Lake Placid Olympic Museum

We recently took a tour of the Lake Placid Olympic Museum and were absolutely blown away. The exhibits are incredibly well done and so interesting, with a great mix of historical artifacts, interactive displays, and moving tributes to the 1932 and 1980 Games. Our tour guide was fantastic! They were so knowledgeable and enthusiastic, bringing the history of Lake Placid and the Olympics to life with fascinating stories and fun facts. They were also great at answering all our questions and made the entire experience very engaging and entertaining. This was so much more than just walking through a museum; the guided tour really enriched the visit and gave us a deeper appreciation for the Olympic legacy here. If you visit, do yourself a favor and get the guided tour

Very inspirational sorry about the 1980 Olympics. This was a nice journey with my family to see where we were in history during the Cold War. To see us win as Americans was an example of faith and teamwork. We can do it if we believe.

The whole experience around the museum and Lake Placid itself just adds to the experience of visiting, yes it was a challenge to get to but it was a challenge worth taking 💚

First time appear in Lake Placid always wanted to come up since the 1980 Olympic hockey team won. It was great to see the facility still intact and a guided tour really was nice to answer a lot of questions of the history from 1932 and on.

This is a great experience. I've been to Lake Placid in the past and had always skipped this tour because I had something else going on at the time but Id make this something worth seeing. The staff were super considerate and helpful on how much time we should spend in the museum. Lots of interactive experiences you can enjoy while in the museum. The video at the end of the tour explaining the hockey game that eventually turned into a movie (Miracle) was inspiring to watch. At the end of the tour there is a gift shop. While there it's also worth checking if there is an event or hockey game since that's in the same building. There is also ice skating available when walking outside.

A small but exciting museum about the two Winter Olympics held here! With awesome things to see like past winners, torch’s, medals and old clothing they would wear. $15 for admission is a fair price as well. Would recommend if you’ve got the time.

Amazing olympic museum in beautiful lake placid. They have old Olympic torches that youre able to hold which is fun, and a lot of great history and memorabilia from the iconic USA winning hockey team. It goes into detail about the real life events that inspired the movie 'Miracle on Ice'.

History comes to life. An incredible museum displaying original attire, Olympic torches, and other artifacts from 1932 and 1980 games. Of course, the main attraction is the Miracle on Ice exhibit and the chance to walk onto the rink where it all happened. A well thought out museum with carefully curated memorabilia, this one of a kind time capsule is a must visit.

I've been to many cities that hosted Olympic events including Vancouver (2010), Munich (1972), Montreal (1976), Atlanta (1996), Calgary (1988), Salt Lake City (2002) and others. All have a museum of some sort and Lake Placid (1932 and 1980) is no exception. Lake Placid is one of the smallest cities to host and it's clear even today that it would have been challenged with the huge event. Today, there are huge hotels and the roads have been improved but it is far from major transportation and I would imagine transportation was a big challenge. The XIII Winter Games was held from February 13 to 24, 1980. Americans will best remember it for the men's hockey who unexpectedly won the gold medal, defeating the Soviet (not yet "Russia") team in the game now called the Miracle on Ice (multiple movies including one starring Kurt Russell). The museum has a big section specifically dedicated to this series and the original scoreboard is on display. Lots of other memorabilia including uniforms, tickets, and such. What museum would be complete without a gift shop and this one is rather spendy. But how often does one visit little Lake Placid? [Round number review 500 in New York - 1585 of 2024 - 22608 overall]

Not as big or interactive as I thought it would be but very modern and up to date with extensive collections of medals, torches, uniforms and pins. You can also visit both hockey rinks.

Built for the Winter Olympics in 1980, this multi-purpose area is best known for hosting the Miracle on Ice game. Lake Placid is gorgeous all year-round, but it's particularly popular in the winter and has been for more than a century. In fact, Lake Placid became the winter sports capital of America when it hosted the Winter Olympics in 1932, and then again in 1980. you can't even talk about Lake Placid without talking about sports. Everywhere we went to Lake Placid, people were cycling, running, climbing, and hiking. This active lifestyle has been breaded over the last 100 years. Inside the center- Herb Brooks Arena is such an entertaining indoor stuff to do when it's raining or cold. try to learn about competitions past including the famous "Miracle on Ice". Lake Placid Olympic Museum - Established in 1994, this treasure trove commemorates the Winter Olympic games in 1932 and 1980. one of the most family-friendly downtown spots to visit in Lake Placid. Learn the history of the Lake Placid Center in depth at its museum through videos, memorabilia from past games, and they frequently display new exhibits. Parking: Just near to Olympic Center or mirror lake, there is a municipal parking area, of course on busy days, it's hard to get a spot, but I would say, wait there and grab a spot because it's damn cheap...! 50 cents per hour. On the street side, it's $2/hr (that is also cheap) but 50 cents /hr. is dirt cheap. and after 6 it was free (Saturday it was)

