HISTORY NIGHT flyer

Roosevelt Elementary and Olympia Historical Society to Host History Night & Open House

Roosevelt Elementary School and the Olympia Historical Society &

Bigelow House Museum will host Roosevelt Elementary History Night & Open House on Friday, May 29, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., with doors opening at 6:15 p.m. The community is invited to view a rare collection of historic Roosevelt Elementary PTA archives before the materials are formally gifted to the Olympia Historical Society & Bigelow House Museum for permanent preservation.

Refreshments will be provided. Attendees may also tour the school, either through guided tours led by Roosevelt Principal Dr. Chisa Marshall or through self-guided exploration.

Event Details:

 What: Roosevelt Elementary History Night & Open House

 When: Friday, May 29, 2026

 Time: 6:30–8:00 p.m.; doors open at 6:15 p.m.

 Where: Roosevelt Elementary School Gymnasium

 Features: Historic PTA archive display, neighborhood history slideshow by the Olympia

Historical Society & Bigelow House Museum, dedication of new display case housed at

Roosevelt, refreshments, guided and self-guided school tours

 Who: Roosevelt families, alumni, neighbors, local history enthusiasts, and community members are invited

HISTORY NIGHT flyer
Youth Heritage Project announcement

Applications for the 2026 Youth Heritage Project due to the WTHP on May 6

What is the Youth Heritage Project (YHP)?  The YHP is a FREE overnight field school for high-school students, focused on the history, culture, and nature of Washington’s special places. This year’s YHP will take place in Ellensburg from July 13-16, focusing on the relationship between historic and cultural preservation and alternative energy, exploring the area’s wind farms alongside sites of historic and cultural significance. The YHP is an annual program of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation (WTHP) in partnership with the WA State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation (DAHP) and the National Park Service. 

Apply today for our FREE summer field school!

The Washington Trust’s Youth Heritage Project is an exciting, FREE summer program for high school-age students that focuses on the history, culture, and nature of Washington’s special places.

This year’s program takes place July 13-16, 2026, in Ellensburg. Students will learn about the relationship between historic/cultural preservation and alternative energy, exploring the area’s wind farms alongside sites of historic and cultural significance. There will be opportunities to engage in hands-on activities to help local conservation efforts, visit historic sites and unique museums, and learn about co-management of cultural resources. (You can also check out the recording of our April 20 info session for more information.)

 

Student applications must be received by Wednesday, May 6. If you know any high school-age students who would be interested, please feel free to share! See below for more information or visit our website.

Olympia Historical Society & Bigelow House Museum Annual Membership Meeting

Mark your calendar now for Saturday, January 24, 2026 as the date for the Olympia Historical Society & Bigelow House Museum Annual Membership Meeting and presentation of the Gerry L. Alexander Annual Awards for Outstanding Achievement.  The meeting will begin at 1:00 and take place at the Woman’s Club of Olympia at 1002 Washington Street SE. The Woman’s Club is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and Olympia Heritage Register.
 
In addition to the annual awards ceremony and business meeting, the event will include a presentation on local history as well as a look back at OHS & BHM accomplishments in 2025 and good things to come in 2026. 
Plan now to come join us for an afternoon of celebrating Olympia history and honoring those who make it. More information will be coming closer to the meeting. Attached are photos from the 2025 annual meeting.

Preserving a Living Memorial to Our Veterans

November 8, 2-4pm, Madison Elementary School gym

Mark your calendar for this free community event. We will learn about the history of the Legion Way trees from historian Jennifer Crooks, enjoy a performance by the American Legion Band, plant trees to fill in gaps in the memorial, dedicate the Olympia Armory interpretive marker, and share refreshments and conversation.

Equality Day at the Bigelow House August 24, 2025 from 1 to 4 pm

Visit the Bigelow House for a special event commemorating women’s voting rights. The 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was certified in August 1920 empowering most women nationally to vote. However, 2025 marks the 115th Anniversary of women’s permanent voting rights in Washington.

The Bigelow House is on the National Votes for Women Trail—recognized for its role in women’s suffrage history. Join us for special tours with costumed docents, a musical presentation, refreshments and crafts. Admission is by donation.

womens history month

New Tour Hours at the Bigelow House Museum–Women’s History Month in March

The Bigelow House Museum is now open all Sundays for tours at 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00 pm.

