Olympia Travel Guide

Olympia is the capitol of Washington State, and a visit to the Capitol Building which was cronstructed between 1921 and 1928 is well worth the trip. It is one of the tallest masonary domes in the world and since the Nisqually quake of 2001 has been completely repaired and cleaned. 

Inside the Capitol Building the Tiffany bronze chandelier is an incrediblely beautiful example of Louis Comfort Tiffany's work. In fact, the largest collection of Tiffany bronze is found in this state capitol.

But the Capitol Building is only one reason to visit Olympia. I find the downtown area and board walk at Percival's Landing just below the Capitol Building to be equally fascinating. The sailboats in the moorage create a picturesque backdrop to the Capitol Building on a clear day.

A visit to Olympia would not be complete without a dinner at the Oyster House at Percival's Landing. Named for those abundant and tasty mollusks that brought the early seafood industry to Olympia in 1859 the restaurant offers a great variety of Pacific Northwest seafoods fresh from the docks. Try to visit in early fall when it is most pleasant to eat out on the deck overlooking the boat basin.   

Olympia is located on the southern extent of the Puget Sound and can be reached by Interstate 5 from Seattle on the north or from Portland, Oregon, to the south.