This summer, Paris will be hosting the Summer 2024 Olympic Games. As a child, I would get excited every time it was an Olympic year, and I still remember my family gathering around the TV each night to watch the athletes compete in our favorite events. Now, I enjoy doing the same with my children.
As Paris 2024 approaches, a day trip to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs is a great way to get your family excited and give them a whole new perspective on the talent of these athletes before watching the games on TV. Straight down I-25, the trip to the museum is an easy jaunt from Denver.
Arrival and Parking
200 S. Sierra Madre St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
The museum, visible from the interstate, is a short distance east of your exit and very easy to navigate. Parking is not free but the lot is nice and big, sure to be available when you arrive. Enter the lot from either Sahwatch or Costilla Streets. Parking is $7.50 for the whole day, payable by credit card at a kiosk, or you can use a meter spot on the street using a parking app.
When you enter the museum, the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. They will take care of your payment and ensure you understand how the museum works. You can also buy tickets online in advance for a particular arrival time. Memberships are available and will pay for themselves in only two visits. Colorado residents who are able to visit year-round can also enjoy off-season pricing from October through Memorial Day. Guided tours are available for an additional cost if you enjoy listening to knowledgeable guides.
During Your Visit
Each guest is given a lanyard to wear throughout the museum. This lanyard communicates with the museum via radio frequencies so you can upload your name and favor
ite sports, and it will recognize you at each exhibit to individualize the experience and track any scores you might attain in the simulations.
The lobby is big and open to sit and rest or have some snacks, but snacks and water bottles are not allowed throughout the museum. Staff can kindly check a water bottle for you to claim at the end, though, should you bring it in and not want to return to your car. There is an onsite café for food if you need a break.
The museum is designed to be seen along a predetermined path. You will begin strolling down the Hall of Fame, at the end of which staff will direct you to the elevator to continue your journey. The entire experience is very stroller friendly with wide spaces, ramps and elevators. Staff are positioned throughout the museum to guide you along your way as well as provide extra, very insightful information. They are eager to teach children fun facts and inspire them.
While some museums can bore children who would like to simply breeze through every room with little thought, these exhibits are full of interaction. Patrons can use an interactive map to see various, former Olympians’ hometowns, colleges, or other cities of importance on their Olympic journeys.
Each Olympic torch on display has a corresponding video so that visitors can watch a portion of its relay journey toward its opening ceremonies.
Visitors can also experience a variety of simulations to gain a true appreciation of the difficulty of the sports and the talent of the athletes. For example, you can race against track and field stars to realize just how fast they are or learn archery from an actual Olympian. Adults and children alike will enjoy participating.
You will pass through a rotunda repeatedly playing a short compilation of opening ceremony scenes which leaves you feeling like you are there. There is also a small theater you pass through to exit. Ask the staff about possible viewing options and times.
Almost certainly, you will find yourself surprised at how much time you could spend in this museum. There is so much information and activity packed into this one museum that it is hard to be ready to leave. After your time here, you’re sure to be eager to tune in to your favorite sports this summer!
