Museum Events
Past Events
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Tuesday, Jan. 10, 20236:30 pm
“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.
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Wednesday, Dec. 21, 20226:00 pm
Historical Commission Meeting
Lacey City Hall
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Tuesday, Dec. 13, 20226:30 pm
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.
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Wednesday, Nov. 16, 20226:00 pm
Historical Commission Meeting
Lacey City Hall
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Wednesday, Nov. 09, 20226:30 pm
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.
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Wednesday, Oct. 12, 20226:30 pm
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.
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Tuesday, Oct. 04, 20224:30 pm
Jackson-Goose Pond Marker Dedication
Lacey Community Center
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Wednesday, Sep. 28, 20226:30 pm
Edward Lange: An Early Artist in Thurston County
Online Meeting
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 19th/20th 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.
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Thursday, Aug. 25, 20228:00 pm
Virtual Ruddell Pioneer Cemetery Tour
Online Meeting
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.
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Thursday, Aug. 25, 20222:00 pm
Play In the Parks – S.T.E.A.M. Museum
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.
January 10 | 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Lacey,
WA, USA
“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.
December 21 | 6:00 pm
Lacey City Hall
Historical Commission Meeting
December 13 | 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Lacey,
WA, USA
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.
November 16 | 6:00 pm
Lacey City Hall
Historical Commission Meeting
November 09 | 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Lacey,
WA, USA
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.
October 12 | 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Lacey,
WA, USA
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.
September 28 | 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Online Meeting
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 19th/20th 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.
August 25 | 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Online Meeting
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.
August 25 - August 25 | 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Olympia,
WA, USA
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.