Family Friendly

Load up the kiddos (and grandma and grandpa too) and get ready to make memories of a lifetime! Get Back to Nature

Make sure your camera (or smartphone) is all powered up, because as you explore the wetlands and wildlife at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, you’re going to wind up with a LOT of photos! As you stroll the miles of easy walking trails and boardwalks, keep your eye out for an incredible amount of flora and fauna. Family young or old alike will be blown away by the 200+ species of birds and other wildlife that call the refuge home (and the squirrels can be real hams too!)

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

Downtown Fun

The Hands On Children’s Museum takes imagination to a new level. Explore 28,000 square feet of space featuring 150 hands-on exhibits, ten themed galleries and a half-acre of outdoor play space. Explore Puget Sound’s maritime history on the Tugboat Sandman, then stroll along the boardwalk at Percival Landing Park. Want to really immerse yourself into more hands-on learning about aquatic life in and around the Puget Sound? Head on over to the Puget Sound Estuarium to check out the exhibits and sign up for Meet the Beach, to explore inter-tidal life on local beaches.

Get Wild

Leave gravity at the door at DEFY Olympia. This extreme sports haven features a grid of 60-plus trampolines including angled wall trampolines and launching pads. Or get a dose of 80-degree weather at Great Wolf Lodge. The mega indoor water park (and more) offers 56,000 square feet of liquid fun, from splash pools to plunging slides. History is Fun

Thurston County is home to rich history that’s fascinating for the whole family. Check out the railroad and logging exhibits at the Train Depot Museum in Tenino. Learn how the small resort community Woodland evolved into the growing community of Lacey today at the Lacey Museum. Visit the Oregon Trail marker in Grand Mound, and of course, visit the Capitol Campus for a tour or just let the kids get the wiggles out exploring the 50-acre campus, home to memorials and gardens. Be sure to check out the Moon Tree!

Playgrounds

Sometimes you just gotta admit that nothing short of a playground is going to be exactly what the little ones want, and sometimes, the tweens and teens need a break too—we get it! Thurston County is home to countless parks, but the list below will guide you to some of the best playgrounds to keep the travelers happy and angst-free.

Yauger Park

Got a skater in the group? This 11,500 square foot concrete park is filled with ample dips and bowls as well as grinding rails.

SUNFLOWER FESTIVAL AUGUST 20TH TO 28TH

46 + different varieties FALL FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 17TH TO OCTOBER 31ST

Corn Maze • Pumpkin Patch •Attractions • Haunted Maze Visit RUTLEDGECORNMAZE.COM for more info.

Riverbend Ranch

Tumwater Historical Park

The little ones will love the sky-high slides and the rope pulley that crosses the playground, and the rest of the group will love the view of the Old Olympia Brewery.

Priest Point Park

Trails at this park lead down to the water, and who doesn’t love a stroll on the beach? Up above though, the kids will love playing on the S.S. Fun Ship playground. Hit the Farm

Family members of all ages love a day touring farms. Head to Schilter Family Farm in search of the perfect pumpkin or take in one of their festivals throughout the year. Be sure to save room for a famous apple fritter and fresh cider at Lattin’s Country Cider Mill and Farm. Looking for a scare? Check out the Rutledge Corn Maze! For those in search of the perfect Christmas Tree, choose from one of the numerous family-run farms such as Riverbend Ranch and Hunter Family Farm (there are a LOT more!)

Come visit us at Ashley Creek Farm and see for yourself how wonderful it is here!

360-556-9950 garlic@ashleycreek.com 9221 Littlerock Road SW Olympia, WA 98512