WET Science Center brings back free summer pop-ups and themed Saturdays

The WET Science Center’s schedule for July includes free boat-building workshops and science education activities for families in downtown Olympia.

Courtesy of WET Science Center

Posted Thursday, July 10, 2025 4:12 pm

By Kameko Marquez

Families in Olympia can chart a course through water-themed science this month without leaving downtown, as the WET Science Center launches a full slate of new public programs.

The LOTT Clean Water Alliance confirmed that programming for July includes two outdoor "Plaza Pop-Ups" and three themed activity days inside the center. Admission is free, and no preregistration is required for any event, the science center said in an announcement.

The first pop-up opens on Friday, July 11, with a hands-on boat-building workshop. Visitors will design and test their own watercrafts in a shallow stream feature built into the center’s plaza. A second pop-up is scheduled for July 25.

“We are looking forward to bringing back our summer Plaza Pop-Ups,” said Siri Nelson, who is the Education Program Manager for LOTT. “This month stop by on select Fridays to build boats and test them in the stream.”

LOTT said the boat-building activity introduces families to basic engineering, water flow, and environmental reuse systems through direct trial-and-error. The WET Science Center will guide participants and monitor stream use.

The Saturday lineup begins on July 12 with “Here Be Dragons,” followed by “Sharkapalooza” on July 19 and “Extraterrestrial H2O” on July 26.

Attendees will take part in themed crafts and interactive science stations during each session.

The center is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitor parking is located in the lot west of the building, with free metered street parking available on weekends.

LOTT serves the cities of Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater through its regional wastewater treatemnt operation, and funds the science center as part of its long-term public engagement mandate. The center also supports school visits, teacher training and guided tours of its treatment facility.

Upcoming science programs are listed on WET Science Center’s official website. LOTT’s website includes further resources on water treatment and education.