Blippi phenomenon stays hot at Hands On Children’s Museum 

The Hands On Children's Museum thrives as a tourism asset in the Pacific Northwest thanks to YouTube personality Blippi and his connection with young audiences. 

Blippi's 32 videos filmed inside the museum have now generated 508 million views and created a viral phenomenon that influences travel decisions for families who want their children to experience the same exhibits. 

Museum officials told the Capital Area Regional Public Facilities District on Friday, Nov. 21, that the trend continues through all seasons despite the videos being filmed years ago. 

“We are a destination museum this year,” Chief Operating Officer Brandon Staff said. “To date, we were at 264,688 visitors. We get visitors from all 50 states …from 22 different countries and six different territories, and we have a tremendous amount of unique ZIP codes. So we provide an economic impact of $12 million.” 

The museum attracts more than 300,000 visitors annually, beating all other children's museums in the Pacific Northwest. 

Families travel from states like New York, Louisiana, California and Texas, and from British Columbia, Canada, as well. Other people come from cities like Bellevue after their kids request the same experience. 

Visitors from more than 50 miles away hit 47,644 and made up 18% of total visitors. The museum recorded 2,573 unique ZIP codes. 

Parents tell museum guides that their children spot the same rooms and activities from the videos, and come ready to reenact the sequences. Staff shared children often point to the tricycle area. 

Grant Manager Marina Shaughnessy mentioned subsidized access programs now support close to 40% of total visitor volume. 

The museum has served 130,000 individuals through free and reduced-fee admission programs this year, including national access card holders, military families, school groups, supervised visitation programs and subsidized field trips. 

Entry through the national “Museums for All” stays high because cardholders of Apple Health, Electronic Benefit Transfer and Women, Infants and Children programs qualify for $3 admission. Shaughnessy said early learning groups from the Nisqually community and other tribes visit regularly. 

New expansion plans 

To ease overcrowding, the museum is planning a major expansion, but officials trimmed back plans they announced in 2024.

The museum has now shrunk its proposal to about 45,000 square feet from 63,000 square feet, and the proposed budget has now dropped to $30.6 million from $35 million. So far, the museum has raised about $24 million for the expansion.

The expansion aims to reduce crowd pressure that Staff said has created pinch points during school breaks, preschool drop-off hours and holiday peaks. 

Staff then recounted one instance on Veterans Day when conditions overwhelmed families.  

“I had one parent that said, ‘We’re leaving because this place is crazy,’” he said. “And we said, ‘Yes, this is our busiest day of the year, pretty much. So thank you for coming, and please come back on a different day.’” 

Construction will add 20,000 square feet indoors and about 1 acre outdoors. A sky bridge is going to connect the existing 28,000-square-foot building to the new wing. 

The project would double exhibit space to 24,000 square feet from 12,000 square feet, and add new rooms for field trips, community partners and parking upgrades. 

The campaign has gained support from public and private sources. The Public Facilities District (PFD) put up $20.5 million through bond financing backed by sales tax revenue. The museum board kicked in $1 million and a private donor gave another $1 million. 

Additional funding includes $1.5 million in state appropriations, $2 million in foundation grants, $1 million in federal appropriations and $1.6 million from a Building for the Arts grant. 

The museum is still seeking $3 million in individual, business and community gifts to close the funding gap. 

A financial feasibility study completed in October, and approved by the Washington State Department of Commerce, found PFD sales tax revenues have grown at an average of 4.6% since 2004.  

The analysis concluded the “City of Olympia retains ample statutory debt capacity and high credit ratings” to issue the bonds at favorable terms and act the “ultimate guarantor of repayment.” 

Shaughnessy said the museum studied institutions in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Everett, the San Francisco Bay Area and Pasadena, California, for scale and layout benchmarks. 

A new third-floor STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) laboratory is going to cater to children ages 10 through 14 with 3D printing equipment and hands-on activities. Shaughnessy said the space targets kids who have outgrown the early childhood exhibits. 

The preschool program is going to get a dedicated entrance at the far end of the building to skip routing children through active exhibit areas during morning drop-off. Staff said parents struggle to move young children through exhibit zones without unplanned stops. 

Above the preschool, a culinary classroom and teaching kitchen will support new youth programs, including cooking lessons. Traveling exhibits are going to rotate every three months after the expansion is completed. 

Design work should wrap up by summer 2026, with site preparation in fall 2026. Construction should run from November 2026 through December 2027. The museum plans to open the expansion in early 2028 after exhibits are installed.