For the world’s top athletes, the road to the Summer Games in Paris is filled with hours of practice, competitions and qualifying trials.
For me, a mere mortal who plays in a recreational three-against-three basketball league in Broomfield, the road to the Olympics, is, well, southbound Interstate 25.
Ahead of the Summer Olympics, which begin on July 26, day-tripping Coloradans can go for gold in Colorado Springs, touring the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, visiting the training center or, more informally, hiking in the same high-altitude environs that prime Olympians’ lungs.
While some U.S. destinations — Salt Lake City, Atlanta, and Lake Placid, N.Y. — are famous for having hosted past Olympics, Colorado Springs is unique because it’s where athletes train, and where committees and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) work behind the scenes, hammering out logistics.
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee relocated from New York to Colorado Springs in 1978, and the city has been the home of Team USA since. Bolstering the credentials, 26 NGBs call the Springs home.
Here’s how to achieve a championship level of Olympics knowledge just south of Denver.
Visit the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
On the third floor of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, visitors can test their own skills at a half dozen stations. Here, alpine skiing is on the left and sled hockey is on the right. (Richard Bittles, provided by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum)
If you’re not in the Olympic spirit yet, you will be as soon as you step foot into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum. Here, you’re greeted by the 400-pound bronze “Olympus Within” sculpture from Peter Schifrin, an artist and Olympic fencer.
Accompanying it is a script: “The spirit of the Olympics is not reserved for Olympians or Paralympians. The Olympic spirit lives within everyone … .”
Once you’re checked in, you can fill out a profile that helps personalize your museum experience. I let the kiosk know that my favorite Summer Games sport was basketball and it helped curate the Hall of Fame for me, with an interactive exhibit showcasing the 1956 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball team that left the Olympic Games Melbourne with an 8-0 record and the gold medal. The exhibit even played a black-and-white game clip, with throwback footage of free throws shot underhand (or “granny-style,” as the kids I coach call it).
The museum also gives guests a good primer on Olympic tradition, beginning with an explanation of the ancient Greek calendar that marked time in four-year increments called the Olympiad. And here’s some Olympic trivia for you: The first Olympic event recorded in history was the 192-meter race won in 776 B.C. by a cook named Koroibus.
During my trip to the museum, I was joined by some day camp kids who swarmed around the most popular part of the museum, the third floor, where museum-goers can test their own skills at a half dozen stations that are more fun than any Nintendo Wii game. (Among them: clocking timed runs on a track, measuring your precision with a virtual archery bow and target, and strategizing on a sled hockey game.)
One of the exhibit halls at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs. (Richard Bittles, provided by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum)
Syncing up with the Summer Games, the museum will open a couple of new exhibits, beginning with “Return to Paris: 1924-2024” on June 28 and “All Eyes on US: Paris 2024 Games,” which opens on July 19 and features artifacts and storylines from the most talked-about American athletes competing.
Olympic enthusiasts can also purchase “Podium Package” tickets, which includes a tour of both the museum and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center to witness how athletes prepare for the global stage.
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Ticket prices start at $15.95 for children 5-12; $27.95 for adults (13+) and children up to age 4 get in free.
Three more Olympic-centric things to do in Colorado Springs
Attend the Downtown Summer Fest: The Paris celebration kicks off in Olympic City USA from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 27, with the Downtown Summer Fest. It’s free, and includes a torch-lighting ceremony, athlete meet and greets, sports demos and more. The event is hosted by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum (USOPM) and the Colorado Springs Sports
Hikers Bekah Manning, in front, and her husband, Billy, descend the steep steps of the Manitou Springs Incline in Manitou Springs on April 23, 2024.(Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Corporation. The USOPM will be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.; a ticket is required.
The museum will continue the festivities through Sept. 8, with daily artifact demonstrations, opportunities to meet Team USA athletes, and live coverage of the Paris Games on a 40-foot LED Wall. For moe information, go to coloradospringssports.org.
“Compete” at high altitude: Looking to round out your Colorado Springs staycation or day trip with your own athletic feats? Huff it up the Manitou Incline, which is favored by athletes because of its 2,000 feet of elevation gain in less than a mile.
Visit the World Figure Skating Museum & Hall of Fame: The small museum features a collection of skating costumes and memorabilia as well as videos of figure skating routines. 20 First St., Colorado Springs, 719-635-5200.