Seattle—with its top-tier restaurants, unparalleled bars, and endless things to do—generally dominates the discourse when it comes to the gorgeous state of Washington. But now it’s time to turn our attention to the capital city: Olympia. As the birthplace of Riot grrrl, the home of Olympia Coffee, and the seat of most government-related happenings (at least on a state level), there’s a lot going on in this small but vibrant city of 51,000 residents. Originally settled in 1846, Olympia became an official city in 1882, and, like many other cities in Washington, logging, oystering, and shipping quickly became main drivers of the economy. Olympia grew from there, becoming the capital of the state even before it earned city status, in 1853. And most importantly for you, it’s only an hour’s drive from Seattle—and the perfect destination for a weekend trip for these eight reasons.
Olympia doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it should
Obviously, a lot has changed since Olympia’s early days at the turn of the 19th century. And though Olympia is technically the capital of Washington, most people probably think of Seattle when they think of the state, and with good reason: it’s much more famous culturally (Sleepless in Seattle, anyone?) and much larger (Seattle’s population is 724,000, while Olympia’s is only 51,000). But that’s not to say that Olympia deserves to fly totally under the radar, and as far as we’re concerned, it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it deserves. Plus, it’s only an hour’s drive away from Seattle, so you’ve really got no excuse not to pay this town a visit.
This town is home to lots of history
As we mentioned, Olympia is the capital of Washington, meaning that it’s home to a number of historical buildings, like the 1909 Governor’s Mansion and the Legislative Building, built in a neoclassical style in 1928. Other sites include the Bigelow House Museum, which is the oldest house still standing in Washington (currently closed for renovations), the Old Capitol Building (which was in use from 1905 until 1928), and the Schmidt House, a historic home originally built in 1904 for the founder of Olympic Brewing Company, Leopold Schmidt.
Taken from: https://www.thrillist.com/travel/seattle/things-to-do-in-olympia-washington