Holden Village’s programs offer you the opportunity to learn, connect, create, and have fun! We focus on education, the arts, children and youth activities, and outdoor recreation as integral to our mission. You have great flexibility in how you spend your time at Holden Village, filling your days with structured classes and activities or choosing your own adventure.
All programs and amenties are included in the price of visiting Holden. The only additional cost will be for ice cream and Beanie’s coffee drinks as well as costs of the materials for art projects in the craft cave or pottery studio.
Sweat out the stress and relax in the heat of the sauna! A sauna is a small wooden room that is heated by a stove where people can sit for short amounts of time. You can enjoy the sauna year-round with electric heat during the summer and a wood stove during the winter. Learn more about Sauna Safet
One of the best hot tub views you can possibly have!
Holden Village is located in the pristine Glacier Peak Wilderness. The Village Hike Haus offers outdoor equipment rentals to you free-of-charge for outdoor adventure basics, including backpacks, water bottles, sleeping bags and pads, tents, stoves, snow shoes, cross country skis, and fishing poles. Learn More
Make a break and run the table! Check out the Pool Hall where you can play pool on historic slate pool tables that have been at Holden since the mining days. The building was actually built around the pool tables! All supplies are provided for you to use for free. The Pool Hall is not heated and unfortunately not available during the non-summer seasons.
Where else can you go bowling in the wilderness?! Try for a strike or a spare at Holden Village’s historic bowling alley which has been in operation since the mining days. Bowling shoes and bowling balls are available to borrow for free. Check out the old-fashioned pin setting machine (children will need someone over 18 to supervise and set pins for them). The Bowling Alley is not heated and available only during the summer. Please see the weekly schedule posted in the Village for bowling alley hours.
Open mic, sacred space, make music!
Re-center yourself in a meditative art practice while centering clay on the wheel. Or try hand building, glazing, or a jewelry class in the pottery studio. Pottery is a process and the length of time you spend in the Village will determine what types of projects are possible during your stay. Whether you have tons of pottery experience or want to try it out for the first time, check out the schedule for classes or open studio time and dig your hands into the clay! Learn More
Use them loomsssssss
Enjoy ice cream, shakes, and malts in the wilderness! Check out the schedule for hours and head over to a charming old fashioned soda fountain called “The Snack Bar.” Holden Village is famous for scoops of ice cream the size of a softball, available for $2 per scoop. Dairy-free and vegan options are available. Snack Bar hours vary by season.
Get your caffeine fix in the wilderness! Stop by Beanie’s Coffee for lattes, mochas, cappuccinos, hot chocolate, and more. Holden serves locally-roasted fair trade coffee from Café Mam. All drinks are $2. Check the schedule when you are in the Village for hours. The espresso machine can only run when there’s sufficient hydro power in the Village, so Beanie’s may be closed during the non-summer months.
Cozy up with a good book or catch up on reading your favorite magazines. Bring your own reading materials or stop by the Holden Library to find something that piques your interest. The Library operates on the honor system, so take a book (or several!) to read and return them before you depart. There are plenty of comfy spaces around the Village for you to curl up and enjoy a book.
Holden Village gathers in the evening for a time of reflection that echoes the tradition of early monastic communities. We gather as a community to honor all of our life as sacred. We remind one another that our work for justice, environmental stewardship, diversity, and peace are all grounded in a faith that is life giving and important. We gather as a community to intentionally draw closer to the work, person, and nature of Jesus and the wisdom traditions of the world. Holden Village practices an expansive Christianity where all people and spiritual practices are welcome, faith journeys are nurtured, and everyone is encouraged to explore meaning and spiritual nourishment. We strive to practice our faith in a way that is open, inclusive, and expansive in our language of God, the earth, and all people. Learn More about Faith & Spirituality
Pack your spirit of adventure and prepare for snow in all its glorious variations! Snowshoeing is a great way to explore Holden and the surrounding Glacier Peak Wilderness during the winter. You can borrow a limited number of snowshoes for free from the Hike Haus. The weather and avalanche conditions will determine what routes are available to you. Learn More
Glide across the snow on cross country skis with the breathtaking views of the majestic peaks in every direction. During the winter months, the Hike Haus becomes a cross country ski center with skis, boots, and poles available to borrow free of charge. You can also choose to bring your own ski equipment with you. Depending on the weather conditions, X miles of groomed trails are available from the Village. Learn More
The Ark is an outdoor deck and community gathering space. You can eat meals, enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, and just hang out and enjoy the breath-taking view of Buckskin and Copper peaks. The Ark is sometimes used as an outdoor location for Sacred Space and music making during the summer.
