Want to get a taste of the Games ahead of Tokyo? Visit the new U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, which opened just last year in Colorado Springs. The 60,000-square-foot museum is dedicated to U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes, showcasing their stories through exhibits, artifacts, media and technology.
“The museum has been nearly 10 years in the making and we’re excited that these incredible stories can now come to life,” says museum CEO Christopher Liedel. “It’s more than a sports museum. It’s a museum of hopes and dreams and will provide athletes and fans with a space to celebrate friendship, determination and all the best values Team USA athletes embody.”
With Team USA athletes consulted throughout the project to achieve the goal of an authentic experience, the museum is one of the most accessible and interactive in the world letting guests customize their sport preferences for their own unique tour.
Inside, a taut aluminum façade flexes and twists over a dynamic pinwheel form, featuring 12 interactive galleries descending and organized along a continuous spiral, enabling visitors to have a shared, common experience along a universal pathway. The galleries include the Hall of Fame; Introduction to the Games; Athlete Training; The Lab; Parade of Nations; Summer Games; Winter Games; The World Watches; Medal Collection; a theater with NBC’s film To Take Part; Medal Ceremony; and a rotating gallery.
Operated by Gallagher Museum Services, the museum includes a shop (try its high-tech “digital” mirror) and the Flame Café, and is open seven days a week, with admission ranging from $14.95 to $24.95. Tickets can be purchased and information can be found at usopm.org.