Olympia Landmarks and Monuments

(Olympia, Washington - WA, USA)

Without question Olympia's grandest and most important landmark, the cathedral-like Washington State Capitol Building was built between the years of 1922 and 1928, to provide an official home for the state's government and legislature. Enjoying a particularly central setting in downtown Olympia, the Capitol is also often referred to as the Legislative Building and stands in between the Korean War Memorial (east) and the Governor's Mansion (west).

Serving the capital city as the official residence of the state governor, the Washington Governor's Mansion resides within the grounds of the State Capitol, where it boasts some superb views across the waterfront, the city's mountainous backdrop and the cityscape itself.

Other very noteworthy landmarks present in the city include those found within both the Bigelow neighborhood and the campus of the Evergreen State College.

Washington State Capitol Building

Address: 416 Sid Snyder Avenue Southwest, Olympia, Washington (WA), 98504, USA
Tel: +1 360 902 8880
The slightly elevated Neoclassical architecture is the main feature of the Washington State Capitol, with its colonnade and portico featuring some giant ornate columns. Crowning the building is the simply enormous dome, which remains one of the world's highest self-supporting masonry domes and takes the overall height of the structure to almost 290 feet / 88 meters.
Open hours: guided tours, Monday to Friday - 10:00 to 15:00, Saturday and Sunday - 11:00 to 15:00, every hour on the hour
Admission: free

Evergreen State College

Address: 2700 Evergreen Parkway Northwest, Olympia, Washington (WA), 98505, USA
Tel: +1 360 867 6000
The acclaimed public liberal arts college was established in 1967 and is now home to almost 5,000 students, the majority of which are undergraduates. There are a number of notable buildings and structures within the campus, such as the very contemporary Daniel J. Evans Library, the Seminar II Building and a tall, modernist clock tower. The 1,000-acre / 400-hectare grounds have been landscaped to incorporate tree-lined plazas, brick-paved pathways and sports fields, while to the northeast is an evergreen forest fronting the Puget Sound.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Bigelow Neighborhood

Address: Olympia Avenue, Olympia, Washington (WA), USA
The Bigelow Historic District resides on the eastern side of the city, being found in between the thoroughfares of Tullis Street and East Bay Drive. This neighborhood contains a series of important 19th-century houses and landmarks, and is named in honor of renowned pioneer Daniel Bigelow, who once lived here on Glass Avenue. His former home now functions as the Bigelow House Museum and made an appearance on the National Register of Historic Places in the late 1980s.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Washington Governor's Mansion

Address: Capitol Way, Olympia, Washington (WA), 98501, USA
Tel: +1 360 902 8880
The Washington Governor's Mansion itself was built in 1908 at the cost of approximately US$35,000. However, the governor at the time was too ill to attend the housewarming and sadly died soon afterwards, so he never actually lived here at all. The following year, Washington's 7th governor, Marion Hay, moved in with his family and his wife quickly furnished the house by spending more than US$15,000 at a prominent furniture store in Seattle. Interestingly, many of these early furnishings remain today, including a large grandfather clock, which stands on the landing of the staircase. Due to the valuable land occupied by this local landmark, Washington's government has often discussed knocking the building down and replacing it with office space, although in the early 1970s, it was thoroughly renovated and modernized, costing around US$600,000
Open hours: guided tours, Wednesday - by appointment
Admission: free