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The Glacier Gun Club

Private Olympia gun club offers country club-style amenities

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Behind the unassuming façade of the T-Brothers' Liquor Lodge, located at 417 Plum St. SE in Olympia, lies a secret only a select few may experience. Through the front door, past the T-Brothers' fine selection of adult beverages, way at the back of the store, one finds it: a gorgeous solid wood door reminiscent of a prohibition era speak easy. Beyond this door lies a world unto itself: the Glacier Gun Club.

Owners Mike and Andy Thielen (the T-Brothers behind T-Brothers' Liquor Lodge) believed there was a need for an indoor shooting range in Olympia that focused on the shooter and the shooting experience, not on selling firearms. Wanting to offer an extraordinary experience at a reasonable price, they began looking for a way to create such a space without breaking the bank. Their liquor store only took up a small fraction of the 70,000 sq. ft. building that housed it, so the Thielen's decided to attempt something that had never been done before: they made the gun club a part of their liquor store.

Not only is it's location one of a kind; pretty much everything about the Glacier Gun Club is unique in western Washington. To begin with, the gun club is private, open to members only. Membership is limited to 1,000 people who must pay an initiation fee, a monthly membership fee and pass a background check.

And this is one place where membership definitely has its privileges. Depending on the level, memberships include a limited number of guest passes and access to the state-of-the-art shooting range and the posh Gatling Lounge, with it's leather couch and chairs, 12-in-1 cappuccino machine and 70" big screen T.V., just perfect for watching any type of sporting event (including Seahawks games, of course!)  VIP Summit members also have access to private wooden lockers where they can store anything that won't "stink, attract ants, or spontaneously combust," said owner Mike Thielen. The exclusive Summit members-only cigar lounge boasts a private bathroom, a fireplace and a bluetooth stereo for members' favorite tunes.

The Thielen's are aware that the existence of a gun club in such close proximity to a liquor store might be a cause for concern for some, so safety is their top priority. No alcohol is sold or served on the gun club side of the speak easy door, and they maintain a strict "eight hours bottle to trigger" policy for all members. Violating this policy is grounds for immediate membership termination. The Thielen's believe that "responsible people act responsibly," and treat their members accordingly.

The Glacier Gun Club is currently accepting new members. Applications for membership are available on their website, www.glaciergunclub.com. They offer several different levels of membership, including the VIP Summit membership, the popular Rainier membership, the limited use Paradise membership (perfect for retirees and those with more flexible schedules), and the discounted Defenders membership available exclusively to active-duty military.  Rates and privileges associated with the various membership levels can be found on the website.

Glacier Gun Club, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday, 417 Plum St. SE, Olympia, 360.539.7978, www.glaciergunclub.com

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