Hands On Children's Museum

Our Mission

The Hands On Children’s Museum stimulates curiosity, creativity and learning through fun, interactive exhibits and programs for children, families and school groups. The museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Voted "Best Family Entertainment"

The Hands On Children's Museum is regularly selected Best Family Entertainment and Best Museum in the Best of South Sound contest by The Olympian newspaper. 

In 2019, Hands on received 1st place for Best Museum, and 1st place for Best Family Entertainment venue.

Hands On was nominated as the TOP FAMILY FUN DESTINATION by ShowCase Magazine | Best of 2016

We are also a family favorite on Yelp and we received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor.  

Our Vision

• To be "The Place to Go" for hands-on fun and learning for children, their parents and teachers.
• To be the premier provider of hands-on science and art education for young children in the community.
• To serve as a unique and essential community resource that is well-funded and well-supported, fosters a sense of inquiry, serves as an exciting and educational gathering place for families, provides a place where children and parents can learn together, provides cultural enrichment and is culturally diverse.
• To be accessible to all children and their families, regardless of their ethnicity, disability or income.
• To offer an active youth volunteer program for middle and high school students.
• To promote positive intergenerational relationships.

Our Values

At Hands On, we believe that all children deserve respect and the opportunity to learn. Our extensive Free & Reduced Admissions Programs serve about 100,077 visitors a year with free or reduced programs.

We also believe that families are important as children’s first teachers and as their partners in learning. We provide free parenting programs and support groups for parents, extended families and caregivers. Our programs and participatory exhibits are designed specifically to encourage interaction and inquiry, as well as participation from the entire family. 

We believe that learning occurs in a variety of ways and that experiential learning is essential for proper brain development. At Hands On, we know that communities are enriched when diverse groups work creatively together to educate our children. We actively partner with social service agencies, public schools, service clubs, public libraries and other community organizations to bring interactive education to the community.