Trespassing at abandoned Tumwater brewery becomes ‘hazardous’ social media trend
The Tumwater Police Department said there has been a trend circulating online encouraging people to explore the abandoned Olympia Brewing Company campus, and they’re trying to put a stop to it.
According to the department’s May 19 social media post, there has been a trend on social media where people are being encouraged to explore the brewery property. The campus is located at 100 Custer Way SW and was opened in 1934. It sits on more than 100 acres and has been closed since 2003.
The police department’s post said that while it may seem harmless and adventurous to explore these properties, entering these buildings is trespassing, and a crime. The post said it may result in those who explore being trespassed and/or arrested.
The post said that exploring the brewery property can also pose serious safety risks.
“... unstable structures and hazardous dangers that aren’t worth the moment of curiosity or a photo,” the post said.
“We understand the appeal of exploring forgotten places, but choosing to respect property boundaries and local laws keeps everyone safer and avoids unnecessary legal trouble,” the post said.
Lt. Jen Kolb with the Tumwater Police Department told The Olympian on May 21 that they have had at least 34 calls for service for alarm activations, trespassing, and reports of suspicious people/circumstances on the property since January 2025.
She said that number does not reflect the calls made directly to the police department by the hired security company who may have called in complaints after the fact expressing concern about trespassing and vandalism.
“The dangers are physical, legal, and environmental,” Kolb said. “The buildings are all older structures that are not being structurally maintained. There is standing water, rusted metal, broken glass, and sharp debris, as well as the potential for weakened structural areas that create physical and environmental dangers. Additionally, explorers run into the danger of encountering other people on the property engaged in other criminal activity.”
The Olympian most recently reported that House Bill 1742 aimed to helping communities redevelop distressed urban properties, including the former Olympia beer brewery site in Tumwater. However, the state Legislature failed to pass the measure this year. Little has transpired at the brewery since its closure in 2003.
The bill would establish the Center for Environmentally Sustainable Urban Design within the state Department of Ecology to support building and landscape design projects.
“The program would provide competitive design grants and competitions to encourage redevelopment of neglected or underused urban parcels,” according to a February news release from House Republicans. “The first design competition supported by the new center would focus on redeveloping the dilapidated Olympia Brewery property.”
Chandulal Patel of Tumwater Development LLC owns the property, The Olympian has reported. He initially hoped to bring a boutique hotel to the region, but told The Olympian last year that it’s been challenging to address issues on the property.
This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
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