Ignore low reviews that pertain to the old museum which wasn't much to look at. This is the much improved, newly renovated and expanded Olympic Museum in Lake Placid, host city of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games. From the vast collection of medals and handheld Olympic torches of past games to the immersive experience in various events and the Miracle on Ice, this museum has much to offer in a relatively modest space. You'll find one of the goals used in the Miracle hockey game with American Jim Craig's goalie equipment, the ID badges used by each hockey member, and a thrilling video in case you don't know the Miracle story. Pro tip: The main museum entrance faces the Olympic oval (rollerblading in the summer, ice skating in the winter). But it's preferable to reach the museum via the 1932 entrance by following the signs as you'll walk past (and inside) both the 1932 arena and the 1980 arena. The 1932 facility - now named for American speed skater Jack Shea who won double gold in 1932 - hosted the first indoor skating events in Olympic history. The 1980 facility - now named for Herb Brooks who coached the American hockey team in 1980 - featured the Miracle on Ice with the 4-3 U.S. upset over the U.S.S.R. and also held the opening and closing Olympic ceremonies. Once entering the museum and reviewing the information in the main hall, make a left first to explore a virtual experience in bobsledding, skating, and ski jumping. Then head back to the right side where the largest room is to be found and where the museum concludes in the gift shop.

Small museum covering the history of the 2 Winter Olympics that occurred here. It has a good amount of information and I really enjoyed the interactive displays. They have a nice collection of winter Olympic posters and pins, which provided a great feeling of nostalgia. Their short documentary about the 1980 Miracle on Ice hockey game was very well done, so definitely make sure to check that out.

This museum said it opened December 2022 so I'm not sure what all the other reviews pertained to. It's a pretty small area but there's a ton of cool information. Get ready to read because there's no many interactive elements. All the information was great and covers from the inception of Olympics, to the start of Winter Olympics, how it came to Lake Placid, and how the games have changed over the years. As out of town guests, we really had no prior knowledge of Lake Placid's role in the Olympics. With that being said, you should watch the video at the end. We did not and were so clueless as to all the shirts around town that said Miracle on Ice. It sounded like it was covered in the video & I wish I watched it although I don't enjoy watching museum videos. Note: the main reason we wanted to go to the museum was to see the hockey arenas. They are separate & it's FREE to see the arenas, whereas the museum is $15 per adult.

Very interesting and well maintained and curated collection. Great for families. Reasonably priced and good store too

October 2023 - The museum took maybe an hour to walk through. It brought back a lot of memories. It was mostly photos and a view videos. I was expecting more actual equipment. But it was worth the time. The best deal is the four venue pass that includes the museum, the ski jump, the Whiteface Mountain, the Veterans Mountain Road and Bobsled access. It includes everything you want to experience in Lake Placid. Try it, you'll like it.

It's great to see the ice rink where the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" occurred and the museum is nice, but relatively small. Cool for a quick visit especially if you're a hockey fan or interested in Cold War cultural history, but not as extensive as I would have expected.

Must see if your in Lake Placid. Not huge but nice amount of memorabilia. If you don't choke up a little as they go over the incredible Hockey victory you have no feelings!

Don't bother until construction is finished. Temporarily located on the second floor of the adjacent conference center. Can't even catch a glimpse of the 1932 rink currently and a handful of artifacts (like Eric Heiden's sister's speed skates). Save your breath

For the culture vultures who visit Lake Placid, a trip to the Lake Placid Olympic Museum is a must. $7 per person or free entry with the Olympic Sites Passport. The museum is small. It probably takes about 35 to 40 minutes to walk through the entire museum. Some of the really neat items I saw were: - Mascot Outfits - Old Bobsleds - Athlete Outfits - Olympic Torches - Medals ENJOY!

