Definitely worth getting a membership!

My kids absolutely love this place!!! Its so fun and a safe place to explore and play.

This is a great museum generally. But it’s incredibly frustrating to have the outdoor area closed during the limited nice weather we get. It would also be helpful accurate info was available when we arrived. Today I was frustrated when on a gorgeous day, the outdoor area was closed and the front desk couldn’t tell us when it would be open again or when the new outdoor exhibit would open. I will say that the Museum did respond to my frustration via email, which is admirable. We are looking forward to the new stuff. Thanks for putting up with frazzled parents and crazy kids.

Always such a fun time here with kids exploring and learning while playing. Took a class of preschool children here and they had a great time playing in different areas while they were learning. Staff was awesome, very friendly and helpful, ready to assist in any way. Staff was very conscious about making sure that all of the children were accounted for before we left for the day. It is fun watching the kids explore and learn what we as adults probably already know.

Our church hosted an event to support foster families after hours at the HOCM. The staff were great to work with, the facility was incredible, and the whole thing was a big success. The HOCM is a great place!

We went here for a few hours one day during our family vacation. I will keep this short and sweet, our 2.5 yr old loved it. I saw every kid up to 12 or 13 having a blast. The creativity of things is awesome. This place was above and beyond my expectations, it truly was amazing and we will go back again even though we are 90+ minutes away. . . . .

What a magnificent place to bring the family! Fun for kids and adults of all ages! Plenty of activities for everyone to learn and play all day! Science, sensory, imagination, nature, gardening, food, art- this place has it all to stimulate all the senses for a wonderful learning experience! They have indoor and outdoor activities, as well as a section for babies and toddlers to run, crawl, slide and explore! My LO wasnt even walking yet when we came here the first time and he had a blast rolling around in the giant soft clam and playing with the different toys they have available. Rain or shine- this is an excellent place to have an adventure for a day!And if you receive ebt then you can get in free. Kids under 2 are also free :)

Great place for kids to explore & learn...recommend getting a membership too!

Brought the kids and they love the how out of this place. the staff here are fantastic and will be back again real soon

This is the most wonderful place to take my 1 and 3 year olds! From the friendly front desk staff to all the amazing activities its a great way to spend the day. Lots of opportunities for imaginative play and things to do for children up through 10. So much fun, I would recommend this place to anyone who is considering visiting. Its worth the drive from Federal Way.

It was raining and we needed something to do with our 2 year old grandson. Did a search and found the HOCM. It was an excellent place to spend 3 hours. Even though it was past his nap time he was alert, happy and having a great time. Next time he visits well go again and hell be able to do more things. Great place for young kids.

Best children play area ever! We have been to lots of play area in king and snohomisj county. This is by far the most diverse and engaging place!

Attended for a special Super Hero-themed Adult Swim event (which they schedule several of each year) on a Friday evening and had a fantastic time. Tons of interesting, fun AND educational/informative exhibits and activities for kids of all ages. Highly recommended!!

This is the best childrens museum weve been to! There was a lot to do for our 18 Mo old as well as our 5 year old. Displays were vibrant and clean and the staff was working hard to keep the place orderly from so many kids playing even harder. I wasnt the only parent found playing with the exhibits too, under the disguise of helping their kids! Definitely worth the visit!

I love taking my kids here. Its always fun and educational.

This place is AMAZING! I brought a two year old and we had a blast. Im in my late twenties and I think I had more fun. I would recommend this place to anyone with children between the ages of 1 and 14 years old. There is enough science to make it an educational experience but its fun enough to make it a play day. I went during a busy day and there was still plenty of space to play and do the fun stuff. I could see spending between two and four hours there, they have a store to buy food but you can also bring your own. The parking situation is weird there. You have to pay to park or walk a long way. I think its around 1 cent and hour.

I love it here! The kids love it here! There is so much to do and explore. Theres a big play toy in the center but its mostly play toys designed for that section. For example, there was an emergency section, so there was a helicopter, ambulance, police car, fire truck, doctors office and nursery to play in. Everything is Thurston County / Puget Sound based. Very fun and very fun day. Love it!

Really fun place! I especially loved the room where items were whisked - at high speeds and to high heights - through clear tubes, then spewed out again. A whole wall of that, the tubes going in different directions. Pretty addictive! To me, learning is fun, and this museum can bring loads of children and their parents to that same conclusion!

There are more amazing ways to play than there are time to finish in one visit, and even though Ive been bringing my 8yr old since he was barely crawling, he (and my other kids) can always find ways to get lost in play. The painting and other art work are a great way to start, so that your kids creations have time to dry/set while you explore other areas. In the summer, the heated water in the stream is turned on and its free to splash and swim, but it may be hard to bring the kids so close without going in to play!

Great place for the little ones and the family as well. Great interactive activities for all inside and outside.

Kids and I loved our day here. Lots to do, kids ranged from 7-12 and all were occupied. We had a blast riding the trikes outside even though it was a cold day and noses were red! The steps up the lighthouse are slim and steep but find for older kids and more active adults. Climbing within the structure to the upper floor was a treat for the kids and I was a tad disappointed that I couldn’t climb in there with them! The craft options kept all three kids occupied for a good few hours while I grabbed a quick cuppa in the cafe. Win! Make sure you pay for more parking than you anticipate as I had to run down and add more twice...

The kids had a blast. Many great opportunities to learn and craft. Hours of entertainment super busy at first due to school field trips but it was still great. The food was good too.