The Atlas Obscura Guide To Olympia

4 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Olympia, Washington

Updated May 26, 2023

Unusual Attractions in Olympia

Olympia, Washington

Mima Mounds

Native American burial mounds? Giant gopher dens? No one knows what created the Mima Mounds.

Procession of the Species.

Olympia, Washington

Procession of the Species

Celebrate Earth Day with a menagerie of vibrant, artistic animal costumes.

Bring a bottle

Olympia, Washington

Olympia Artesian Well Commons

Local stories say that if you drink from this well, you will return to Olympia.

Bordeaux, Washington

Olympia, Washington

Bordeaux, Washington

The remains of a former logging boom town, crumbled away in the forest.

Are we missing something unusual?

Thornewood Castle

Tacoma, Washington

Thornewood Castle

"The House That Love Built" is shying away from "The House That Ghosts Love."

17 miles from Olympia

Richard Tracy considers his property his workshop.

Centralia, Washington

RichArt's Art Yard

In the midst of a residential town in Washington exists a property saturated with one man's artistic creations.

22 miles from Olympia

Color Picture of the 1940 collapse

Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma Narrows Bridge

This famous bridge twisted itself into oblivion, but not for the reason you might think.

22 miles from Olympia

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

9 Strange and Surreal Spots in Washington State

The deep, moody forests of Washington state are filled with secrets and stories. From springy mosses to towering Douglas firs, rocky outcrops, and glacial deposits, it’s easy to see how the landscape helped set the tone for stories like David Lynch’s trippy TV series Twin Peaks and the teen vampire romance that is Twilight. Across the Evergreen State, human- and nature-made oddities are rarely far from reach.

A foggy view from Washington's Mount Rainier, the most glaciated peak in the continental United States.

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