Park City, Utah has an incredible Olympic legacy and learning about it is one of the best free things to do in Park City. At the Utah Olympic Park there are several Olympic and ski museums that are open to the public for free, providing an authentic look into the area’s rich sporting history. These museums tell the stories of athletes, the local ski culture, and the memorable 2002 Winter Olympics, held right in Park City. Below, we’re sharing an inside look at the free museums in Park City so you can see why they need to be on your Park City bucket list.
As a local, it’s easy to forget about the Olympic legacy that’s all around us. It’s where we live, where our kids play, and engrained into so much of the winter sports in Utah. While our favorite things to do in Park City are outside, everyone needs a good indoor activity for bad weather days, and the Park City Olympic Museums are perfect for that.
Where are the FREE Park City Olympic and Ski Museum Located?
The Park City Museums are located at the Utah Olympic Park inside of the main building. The Olympic Park is just south of Kimball Junction and north of The Canyons base area.
The Olympic Museum is located on the second floor of the building and the Alf Engen Ski Museum and Ski Fashion Museum are located on the first floor of the building.
Latest Posts:
- 9 Fun Things to do at The Great Salt Lake
- 13 Teen-Friendly, Parent-Approved Salt Lake City Activities
- Discover Utah’s 13 Most Scenic Paved Bike Trails
- Nature’s Masterpieces: Exploring the 13 Best Waterfalls in Utah
Park City George Eccles Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum
The upstairs floor of the Utah Olympic Park building focuses on the 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum. It’s inspiring and really educational as well. Visitors are taken through the entire Olympics starting at the torch relay. There’s an Olympic torch there as well as the stories of torchbearers and what the relay was like. From the torch bearers to the athletes, one of the best things about the Utah Olympic Museum is the personal stories that were shared.
The opening ceremonies were highlighted and then there was so much information about the different winter sports that were in the Olympics. We loved looking at how things are similar, 2 decades later, and how much as changed.
Walking through the museum brought back so many memories of the games for me – which happened while I was in college. I remember the opening ceremonies, the banners all over town, and the outfits that all the volunteers wore. Photos and displays with all of this memorabilia brought back so many memories.
At the Park City Olympic Museum, you’ll find one of the largest collections of Olympic Memorabilia in the United States, making it well worth the visit.
Alf Engen Ski Museum
The Alf Engen Ski Museum is actually our families favorite museum in Park City. As winter sports lovers, we thought this place was so amazing! At the Pack City Ski Museum, you’ll learn about Nordic skiing, downhill skiing, and snowboarding.
Throughout the museum there are several touchscreen displays that were so much fun for the kids. We learned about snow conditions and what makes Utah’s snow so light and powdery, which is why we love skiing here so much. The ski patrol display was the biggest hit since we could practice blasting for avalanches.
Possibly the area that brought the most fun was the ski fashion displays. We couldn’t stop laughing. The fashions that skiing has gone through in the last 100 years are absolutely comical! Especially the 80’s and 90’s. My kids couldn’t believe what we actually wore AND that it was fashionable! Ha!
How Long Do I Need to Visit The Park City Ski and Olympic Museums?
I would plan on staying at the museums for about an hour. While neither museum is particularly large, there is a lot to see and you’ll want to read the displays. Near the entrance, make sure to take advantage of the bobsleds for the fun photo ops! When you’re done, there’s a cafe upstairs where you can grab a quick bite to eat too.
Other Activities at the Utah Olympic Park
These free Park City Museums are just the beginning of what you’ll find at the Utah Olympic Park.