Thursday, October 1, 2026
The City of Olympia is inviting the public to submit comments on the proposed expansion of Hands On Children’s Museum.
The expansion project calls for an approximately 18,000-square-foot addition to the museum at 414 Jefferson St. NE.
The project would take shape about 45 feet north of the existing museum building. The new structure would be connected to the existing building by a second-level connector space.
The expansion is planned to include new galleries, prekindergarten classrooms, event spaces, administrative offices and support areas.
The project is undergoing city review and should be considered by the Olympia Design Review Board at a meeting on Aug. 20.
Members of the public may submit written comments related to the project’s design before the review board meeting.
Comments and questions about the proposal should be directed to Olympia Associate Planner Paula Smith at psmith@ci.olympia.wa.us. The deadline for comments is Aug. 13.
The proposed addition and site improvements are located within the city’s shoreline jurisdiction, which requires a Shoreline Substantial Development Permit.
Other required approvals include design review, engineering and building permits, and approval from the Washington State Department of Ecology.
The project was received and deemed complete by the city on June 26. The project application includes a drainage report, civil plans, architectural and design plans, a site plan, a Joint Aquatic Resources Permit application, a visual view analysis, and a soils narrative and geotechnical report.
A shoreline administrator is tasked with issuing an administrative decision on the permit. No public hearing is required. The city will provide a copy of the decision when requested.
Parties who disagree may appeal the decision. The city has notified agencies, neighborhood associations and neighboring property owners about the proposal.
The project documents are available through the City of Olympia's permit portal.
6 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
olyreader
We need a public aquatic center, available to all ages.
Tuesday, July 28 Report this
BobJacobs
How will this project be funded, both capital and operating expenses?
Tuesday, July 28 Report this
HarryBranch
The site is fill, probably dredge spoils and its directly ashore from a dioxin hot spot. The sources of a hot spot are often in the neighboring shore since that's where humans do our work. They probably check storm drains and take surface samples. It would be interesting to know if they've taken core samples.
Wednesday, July 29 Report this
KatAshe
The Hands On Children’s Museum is one of our city’s great treasures, not only for residents but for visitors. If at all possible their plans should be approved.
As to an aquatic center, there already is one at the university.
One way to fund would be by issuing bonds to finance.
Wednesday, July 29 Report this
36098501
The Hands On Children's Museum is one of Olympia's greatest downtown success stories. It has become a regional destination and has benefited from significant public and private investment.
Its success raises an important question: should public investment continue expanding an already thriving institution, or should it help create the next community asset? The museum already receives support through a dedicated taxing district whose revenues can also fund other eligible public facility projects. In addition to the yearly public and private funding, HOCM also charges a $20 per person entrance fee.
Olympia has unmet recreational needs. Unlike neighboring Lacey and Tumwater, Olympia lacks an athletic complex that serves youth sports, adult sports, families, tournaments, and year-round community recreation. Does Olympia have a dedicated soccer field or athletic facilities that remain usable during the winter?
I fully support the museum, but I believe this is the right time to discuss broader community priorities. Rather than expanding an already large successful destination, Olympia should also consider diversifying investments that serve a wider cross-section of community members.
Wednesday, July 29 Report this
Virge13
The hands on children’s museum can only be attended by about 30% of the population. If you do t have a child, you can’t go in and it’s only interesting to children 10 and under. Patty Belmonte steamrolled her way into receiving all the LOTT money that Olympia got all those years ago. What would benefit ALL the community is a PUBLIC POOL. Evergreen has closed their pool so I don’t know what university KatAshe is referring to. I wonder how Patty plans to fund this but if it’s with anything other than private donations she can take a flying leap through a rolling donut. Enough public dollars have already gone into this very specific use site.
Wednesday, July 29 Report this