Museum Events

Play In the Parks – S.T.E.A.M. Museum

Presented By:

This hands-on education experience truly has something for everyone! From building an arch to programming a robot to 3D printing, exploring gravity, friction, and math with STEAM pinball, creating your own music with the Music Maker, and much more, there is so much to try! Designed for k-6 students.

Virtual Ruddell Pioneer Cemetery Tour

We are proud to present, in partnership with Pretty Gritty Tours, a virtual tour of the Ruddell Pioneer Cemetery in Lacey and the stories that led to its founding. Get to know the triumphs, lives, and tragedies that led to this historic cemetery being one of the most notable in Western Washington. This FREE hour long tour will help you know the background and incredible stories of some of the most amazing pioneer women buried here.

This event will be livestreamed on YouTube, but will also be available as a recording immediately following the event.

Edward Lange: An Early Artist in Thurston County

See how art and history combine to tell the story of Edward Lange, an artist who worked in Thurston County at the turn of the 19^th/20^th centuries. Born in Germany in 1846, Lange came to Long Island, New York in 1870 and moved to Olympia, Washington in 1889. For the next twenty-three years he created highly detailed drawings of farms, businesses and entire communities in Thurston County (and elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest). Lange died in 1912, but many examples of his amazing artwork still exist. They provide wonderful windows through which we can see the history of our area. In this illustrated presentation speaker Drew Crooks will include recently discovered images as well as new information.

Jackson-Goose Pond Marker Dedication

Scoundrels: The Life of Susie Lewis

Location: Lacey City Hall Council Chambers and Online

Over a century ago, Tumwater resident Susie Lewis suffered a chain of tragedies: abuse, broken homes, infidelity, murder, abandonment, divorce, a child’s death, a fatal disease. And her misfortunes continued even after she died. Curator Karen Johnson presents an illustrated true-crime talk about Susie’s life and loves, including the scoundrels who hounded her to an early grave.

The Pig War: Great Britain vs. The United States

Location: Lacey City Hall Council Chambers and Online

In 1859, the United States and Great Britain stood on the brink of war for the third time in less than a century, and it all started over the shooting of a wayward pig that had uprooted a neighboring farmer’s potatoes. For 12 years, the US Army and the Royal Navy faced off on San Juan Island in Washington Territory, daring each other to make the first move. The cast of characters involved in this saga is a veritable who’s who of 19th century historical celebrity. Washington state historian Erich R. Ebel recounts the story of The Pig War, otherwise known as The Bloodless War or The War That Wasn’t.

Excavating the Bush Homestead

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online.

Recent excavations of the Bush Homestead, site of early non-white settlers George and Isabella Bush, led by Dr. Ulrike Krotscheck, Professor at The Evergreen State College, uncovered evidence of the Bushes’ generosity. Come hear how it also renewed community interest in the Bush family, leading to the dedication of new monuments in the area.

“It’s the Water”: A Brief History of the Olympia Brewing Company

During the 1970s, the Olympia Brewing Company was ranked the 6th-largest brewer in the nation. It was the largest private employer in Thurston County for decades, and its influence has permeated the community for well over a century. Olympia Tumwater Foundation Assistant Director Megan Ockerman presents an illustrated history of the brewery, the people who ran it, and its place as a pop culture icon.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only.

Revealing Records in the Washington State Archives

Learn tips and tricks for using the State and Southwest Regional Archives located in Olympia. Whether you are searching for your family history, property records, or looking for photos, maps, or clippings, this informative and illustrated talk will provide valuable insight on accessing and utilizing the state and local collections.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only.

Germans in the South Puget Sound Region in the late 19th Century

After the Civil War, quite a few young men from the Prussian region of Germany made their way to the South Puget Sound, lured by expectations of prosperity—jobs, free land—and religious and social freedoms. This talk focuses on the life and death of one, Friedrich Richter, who for a time owned property on the east bank of the Nisqually Delta, land that one day would become part of the Braget Family Farm.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only.

A History of the Northwest Passage in Five Maps

Using a series of rarely seen historic maps drawn from the collection of the Washington State Library and the Washington State Historical Society, Dave Nicandri will discuss the evolution of the Northwest Passage as a cartographic concept.  The principle figures in this story are British explorers James Cook, his one-time midshipman George Vancouver, Montreal-based fur trader Alexander Mackenzie, and Lewis & Clark.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only.

Lacey Historical Society 1980-2023

Historical Societies form in a variety of ways. Come and learn about the Lacey Historical Society and their legacy.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only.

June Weathervane Craft

Did you know that Lacey was once a small farming community? Ever wonder what those metal roosters were doing atop farmhouses? During the month of June join us at the Lacey Museum for a crafting activity to learn about weathervanes and some history about Lacey farms!

Drop in during regular business hours, Thu-Fri 11 am – 3 pm, and Sat 10 am – 4 pm to build your own weathervane.

FREE!

Make Your Own Biplane!

We’re flying into July in style with our custom biplanes! Join us at the museum to build and design your own biplane while we share some stories about local aviation history.

Drop in during regular business hours, Thu-Fri 11 am – 3 pm, and Sat 10 am – 4 pm to build your own biplane.

FREE!

Make Your Own Covered Wagon!

We’re building wagons and hitting the road! Join us at the museum to build a covered wagon and play our Road to Lacey game to learn some history about the Oregon Trail.

Drop in Fri 11 am – 3 pm and Sat 10 am – 4 pm during the month of August for this FREE activity!

