COLORADO SPRINGS — The Olympic and Paralympic Museum is filled with rich history of the Olympics, some history dating back to ancient Greece. And recently the museum was recognized by USA Today as the country’s Best New Attraction in 2020 by USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. So, during a year of the Olympics, why not take advantage of a place that is in your backyard?
What makes this museum unique is its ability to connect with each individual visitor. The guest experience is very interactive so when you come, you get a tag that has an ID Chip and you can customize your experience based on your preference of Summer or Winter Olympics and Paralympics Sports. The museum has videos that take you back to these historic moments. There are also parts of the museum where you can hear the voices of medalists sharing their Team USA pride and the feeling they had while bringing home the medals for America. While sports make up the museum, those that designed this building also found a way to tie in impressive artwork.
“We like to believe that while the museum is really centrally focused on Olympic and Paralympic sports and our athletes who have represented Team USA, we are a museum that looks into and explores art and how it ties into the Olympics with our Leroy Neiman collection,” said Michelle Dusserre, a Museum employee, and Olympian silver medalist, USA Gymnastics.
And it might not surprise some people that current Olympic Hopefuls work here. I had the honor of speaking with Tyler Carter, “TC” a two-time Paralympian in Alpine Skiing who works here.
“I absolutely love working at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum. I mean this is home. This is home for our Olympians, our Paralympians. You know everyone that has had that opportunity to represent our country. It’s a really cool place that honors the legacies, the history, the stories, and we have a wide range of artifacts and interactives so that there’s something for everyone,” said Tyler "TC" Carter, a two-time Paralympian in Alpine Skiing.
This 60,000 square foot building hasn’t been opened for a full year just yet. July 30th will mark the one-year anniversary of this building dedicated to telling the stories of athletes.
Since its opening, the museum has been recognized by The New York Times and Architectural Digest. And it’s right here to enjoy in our backyard.
