Bond sale approved to double the size of Hands On Children’s Museum
The Olympia City Council has approved the issuance of $20.5 million in tax-exempt bonds to expand the Hands On Children’s Museum.
The project as a whole is expected to cost $30.6 million and will double the museum’s exhibit space.
Mike Githens, the city’s finance director, said the museum plans to secure additional funding through grants and donations to reach the total budget amount. The expansion includes a property purchase so it can double the exhibit space from 12,000 square feet to 24,000 square feet.
The museum was founded in 1987 and was a demonstration site at the South Sound Center in Lacey before securing a small site in downtown Olympia. Patty Belmonte, CEO of the museum, said the museum was selected in 2006 as one of two Public Facilities District (PFD) projects in Thurston County, along with the Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey. The museum has been in its current location at 414 Jefferson St. NE since 2012.
The PFD is authorized to receive 0.033% of the state share of sales and use tax generated in Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater and Thurston County.
Belmonte said facility construction was paid for by a combination of private contributions raised by the nonprofit museum and those PFD funds. She said to qualify for the public funds, the museum has to demonstrate that it draws visitors from outside Olympia, and stimulates economic activity in the region.
“Since opening our permanent home in 2012, Hands On has grown to become a nationally recognized early learning destination, serving about 300,000 visitors a year, and it is a treasured amenity for our community,” Belmonte said.
She said the museum covers annual operating and maintenance costs, and it ensures that more than 130,000 low-income and moderate-income families have access to the museum. According to the museum website, Hands On was honored as a Bright Light Museum by the Noyce Foundation, because of its ability to engage underserved populations, often with community partners.
Belmonte called the partnership with the city and the PFD bonding mechanism a significant win for children and families in the community.
Githens said the $20.5 million bond will be issued for a 30-year term, with an annual debt payment of $1.5 million. He said the city is targeting September for the bond sale and for those tax dollars to be available for use soon after.
Allie Deaton, a teacher at the museum, spoke during a public hearing for the bond issuance. She told the Olympia City Council she has worked at Hands On for six years but began volunteering in 2010, when the museum was much smaller.
She said as a culinary educator, she has struggled to teach in the spaces they currently have available. The multi-use rooms aren’t wired to run two blenders at the same time.
“So to teach a class of 16 kids how to cook is challenging, and we’re so excited to have the space to do so,” Deaton said. “In my classroom right now, we can see the empty lot that will become the future museum expansion. So to be able to sit there with the kids and dream of what will be in the next few years is wonderful.”
Grace Golightly said she didn’t know anyone when her family moved to Olympia three years ago. She said her family was lost and struggling, until they found the Children’s Museum.
Golightly said her daughter attended two years of preschool at the museum, and her family has loved it so much she’s now a staff member. She said it’s brought community to their lives in a way she never knew they’d ever have.
“It’s very important for our community,” she said. “It’s the one place I know that my family can go, no matter what mood we’re in, and we can be ourselves and we can be safe.”
This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 1:25 PM.
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