This museum is a microcosm of Lake Placid: understated, unspoiled by technology, simple and grass roots. This is a very simple, one-room collection with surprisingly few artifacts for an Olympic Museum, but what they do have is pretty neat -- old skates, lots of history to read, hockey gear over the decades, an old bobsled. If you like Sonja Hennie, this is your place -- a lot of attention devoted to her, deservedly so. On the way out, I asked why there was no mention of Eric Heiden? Five-time USA Gold Medal winner in Lake Placid. I'd walked right past the Eric Heiden corner on the way in and didn't even notice it. That's how understated this museum is. It took probably 45 minutes to get through the whole thing, and that's with reading almost everything. Because of COVID, they are super-strict about entry times and capacity -- 25 people max in any hour. When the weather is bad, it sells out in seconds. It's the Olympic Museum in Lake Placid, USA. You HAVE to go! It's cool. I enjoyed it. I wouldn't miss it. Just set your expectations for a pretty basic museum that will interest you, but it won't knock you over.

Oh my! This little town has a little bitty museum, with a little lake, and little energy. Are we sure it held the Olympics? It is gorgeous, don't get me wrong but it's two skips away from being a ghost town. It was hard to find anyone here. The museum has some fun information but I'm not sure I'd call it a museum.

A super small museum but it's cool to see and read about The Lake Placid Olympics. It's also cool to see the ice rinks. If you've bought a pass, it's included. If you don't have a pass, we'll... maybe skip this one.

I am an Olympics geek and as far as I can tell it started with the 1980 winter games when I was 9 years old. We watched every 4 years as a family and I continue to watch every televised minute that I can. My wife and I have tried to interest our kids in the opening ceremonies at least and we always eat food from the host country during them. That said, I'd never been to Lake Placid before. The whole town is magical and the museum really brings it home. While not very large, it has everything you might want. Obviously a large focus is on the Hockey team, but there are also speed skating, figure skating and bobsled exhibits as well as examples of team uniforms and medals from may other games. One cool aspect is that they not only allow, but encourage you to touch things. The most interesting item they have is a bit of a hidden gem, for me anyway. Just inside the door to the left of the desk there is a small bookcase. On the bottom shelf there is a large red, white and blue binder. One of these was given to every participant and inside you can see maps of every venue, menus for the Olympic village, rules and regulations, weather info...everything. Be sure to look for it. On a personal note. One of my co-workers grew up in the area and her grandfather was on the 1932 speed skating team. There's a picture of him in the exhibit. Be sure to go upstairs and visit the Herb Brooks arena. You can also view the 1932 rink. As with all of the Olympic sites, the museum is included in the Olympic Passport, get one.

Oh Lake Placid! Site of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games! So much sports history here. I can feel it! The Olympic Museum here in Lake Placid is a small one. On display here are moments frozen in time from the Winter Olympic Games in 1980, over 30 years ago. All winter sports are represented here. Photos and memories from those Games are enshrined here. If you love winter sports, this will be the place to go. I spent at most an hour just being here and reliving the moments from the past. Granted that I was just practically a newborn when the games were held, I could feel a connection with the Olympic Games and those athletes who competed in Lake Placid in 1980. The Olympic Museum is located at 2634 Main Street in Lake Placid. The admission fee is $7 and they do not take credit cards. What a bummer. On the upside, there was plenty of parking when I was there during Friday afternoon. The town of Lake Placid was buzzing about that weekend and seeing the sights would be good for me. Reliving the sights and sounds of the winter Olympic Games here in Lake Placid was a real treat for me. With the Games making Lake Placid a name for the town, athletes continue to come and train here in the winter to gear up for the next one. Admission price I would say is a little steep, but the draw and lure of the Olympics drives this town and the history surrounding it is almost always legendary. I was happy that I did stop by and immersed myself in the history of the Lake Placid Olympic Museum. While most see it as a waste of money, I look at it as a reminder of all great things when you set your mind to it. Even for me, as I am nearing the end of my journey to complete a marathon (26.2 miles on foot) in each of the 50 US states, I am reminded that all goals are possible if you believe in yourself. This visit to the museum affirms that truth that all things are possible. The overall experience here was good, although I had hoped that it would have been free. The ambiance felt like it was more of an art gallery than a strict museum. Recommended if you are in the Lake Placid area and want to be inspired by the Olympic dream. Never know what inspires you till you go. Support local! B+

The hours are not the greatest and it is a bit hard to find. The museum is small but worth the trip, if I were to rate the arena and the whole experience it would be a 4 or 5 but just the museum is a 3.

