How to Visit the Utah Olympic Park
The Utah Olympic Park, home of the 2002 Winter Olympics, is a place where spectators can watch ski jumpers race downhill on the K90 and K120 jumps at up to fifty miles per hour, even in the summer! Warm weather visitors can also watch aerial jumpers twist and flip up to 70 feet in the air before splashing into a pool containing 750,000 gallons of water. There are competitions during the winter months, camps for all ages and a museum open year-round. If you enjoy participating in the fun, check out the Zip Lines, Alpine Slide and bobsled run.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
-
-
1
Decide when you would like to visit. While the winter months offer more competitions to watch, the summer visitors can take advantage of experiencing the different rides offered only during the warmer months.
-
2
Arrange transportation. You can fly directly into Salt Lake International Airport, which is only about 40 minutes from the Utah Olympic Park, and rent a car. Travel by car on I-80 westbound to Park City, turn onto UT-224 and follow the signs to get to the Utah Olympic Park.
-
3
Visit the Alf Engen Ski Museum inside of the Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center. This 4,000-square-foot museum has a variety of activities: you can learn about the history of Olympic skiing; you can play an interactive game to see how skiers long jump and ski the slalom course; there is a downhill skiing simulation where you can experience the thrill of the sport, without being out on the slopes; and you can watch a 10-minute film depicting the history of Utah skiing. Don't forget to climb inside of the bobsled in the lobby for a great photo opportunity.
-
4
Go to the upper level of the Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center to the 2002 Eccles Olympic Museum. The costumes from the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Olympics are on display, as well as some of the equipment from several athletes. Visitors can try to lift the curling stone and hold the Olympic torch. There is a display of the different medals and about 1/5 of the thousands of Olympic trading pins.
-
5
Go outside to watch the skiers. Just outside the Sports Center are the aerial jumps. During the summer, jumpers of all ages and abilities try their jumps and twists before splashing into the pool. On Saturdays, you can pay a small fee to watch professional skiers put on an aerial show. You can also take a short walk to the Nordic jumps to watch the long jumpers.
-
6
Buy ride tickets. If you want to do more than just watch the action, purchase ride tickets for some mountain fun. Visitors can experience the thrill of riding down the mountain on the "Quicksilver" Alpine Slide. If you're not adverse to heights, you can get a birds-eye view of the park from the Ultra and Xtreme Ziplines--although at up to 50 mph, your view will be quick. For a real Olympic experience, try the "Comet" bobsled ride. Ride with an experienced driver on a wheeled bobsled. At up to 70 miles per hour and a 40-story drop in just over a minute, this ride isn't for the faint of heart.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
You can tour the musuem for free or go on an expert guided tour for a small fee.
If you would like to participate in any of the sports offered at the Utah Olympic Park, you can register for one of the many camps offered to the public.
