Summary
Organization name
Olympia AHA Museum & Visitor Center
Tax id (EIN)
83-2514144
Address
203 Columbia St. NWOLYMPIA, WA 98501
Our Story
In 2018, the Olympia Arts and Heritage Alliance envisioned something Olympia had long needed: a museum where arts, cultures, and history come together.
Olympia needs a place for exhibits and programs where residents and visitors can deepen their knowledge, expand their curiosity, and celebrate Olympia’s rich stories.
In 2025, that dream became real. We cut the ribbon at 203 Columbia Street, opening the doors of the Olympia AHA Museum and Visitor Center.
Our Impact
Since opening, we’ve welcomed more than 9,000 visitors from 49 states and 27 countries and territories around the world with FREE ADMISSION.
Visitors have explored 12 exhibits—viewing contemporary art side by side with historic photographs; diving deep into Olympia’s history, from Steh-Chass to historic Chinatowns and Olympia's Chinese exclusion event to the Centennial Celebration and the first Procession of the Species; "painting the town" through Olympia's murals (and their own cardboard city!); and examining how water has shaped our region, from Olympia Brewing Company to Tribal Canoe Journey.
Many visitors have explored museum content in more depth through 14 special programs, including artist receptions, walking tours, workshops, and presentations by artists, historians, and cultural leaders.
Through our Visitor Center, we've distributed hundreds of free guides, maps, and resources connecting Olympia residents and tourists with local businesses and regional points of interest.
We've expanded our gift shop to feature 8 local artists, highlighting our community's creativity and giving visitors a chance to take home unique Olympia souvenirs.
47 volunteers have donated more than 2,500 hours to keep our doors open.
What’s Next, With Your Help
Your Give Local donation will help us:
- $25 — Buy an Oly AHA T-shirt for a volunteer
- $50 — Host a community collaboration meeting to build new partnerships that connect Olympia’s diverse communities
- $100 — Support new exhibit materials and installation
- $250 — Fund speaker honorariums or workshop supplies
- $500 — Add multi-lingual translation and other accessibility services to our exhibits
- $1,000 — Support educational programming through hands-on engagement to bring textbook curriculum to life
With your support, we can build partnerships that connect our diverse communities, curate new exhibits, and offer workshops, lectures, and storytelling events that deepen our shared understanding of place.
Your generosity also helps us expand our Visitor Center and museum gift shop—showcasing local artists, authors, and heritage—and provide meaningful internships for college students gaining real-world experience. Every contribution makes a difference.
In 2018, we had a vision.
In 2025, we opened our doors.
In 2026, you helped us grow.
In 2027, help us become a community mainstay.
A Community-Curated Museum
Oly AHA is a community-curated museum, meaning that we build exhibits and programs through relationships, partnerships, and shared stories. The spirit of collaboration is what keeps Oly AHA vital and growing.
Some of our recent partners include:
Media gallery
Organization Data
OLYMPIA, WA 98501