A History of the Lacey Fire Department – Their First Decade

Learn about the service club origins of the Lacey Fire Department and the work of many of its citizens to provide 24 hour-a-day fire and medical protection to Lacey and Thurston County.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only.

Creativity Corner

October crafts at the Lacey Museum!

Craft your own creepy creatures, then choose what story you’ll build for your creations. Are you creating myths and legends, or a scary story? It’s up to you!

Drop in Saturdays 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. during the month of October for this free activity!

FREE!

40 Years of Wolf Rescue, Recovery, and Advocacy

Join Wolf Haven’s Executive Director, Geoff Willard, for a deep dive on the history of the organization and the work they continue to do to conserve and protect wolves and their habitat.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only. Doors open at 6 p.m.

A Confluence of Conservation: A History of the Nisqually Delta and the US Fish and Wildlife Service

The Nisqually Delta is a landscape that embraces time, change, and continuity.  Two different cultures clashed here, yet connected to hold a space for wildness.  Explore some of the storylines that converge in today’s national wildlife refuge.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only.

William Fraser Tolmie: A Remarkable Hudson’s Bay Company Leader at Fort Nisqually in the Mid-19th Century

Join Drew Crooks as he shares the history of William Fraser Tolmie (1812-1886), a Hudson’s Bay Company official who left behind a strong legacy that even now is remembered in the region.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

Inside the Lacey City Council of the 1970s

In 1973, Lacey was in its early years as a City and defining moments were taking place. Karen Fraser became the first woman City Council member, and three years later would become the first woman to serve as Mayor. This talk will explore her experiences navigating her roles through a young city, its changing form of government, the building of City Hall, and the formation of the Lacey Museum.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

Creativity Corner: Year of the Dragon

Creativity Corner is back during the month of February to celebrate the Lunar New Year. 2024 is the Year of the Dragon! Join the Lacey Museum Thursday and Friday 11 am – 3 pm or Saturday 10 am- 4 pm to craft your own dragon. This activity is FREE and for all ages.

Find Your Family History in the Washington State Archives

Ever wanted to learn more about your family history but had no idea how to get started or where to go for information? Join Dr. Jewell Lorenz Dunn as she shares the basics on what you need to begin your family tree research. Genealogy is much more than just online census records. Learn what the Washington State Archives has to help you in your search and where else you can find vital information. 

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

150 Years of Jewish History in the South Sound

Join Rabbi Seth Goldstein, spiritual leader of Temple Beth Hatfiloh, for an opportunity to learn about the history of the Jewish people in the U.S. in general and Washington in particular, and Judaism as a faith, tradition and culture.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

The Fight for Gay and Lesbian Adoption Rights: A Milestone on the Road to LGBTQ+ Equality  

Join Lynn Grotsky and Lisa Brodoff as they share their story of how they secured parenting rights for themselves and for all other same-sex couples in the state of Washington and then extended throughout the nation. They will discuss the local and national coalitions that helped bring about second parent adoption and later a string of other victories for the LGBTQ+ community.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

Prince Hall Freemasons and Washington State 

Join Lester L. Dickson to traverse the centuries starting in circa 1770s to present day through a narrative of the evolution of Prince Hall Freemasons, the challenges the organization overcame, notable members of the Order, its introduction in the State of Washington, and its expansion to the City of Lacey.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

Creativity Corner: Lavender

Creativity Corner is back at the Lacey Museum this summer starting in June. Did you know Lacey once had its own lavender farm on Chambers Prairie? Come visit us Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. or Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. to craft your own lavender stems. This activity is FREE and open to all ages.

Creativity Corner: Rock Art

Join us in July to participate in the Lacey Museum’s temporary community art exhibit, Art Rocks! Drop-in to paint a garden rock to add to the Museum’s flower bed or take your art to-go. Rocks placed in the Museum’s flower bed will remain on display through the month of July. After July feel free to take rocks and place them around the community! Come visit us Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. or Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. This activity is FREE and open to all ages.

Creativity Corner: Musical Instruments

Build your own instruments and join the band! Are you a guitarist, drummer, or maybe even a tambourine player? Stop by the Lacey Museum in August to see the new Live from Lacey exhibit about the history of entertainment in the area. Come visit us Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. or Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. This activity is FREE and open to all ages.

Puget Sound: A Maritime Highway

Join David B. Williams, author of Homewaters: A Human and Natural History of Puget Sound, as he explores the 13,000-year history of transportation in this extraordinary waterway to illustrate how landscape has a central influence on the residents of a place and how they live their lives.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

Creativity Corner: Pumpkins

Join us at the Lacey Museum in October to participate in a fun and festive fall craft! Create your own paper pumpkins to celebrate the changing of the seasons. Visit us Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. or Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. This activity is FREE and open to all ages.

Six Degrees of Separation

Join Karen Johnson, Schmidt House Curator, for a lighthearted talk as she explains how many famous people and events can be connected to the founder of the Olympia Brewing Company, Leopold Schmidt—based on the theory that anyone in the world can be connected to anyone else in six steps or less.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

From Ice Age to the 21st Century: A History of Thurston County

Join historian and author, Drew Crooks, as he explores the fascinating history of Thurston County from far in the past to modern times. Topics will include Ice Age geology, Native American heritage, American settlement in the mid-19th century, development of towns and farms, labor unrest, Great Depression, World War II, post-war expansion, and more recent developments.

Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.