By Josh Barr
With construction nearing completion, excitement continues to build for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum set to open soon in Colorado Springs.
An announcement regarding ticket sales and the Museum’s opening date will be made soon.
The Museum will be open seven days a week, closed only on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Guests will be encouraged to purchase tickets online in advance; admission to the Museum will be timed to maintain social distancing in the Museum.
The 60,000-square foot Museum is dedicated to U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes and their compelling stories, with the artifacts, media and technology behind the athletes who make the United States proud. The Museum focuses on the core values of the Olympic and Paralympic movements: friendship, respect and excellence; determination, equality, inspiration and courage.
After guests enter the Museum and receive their credential, the Museum path starts with an elevator ride that takes all guests to the top floor. From there, a ramped path winds progressively downward to the main floor creates a parallel visit experience for all guests on the journey through 12 interactive galleries.
The Museum is one of the most accessible and interactive museums in the world, designed so all guests experience the Museum the same way. Some of the inclusive designs and assistive technologies include open captions, audio-description tracks, assisted listening, universal keypads, RFID-triggered customizations, accessible exhibit spaces with ramped experiences and more. Team USA athletes were involved and consulted throughout the project to achieve our goal of authentic experience and inclusive design. The Museum is ADA compliant throughout.
“Colorado’s second city is, after all, Olympic City USA — home of both the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the flagship U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center,” reports Cowboys & Indians, the premier magazine of the West. “It’s a logical place to honor the ideals and document the history of the Olympic and Paralympic movements — and to share the impressive and inspiring stories of the nearly 13,000 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes who have competed for Team USA since 1896.”