Located in the garden level of Chalet 2, the Art Gallery shows change throughout the year and often feature works by current staff and community members. Stop by to see what is currently on display! The Art Gallery also serves as a multi-purpose space for classes, embodiment practices, and community gatherings. Yoga mats are available for you to use in the Art Gallery.
Find creative inspiration and project materials in Holden’s Art Studios! The Art Studio, also known affectionately as “The Craft Cave” offers three rooms of work space and materials for creative pursuits including drawing, painting, calligraphy, knitting, crocheting, sewing, weaving, ceramics, pottery, and much more. There are multiple looms for weaving large or small projects, sewing machines, pottery wheels, and more. During the summer, an additional art studio space is located in the Village Center, where you can attend even more art classes! Registration fees cover all art class instruction; you can purchase materials for classes or independent work at low cost through our studios. Books and instructional materials are also available for you to borrow. Read more about the Pottery Studio below.
In the style of a charming, old fashioned soda fountain, the Snack Bar serves as Beanie’s Coffee in the mornings and an ice cream parlor in the afternoons and evenings. Named after Brynolf “Beanie” Lundholm, a music professor at Augustana College and frequent Villager, you can get lattes, mochas, cappuccinos, hot chocolate, and more at Beanie’s. Snack Bar ice cream also includes shakes, malts, and dairy-free and gluten-free options. Check out the schedule for hours. The Snack Bar room is unheated and closed during the winter but you can still get ice cream in the Dining Hall a few times per week. The espresso machine operates in Creekside during the non-summer months, but can only be open and run when there’s sufficient hydro power in the Village.
Step back in time to this historic recreation space built during the mining days in the 1930s-1950s. The building was actually built around the historic slate pool tables! Bowling shoes and bowling balls are available to borrow for free. Check out the old-fashioned pin setting machine (children will need someone over 18 to supervise and set pins for them). Popcorn and candy are also often available for you to purchase during open hours. The Bowling Alley/Pool Hall is not heated and unfortunately not available during the non-summer seasons
Get the wiggles and giggles out on Holden’s children’s playground, featuring slides, swings, and a mini-rock wall. An updated playground is in the works for you to experience on a future visit.
Playfulness, whimsy, humor, and “hilarity,” have long been important aspects of daily life at Holden Village. The Costume Closet offers you an opportunity to be imaginative and play “dress up,” no matter your age, with the best selection of costumes you can find in the wilderness! As a community that lives out our mission with joy, participating in the gracious love of God, there are many activities and fun occasions that are enlivened by silly costumes.
The Dining Hall is your go-to place for meals and snacks. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served buffet style on a schedule. A selection of fruit, bread, granola, hard-boiled eggs, cereals, milk, juices, coffee, tea, and more is available 24/7 as snacks. During the winter months, some chairs and tables are removed so that part of the Dining Hall becomes a cozy community living room. Bookshelves full of games and comfy couches provide a wonderful place to sit and connect with fellow Villagers and maybe even work on a craft project. Learn more about Meals and Dining at Holden Village
We certainly hope you stay healthy and well throughout your time at Holden Village, but the First Aid/Medic Station is available should you need it. Common over-the-counter medications are located in the hallway next to the First Aid Station and some are available for purchase in the Holden Store. Learn more about the limited medical care available at Holden Village
If you need to wash any personal clothing items during your stay, a Guest Laundry room is available to you (location changes depending on the season). Due to limited power supply in winter, dryers may not be available.