In honor of Women’s History Month, March tours will feature information about the significance of the house in women’s history—highlighting members of the Bigelow family as well as the connections of the house to women’s suffrage as a stop on the National Votes for Women Trail. Please join us.

womens history month

Simmons Party Monument: Community Conversation

February 20, 2025. 6 – 8 p.m.

Abigail Stuart House
1002 Washington St SE, Olympia, WA 98501

Free. Light refreshments will be provided.

RSVP here.

Join us for an evening of civic dialogue about the Simmons Party historic monument, erected in 1916 near Tumwater Falls about a party of pioneers claiming to be the first American colony on the Puget Sound in 1845.

 How does the monument shape our understanding of the past? Who and what has been left out of the history it portrays? How can we share a more accurate history? Your feedback and participation will help us develop tools to enrich our understanding of Washington State history.

Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 7:00 pm: An Evening with Sam Reed

The Olympia Historical Society & Bigelow House Museum hosts former WA Secretary of State Sam Reed and author John C. Hughes in this conversation about Reed’s three-terms as Washington’s Secretary of State. Reed will be joined by Hughes as author of the recently published biography titled “Mr. Mainstream: Sam Reed’s Half Century of Public Service and Civility.”  Book copies will be available for purchase and signing. The event will be held at Traditions Fair Trade/Soul Cafe, 500 Fifth Avenue SW in downtown Olympia. Doors open at 6:30 and the program begins at 7:00. The program is open to the public with free admission, though a $5 donation is recommended. Beverage service will be available. For more information, go to: Olympiahistory.org or olyhistory@gmail.com.

Give Local is Here!

The Olympia Historical Society & Bigelow House Museum is participating in the Community Foundation of Puget Sound’s Give Local 2024 which begins November 11, 2024 and continues through November 22, 2024. We invite you to participate by donating here.  link is:  https://www.spsgives.org/organization/Bigelow-House-Preservation-Association
 
Anyone can participate in Give Local, and most do so through meaningful gifts of all sizes. There are also many ways to give, including “tax-smart” gifts through Donor Advised Funds and Individual Retirement Accounts with the help of our event hosts and colleagues at the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound.  
In addition, all gifts made during Give Local receive a proportional match from the $100,000 Bonus Fund, so November 11-22 is a great time to make a gift, regardless of size, to support our work. Moreover, the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound and
 
Your gift will help OHS & BHM continue their important work in collecting, preserving and sharing Olympia history through their website, public programs, tours, outreach and partnerships, including with the Squaxin Island Tribe and the Olympia Arts + Heritage Alliance. Your donation will also help in maintaining and preserving the Bigelow House Museum and its collections to make sure this Olympia treasure continues to be open to the public.

2024 Holiday Tour of Historic Homes Benefiting the Olympia Historical Society & Bigelow House Museum

The Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum is sponsoring the Holiday Tour of Historic Home on Sunday, December 8, 2024 from noon to 4:00 pm featuring six historic properties including the Bigelow House at 918 Glass Avenue NE.

The 2024 event highlights outstanding examples of residential architecture representing important eras in the city’s history.  Dating to the 1860s, the Bigelow House will have special holiday décor and a musical performance. Five of the homes are in the South Capitol Neighborhood, a National Register Historic District.

Tour tickets are $35.00 per person and are available to purchase in advance at Drees at 524 Washington St. SE, Childhood’s End Gallery, 222 4th Avenue, W and Thompson’s Furniture at 5407 South Capitol Boulevard. Tickets will also be sold on the day of the tour at the Bigelow House, 918 Glass Avenue SE and at the Coach House, 211 21st Avenue SW.  Sponsors of the event are: Drees, Olympia Federal Savings, Mary P. Dolciani Halloran Foundation, Paul and Shirley Battan, Olympia Arts + Heritage Alliance, Inspire Olympia, Grit City Weddings and Events, and Swalling Walk Architects.

Net proceeds of the tour benefit the preservation and interpretation of Olympia’s historic Bigelow House and programming throughout the year by the Olympia Historical Society. 

For questions about the Home Tour event, email olyhistory@gmail.com. For more information about the Olympia Historical Society including membership form, go to www.olympiahistory.org.