Olympia Tumwater Foundation

Opened in 1962 as a gift to the South Sound community, Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls combines spectacular scenery with historical significance situated along the banks of the last quarter mile of the Deschutes River. The Park receives over 250,000 visitors each year and is one of the largest privately owned parks in Washington State. Every fall, thousands of visitors and school students witness the majestic salmon working their way up the river during their annual migration.

The Foundation also owns and operates the historic Schmidt House built in 1904 by Leopold Schmidt, founder of the Olympia Brewing Company. The home is made available to various nonprofit, cultural, educational and historic organizations in support of their mission. Also located in the House are the Foundation archives which serve as a repository for artifacts, documents, and objects preserving the memory and legacy of the Schmidt family and the Olympia Brewing Company as well as supporting and promoting the architectural and cultural heritage of the Tumwater Historic District.The Foundation has a robust history program staffed by a public history manager and archivist to archives curation and preservation.

Since 1966, the Olympia Tumwater Foundation has been offering scholarships to graduating seniors from Thurston County high schools and has become a major scholarship source in the community. The program has aided more than 500 local students with over $2.0M applied toward their continuing education. The Foundation is governed by a board of respected community leaders and has deep, longstanding ties to the South Puget Sound region.