Holden Village is located in the Railroad Creek Valley and is surrounded by the pristine Glacier Peak Wilderness. With hundreds of miles of backcountry trails, you have ample opportunity to hike, camp, bird watch, fish, and trail run. The Village Hike Haus offers outdoor equipment rentals to you free-of-charge for outdoor adventure basics, including backpacks, water bottles, sleeping bags and pads, tents, stoves, snow shoes, cross country skis, and fishing poles. Learn More
This is where you can get all of your favorite Holden merchandise: art, cards, yarn, pottery, books, candy, t-shirts, apparel, and more. The Holden Store accepts cash, checks, punch cards and credit/debit cards. Enjoy the practice of letter writing and mail a postcard or a note from the post office. When you’re not in the Village, you can check out the Holden Store Online
Relax in soothing warm water with the beautiful mountains as your view. The hot tub is currently closed for the season. We plan to open the hot tub in late spring/early summer.
You can attend teaching sessions, activities, community discussions, movies, and more in this unique room with a former fireplace at the center. During the winter, Fireside is used as the Village’s primary location for Sacred Space.
In this multi-purpose space overlooking the forest and Railroad Creek, you can attend classes taught by teaching faculty, community activities, and more.
During the summer months, you can journey through a labyrinth in a field west of the Village. Depending on snow conditions and scheduling, you may have the opportunity to snowshoe through a candle-lit labyrinth as part of Sacred Space during special events in the winter months.
Stop by the Library, a sunny, quiet, comfortable room to browse Holden’s selection of books and periodicals or use the guest computer for limited internet access. Take a look at the featured books for recommended reads on social justice, ecology, art, theology, books written by teaching faculty, and much more. The Library is also a great place to catch up on any reading material you bring to the Village or enjoy a puzzle. A children’s section offers books, games and puzzles. The Library operates on the honor system, so take a book (or several!) to read and return them before you depart.
The museum is currently under construction. A temporary museum featuring photographs and artifacts from the mining days and information about the natural history of the valley are available in the mezzanine of the Village Center.
Explore the many spaces to enjoy the stunning scenery on the Holden Village grounds. Porches on lodges, the Village Center, and Koinonia offer you places to relax, play music, converse, read, and more. During the summer months, you can find outdoor chairs, benches, and tables throughout the Village and even on some nearby trails. Organize a game of Basketball, Pickleball, or Volleyball on the court outside of the Narnia school. Check out one of the hammocks set up by the creek!
Holden’s Pottery Studio features ample natural lighting and work space. You can create wheel-thrown or hand-built pieces during Open Studio hours or take classes in techniques like jewelry-making, sgraffito, glazing, and others. Pottery made at Holden is fired in our electric kilns, raku kiln, or newly-reconstructed gas kiln. Learn More.
A sauna is a small wooden room that is heated by a stove where people can sit for short amounts of time. The Holden Village sauna can accommodate up to 11 people at a time. You can experience the soothing heat with an electric stove during the summer months and a wood fired stove during the winter months. There is nothing like an invigorating jump in the snow or a dunk in the small tub of cool water in the sauna building to cool you down! Learn more about Sauna Safety
Once the community center during Holden’s days as a mining town, the Village Center offers amenities you wouldn’t expect to find in the wilderness, including the Bowling Alley, Pool Hall, Snack Bar ice cream shop, Beanie’s Coffee, and more. During the summer, the Village Center gymnasium serves as the main location for Sacred Space. During the winter, the building is unheated and many areas are closed off; however, you can still bundle up to enjoy activities like basketball or kickball in the gymnasium.
The Village Green is a lawn near the Ark that becomes a community gathering place for lawn games, outdoor Sacred Space, concerts, frisbee games, and more.
Holden Village invites you to learn from teaching faculty from around the globe as you engage in conversations about visual and performing arts, the sciences, theology, diversity, inclusion and racial justice, global and domestic social issues, and more.
From music to writing to visual art, Holden has a rich tradition of fostering artistry in both professional and everyday artists. Holden Village has dedicated art staff and spaces designed to allow visitors to explore their creativity intentionally and spaciously.
Through its youth programs, the Village aims to support the next generation of leaders to craft a more just, sustainable, and compassionate world.
Holden Village is located in the Railroad Creek Valley and is surrounded by the pristine Glacier Peak Wilderness. With hundreds of miles of backcountry trails, you have ample opportunity to hike, camp, bird watch, fish, and trail run.