If you're really into the Olympics, then the $7 entrance fee would be worth it! I thought this spot was pretty small, though I did enjoy reading about and seeing the women's ice skating outfits! You can also sit in one of the bobsleds, haha. FYI no starbucks drinks allowed in here! You'll be done looking at this place in about 30 min.

This museum is a little dated but has everything you could possibly want. It's small so walking through doesn't take more than 30 minutes or so (unless you get caught up in watching the Miracle on Ice game, like we did). Admission is $7 (totally worth it) and the staff are super nice. Recommended! Oh, one tip - you can buy t-shirts and other swag but the shop is located up on the floor with the ice rink and the bobsled simulator.

Smaller "museum" but interesting to learn about the history of the Olympics. Costs is $7 per person. They do give Military discounts. This museum is listed in the bottom of the Hockey rink. They have specific hours so make sure to check them before stopping by. The Hockey rink is open longer than the museum.

Middle of the road museum. A good way to spend 45 minutes. By no means did it exceed my expectations but I did learn a few new facts. What I found to be the most interesting was the hockey rink. The whole building seems to be stuck in time and forgotten.

Unless you are skiing or dogsledding on the lake, immersing yourself in Olympic culture is the most interesting thing to do Lake Placid. The museum and the attached Olympic center are not at all high-tech but you get a sense of the enormous pride that this village has attached to its winter Olympic legacy. The "museum" will take about 30 minutes to go through -- if you read every sign and marker - but it is very cool. Olympic mascots, official team uniforms, medals, regalia, and a bit on sporting history. I really enjoyed the displays on the historic gold medal hockey game between the US and USSR in 1980 and the fascinating (and rather tragic) life of figure skater Sonja Henie. The best part of the visit was chatting with the museum guide/door guy who not only had a ton of local knowledge but is a 'retired' bobsledder himself. Lake Placid is the site of an official Olympic training facility so it was very exciting to get an insider's view of the US bobsled team's prospects for Sochi.

Small but a great place to bring the kids to see parts of olympics history. My kids enjoyed seeing the torches.

So cool! Just so cool. If you're an Olympics fan, this place is for you. To stand in the stands where the Miracle on Ice game took place was just surreal. Further to see teenagers play on that very ice was even cooler, imagine how amazing of an experience it was for them? The facility has a lot of memorabilia....a fun simulator machine (from the 80's lol)...it's a great family location. Definitely a place you should check out when in the area.

Tiny but interesting enough to spend an hour on a rainy day. Ask about the passport option.

I was just floored when I entered. I could feel the energy from many many Olympians. The room was absolutely positively charged. There were medals and uniforms from some of the great athletes from the winter Olympics. I saw the history of ice skates and bob sleds from years past. My children loved the ice rink and were fascinated with the progression of sports equipment over the last few decades. There was a large facility filled with memorabilia and the history of the winter Olympics. It is a great place to find out about our Olympic history.

If you're in Lake Placid, go here. They have a collection of both Lake Placid artifacts and general artifacts from the Olympics. The museum is pretty small, but it's definitely worth the trip.

Didn't get a full opportunity to see everything on our recent visit, but there was way much more to see and do.

A kind of hidden place near the 1980 ice rink entrance and box office in Lake Placid. It is a small museum. There is an area explaining the history of Lake Placid, the area getting the games. There are a few examples of bobsleds and other artifacts from the games. There are the uniforms for the US at the winter games as well. The highlight of course is memorabilia from the US's win over Russia in the 1980 Olympics. There is a bench and a video to watch, some of the equipment from the game and athletes. I would not say a must see but it is something you should do if you have a bit of extra time to kill while in the area

Its fun and part of the history of the area. Its good to see if your are in the area. using the term museum though is a stretch, its more like a hall with memorabilia.

Nice place but while I was there, there was no ice and that was a disappointment. I went with my grandma and uncle, and they were also disappointed. We went into the skating area and a man told us that there was not enough ice for anyone to skate yet, which was not great. He said that the next week there was going to be a training camp for kids. It still was enjoyable but still was a huge disappointment.

This little gem was a total surprise when I went to Lake Placid. The place is a little small, but I am a huge Olympic mascot fan.Imagine my surprise when I saw that they had a full collection of the past mascots!!! I inwardly (or maybe outwardly) squealed like a fangirl.

This museum had some really cool artifacts and memorabilia. My husband and I enjoyed taking photos in the different bobsleds from the past Olympics. But, this place can hardly be called a museum. It's more of a (one room) collection and we ended up wishing we had saved the $14 admission.