Spotlight: Utah Olympic Park

Spotlight: The Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center at Utah Olympic Park is home to both the Alf Engen Ski Museum and the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum. Yet the Sports Center isn't just a memorial to the past, it is still in continuous use to train current athletes for the next Olympic Games. Visitors can peruse the exhibits, watch athletes train and even participate in various activities throughout the year. The most popular (and expensive) activity is the Bobsled Run, but other winter activities include various rope courses. During the summer, guests can further explore the parks hiking and mountain bike trails. Other summer activities include: tubing down ski jumps, the alpine slide, zip lines, the Freestyle Show and the ropes courses.

Location: Utah Olympic Park is located at 3419 Olympic Parkway; Park City, UT

Cost: Bobsled Ride - $175; Gold Pass for winter/spring activities - $45/adult, $30/youth; Single Course tickets - $20; Guided Tour - $12/adult (13+), $7/child; virtual experience rides - $5 each; Freestyle Show - $12; parking and museums - free

Time: The facility is open daily from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm. Winter activity day passes are open from noon to 4:00 pm Wed.-Sun. Check site for summer schedule. Plan on spending 2-4 hours if you are participating in any activities.

Description: The Alf Engen Ski Museum has exhibits on ski related equipment as well as interactive exhibits relating to snowfall, avalanches, and even a virtual reality ride in which visitors can get a feel for what it is like to ride a bobsled, parachute ski, ski downhill, ride an extreme mountain bike course or attempt the ski jump. Up to four riders can ride at a time, and the video footage is excellent.

Virtual Reality rides

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Virtual Reality Ski Jump

20th Century Olympic Ski suits display

     Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum holds a collection of authentic items from the 2002 Winter Olympics including a torch, medals, items used in the Opening Ceremonies and equipment used by the participants. Each exhibit also has an interactive monitor that shows highlights or provides additional information.

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     The Bobsled track is one of only two in the whole country (the other is at Lake Placid, NY). Visitors can ride the Comet bobsled from a point about 3/4 the way up the track. Rather than do a running entry like they do in the Olympics, riders do a sitting start behind the professional driver who pilots them to the bottom in about 47 seconds at speeds exceeding 65 mph. The ride is a thrill for adventure seekers, but hard to enjoy completely since you are cramped inside the sled trying to keep your back straight so that you don't get jostled around too much. Non-riders can watch the sled's progress from monitor screens at the bottom of the track.

     The Winter/Spring Gold Pass gives visitors unlimited day use of different ropes courses: Discovery Course (beginners), Canyon Course (intermediate), Summit Course (advanced) and Drop Tower. A different set of activities are available in the summer.
     The Freestyle Show is spectacular. The 30 minute show features members of the Olympic ski jumping team (present and future) who practice their ski jumps year round at the park. From May through October, they practice by jumping off various jumps into a pool of water. The pool allows the athletes to expand their repertoire by practicing new moves on water rather than snow-packed earth. They use a bubble machine to break up the water so that the skiers experience a softer landing.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - Honestly, the experience of riding the bobsled is not worth the price. It is a once-in-a-lifetime type of experience to check off your bucket list. I'm glad I did it once, but now that I've done it, I'd never pay near that amount to do it again. So, unless it is something you've always wanted to do, it probably isn't worth it.
- You shouldn't ride the bobsled if you have any pre-existing back or neck injuries, have recently had surgery, are claustrophobic or are expecting.
- The winter bobsled ride runs from December until the beginning of April. During other months, they have a summer bobsled ride. It follows the same track, but the sled is on wheels instead of blades on ice. If you choose to go, make sure you get tickets ahead of time because they often sell out. Riders must be 16+ and weigh 100+ lbs.
- If you want to watch athletes train, check the site for schedule of training events. The Nordic ski jumps have a pool at the bottom where aerial skiers can practice their moves during the summer.
- Guided tours are one hour and include a shuttle ride to the top of the world's highest Nordic ski jumps. They start daily at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm.

Nearby: Canyons Village, All Seasons Adventures, Park City Mountain, Deer Valley Resort