Museums & Galleries in Tumwater

The handsome, 12,000-square-foot museum is home to four exhibition galleries and a permanent collection that focuses on the wealth of regional talent in the Northwest, in addition to housing Japanese woodblock prints and European paintings. Tacoma's own Dale Chihuly fills a gallery space with his permanent installation of playful and fantastical glasswork, much of it inspired by his love for the sea. Brush up on your goose-whispering skills at the Secret Language of Animals exhibit, a family-friendly flock of approximately 40 paintings, sculptures, and videos depicting rodents, birds, horses, dogs, crazy uncles, and more.

The Washington State History Museum tells the state's story through interactive exhibits, theatrical performances, and multimedia presentations that educate and entertain attendees. A massive model railroad grants flightless humans bird's-eye views of the lines from Point Defiance Park to the Stampede Pass Tunnel in the Cascades, depicting Union Station in the height of its glory during the 1950s and in its early years as a scrappy, constantly barking shed. Other permanent exhibits include the hands-on, activity-driven history lab learning center and the living diorama found in the Great Hall of Washington History. A travelling featured exhibit, Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight, unveils the struggles of African Americans to break through racial barriers and become the pilots and astronauts of their generations.

The woods are full of hazards, from prickly bushes to wild animals. But all’s safe in the Woods at the Children's Museum of Tacoma, where a log pile leads to a play area where kids can build forts and send supplies to and fro with pulleys. The Woods is one of the museum’s five playscapes, which encourage children and their adult guardians to learn through self-directed play.

Youngsters can unleash their inner architects with blocks and tubes at the Invention station, and paint, clay, and other artistic tools at Becka’s Studio allow kids to tap into their creative sides. Aboard the Voyager, children can pretend to fly to the moon or parallel-park between two asteroids. Back on earth, the interactive Water playspace presents a world of tranquil waterfalls and streams.

Afterward, there’s more to explore through the museum’s programs. They range from summer camps to Play to Learn, where kids 6 and younger take part in group activities, sing-alongs, and group circle time.

Though the historical gems of a museum tend to be its artifacts, the vintage autos of the LeMay Family Collection at Marymount only tell half the story. The Marymount location opened in 1923 as a boys' military school, which became a center for English education in 1975 and eventually the home to the family's vintage automobiles. Beginning with a few vehicles gathered by Harold and Nancy LeMay in the 1960s, the collection has grown into a one-time Guinness World Record holder of more than 1,900 vehicles. Many of these classics, including a powder-blue 1950 Chrysler Windsor, rest fully restored alongside toys, antiques, and farm equipment within the year-round museum.