During the peak summer season, Holden Village comes to life with visitors and seasonal staff as well as local flora and fauna. Each week during summer, teaching faculty facilitate classes focused on topics from music and art to theology, science, and social issues. Programs for youth and kids keep young hands and minds busy with crafts, games, and leadership development. The Craft Cave hosts daily classes with options throughout the week for all ages and skill levels as well as a Holden favorite reimagined: natural cloth dying. The Pottery Studio, too, stays busy with classes and open studios. The naturalist leads programs around the Village to support environmental and land-use education. Beyond the Village boundaries, hikers and campers set off for adventures using rented equipment from the Village Hike Haus.
During cool evenings Villagers eat dinner outside, enjoy lawn games, participate in Sacred Space, and sweat in the sauna. Villagers play board games in the dining hall, participate in open mic nights, or stargaze with the naturalist. On hot days, the historic bowling alley and pool hall provide a fun respite from the heat, as does the ice cream served at the Snack Bar and the cold, clean water running through Railroad Creek. Those seeking quiet refuge from the sun can settle with a book in the Library or spend time in the Craft Cave.
Village life is less structured than in the busy summer, but visiting faculty and programs are frequent. Holden is a celebratory community and delights in entertainment of all sorts. All Villagers join in the festivities at Halloween, Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, New Year’s Holy Week, Easter and other occasions – like Sun Over Buckskin Day, celebrating the day that the sun crests over the mountain – that are particular to Holden. Winter guests are themselves a cause for celebration, with new arrivals and departures on every bus day. You can prepare for plenty of relaxation, reading, crafts, and outdoor recreation. We offer no structured children and youth programming in the winter.
Outdoor activities are the main source of recreation. Snow typically beings in late October or early November and can continue into May. Holden’s average yearly snowfall is 270 inches. You can enjoy excellent sledding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Bring your own gear or borrow a limited supply of gear from the Hike Haus. Basketball, pin-pong, games, and puzzles are popular for indoor recreation. Many craft projects are available, including weaving. The sauna usually operates throughout the winter.
Holden Village is a community where your questions are valued and encouraged. Most programs led by visiting teaching faculty occur during the summer months. However, Holden also invites faculty to teach sessions for special events and retreats throughout the rest of the year.
View upcoming summer faculty.
The Arts have played an integral role in Holden’s mission throughout the Village’s history. Registration fees cover all art class instruction; materials for classes or independent work can be purchased at low cost through our studios.
Weaving is a favorite activity at Holden Village. With 10 table looms, 3 floor looms, inkle looms, spinning wheels, and other options, visitors can create a textile masterpiece.
The Craft Cave also offers a rotation of craft and art classes for all ages, including beading, drawing, collaging, watercolor, needle felting, sewing, embroidery, printing, natural dying, basket weaving, and many more!
In the Pottery Studio, visitors can work on wheel-thrown or hand-built creations during Open Studio hours or take classes in techniques like jewelry making, sgraffito, glazing, and others. Pottery made at Holden is fired in our electric kilns, raku kiln, or newly-reconstructed gas kiln.
Youth are integral to Holden Village’s community and vibrancy. During the summer months, Holden offers the Narnia program for youth ages 4 – 17. Children ages 4 -11 are invited to attend the Narnia children’s program, which occurs Monday-Friday from 8:30 am – 12:00 pm beginning on June 9.
The Narnia program facilitates play and creativity, encourages curiosity, fosters a sense of place in nature, and commits to justice. Activities include nature walks, crafts, games, and more.
Activities for Middle School & High School students aged 12 – 17 are available throughout the day and evening Sunday-Friday. The MS/HS program seeks to foster independence, belonging, mastery, and generosity while encouraging fun and hilarity.
Activities include bowling, games, crafts, pottery, service projects, and more. Holden Village does not offer comprehensive programs for children aged 0-3. Programs tailored for this age group require participants to be accompanied by an adult. Learn more on the Children & Families page.
The Village Hike Haus offers outdoor equipment that you can borrow free-of-charge for outdoor adventure basics, including backpacks, sleeping bags and pads, tents, stoves, and fishing poles. Learn more.
During the summer months, Holden offers environmental learning sessions led by the Village Naturalist. Past sessions have included fire ecology hikes, mine remediation walks, plant identification walks, and observations of macroinvertebrates in Railroad Creek.
