AV天堂 exists at a cultural crossroad. In one direction lies urban excitement. In another lies outdoor adventure. In yet another you鈥檒l find many homegrown amenities.
As a student, you'll have easy access to oceans, mountains, rain forests and some of America鈥檚 most exciting cities. Whatever your style, you鈥檒l find it in and around Olympia.
In Olympia
Olympia Film Society
The Olympia Film Society at the Capitol Theater is a volunteer group of film lovers. The theater shows indie movies and hosts festivals, live music, and other special events. You鈥檒l get a student discount on your admission, but you can also trade volunteer time for free tickets!
Olympia Farmers Market
Open year-round, the farmers market overflows with fresh organic produce, baked goods, meats, Olympia oysters, and more鈥攁ll from local sources. You can eat lunch there and enjoy family entertainment, events and people-watching.
Arts Walk
Local artists team up with local businesses downtown to exhibit their latest masterpieces twice a year. The streets are closed to traffic while art, street performances, music and sales abound.
Local Parks
Olympia boasts over 900 acres of parkland鈥攆rom small neighborhood nature trails to large, immersive forests and beaches. For more information, visit the City of Olympia鈥檚 list of parks and trails.
Local Activities
Check out local Experience Olympia and Beyond to see what else is happening in and around town.
Day Trip Ideas
Beyond Olympia
Seattle and Portland
Explore local cities
Visit the fast-moving cities of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle is just 60 miles up the Puget Sound and Portland is about 100 miles south on I-5. Visit the cities of Cascadia and see what everybody鈥檚 talking about.
The Pacific Coast
Visit the scenic coastline
Go surfing at Westport, ride go-carts at Ocean Shores, or visit the scenic northern Washington coastline near Ruby Beach and La Push, and if you鈥檙e lucky, you鈥檒l see migrating whales swim by.
Skiing and Snowboarding
Hit the slopes
Want to hit the slopes or strap on some snowshoes? We've got lots of mountains that are accessible for day trips. Crystal Mountain, Washington鈥檚 largest ski resort, flanks the northeast corner of Mount Rainier National Park. The Summit at Snoqualmie, with four unique base areas and a huge variety of runs, offers snowboarding and nighttime skiing too! And the White Pass ski area is one of the state鈥檚 less crowded skiing and snowboarding destinations.
National Parks
Discover beautiful parks
Washington state has beautiful national parks, the Olympic National Park and Mount Rainier National Park to name just two. Find out more about the incredible, federally-protected parks within a few hours drive by visiting Washington National Parks.