ITTN’s Julia Labedz and selected members of the Irish media, including Linda Daly from The Sunday Times, Vincent Boland from the Business Post, Cian Byrne from The Examiner, Martin Doyle from The Irish Times, Robin Nowacki from Northern Ireland Travel News, Nicola Brady (Freelancer), and Sarah Horgan from Aer Lingus PR, visited the Olympic and Paralympic Museum in downtown Colorado Springs.
Olympic and Paralympic Museum, Colorado Springs
The museum, which opened in the summer of 2020, is the nation’s only U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum. It tells the stories of Team USA through unique artefacts, interactive media and technology, and art. It also serves as the physical home of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame.
The interior of the museum is an open, and airy space featuring an interactive Hall of Fame. Visitors can personalise their experience by selecting their favourite summer and winter Olympic sports, entering their names, and interacting with the exhibits, which recognise the visitor and ‘talk’ to them via the code on their lanyard.
Next to the Hall of Fame is a tall atrium with glass lookouts that have white lines marked on them. The guide explained that these lines represent records, such as those for the long jump and vaulting in both the men’s and women’s sections. This visual representation impressively demonstrates the scale of the athletes’ achievements.
One of the highlights of the museum is the interactive exhibits, which engage visitors and highlight the athletic achievements of Team USA. Guests can try activities like archery, skiing, and even racing against an athlete of their choice, though the athletes usually finish before the guests can even start!
The museum also features visual depictions of some notable athletic achievements, such as Bob Beamon’s world record long jump of nearly 9 metres, laid out on the ground for visitors to see!
A favourite exhibit among the visitors was the collection of original Olympic torches. The designs and their adaptations to different locations provide fantastic insights into the past, showing a clear evolution from bronze torches to sleek, almost ceramic designs.
The medal collection, kindly donated by Paralympic and Olympic athletes, was also intriguing. It showcases how the design of the medals has changed over the years, from small medals to the first medals held up by bronze laurel leaves, to more recognisable modern-day medals with material, colourful ribbons.
An inspirational film about Team USA is available to watch, highlighting the significance and achievements of Paralympic athletes, as well as the strong team spirit of Team USA.
By the end of the museum tour, the group felt inspired. The exhibits effectively showcased the ups and downs of a professional athletic career and the perseverance of the human spirit.
Dinner at The Broadmoor Hotel
Later, at The Broadmoor, the group had dinner at the Italian restaurant Del Lago with the Head of PR and Communications and Andrea Blankenship from the Colorado Tourism Office. The dinner featured delicious meats, cheeses, and pastas, with the wine imported from Italy and the meats and cheeses sourced and aged locally. Everything from the bread to the pasta was made by hand and was extremely fresh. Dinner was served with a view of the Broadmoor lake, which came alive at night with glittering lights.
Colorado Tourism Office
For more information, please visit: www.colorado.com.
Dublin to Denver Direct Flight
Aer Lingus now operates 4 weekly flights from Dublin airport to Denver International Airport, where customers can preclear US Immigration before stepping onboard their transatlantic flight.
Economy fares start from €299 each-way and business class from €2699 return including taxes and charges.
Flying with Aer Lingus customers enjoy complimentary meals and soft drinks on board plus the very latest inflight entertainment system boasting latest blockbusters, box sets and more.
Customers travelling in the business class cabin can enjoy spacious seats that transform into fully lie-flat 6.5ft long beds as well as luxury dining with fresh ingredients sourced from all over Ireland, complimentary alcohol and a generous baggage allowance of 63kg.
To book, visit aerlingus.com.
