A 60,000-square-foot museum that will include a first-of-its-kind tribute to the 1980 U.S. Olympic team is scheduled to open July 30 in Colorado Springs after a three-year construction project.
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum will feature 12 galleries that include exhibits on athlete training, the Summer and Winter Games, and the USOPC Hall of Fame.
The 1980 Olympics, which were held in Moscow, were boycotted by the American Olympic team in protest due to the Soviet Union invading Afghanistan, according to ABC News.
“The stories of our Olympians and Paralympians are the stories of this nation’s history,” Museum Chief Executive Officer Christopher Liedel said in a news release. “Every American can see themselves in the members of Team USA and will be inspired by their dedication, perseverance, and respect for the Olympic and Paralympic values. The museum has the unique privilege of telling these stories, and we are ready and excited to share them with the world.”
The museum, which will be open seven days a week, is putting safety precautions in place that will include a timed-ticketing program designed to limit the number of people in an exhibit at one time.
Tickets go on sale to the public on Wednesday.
