GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT:

The goal of the Squaw Valley Olympic Museum and Winter Sports’ Heritage Center is to establish a cultural and historical attraction of regional, national and international significance. The Museum will capture and preserve the story and artifacts of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games for past, present and future generations.  Our vision is to create a fully accredited large scale, year-round attraction with extensive history exhibits, interactive interpretative media, archives, and research collections for visitors and the community to celebrate the region’s winter sports’ history. 

The Winter Sports Heritage Center will exhibit the 150 plus year history of winter sports in the Western United States dating from the California Gold Rush era. The Heritage Center will primarily be comprised of the Auburn Ski Club's Western SkiSport Museum founded in 1965. In a larger role the Museum will illustrate the common thread that skiing and winter sports have played in the development of the American west and mountain communities stretching from Southern California and Western Nevada to the Southern Cascade mountains.

With the support and funding from North Lake Tahoe Resort Association and Placer County two studies have been completed. The first is, “Investing in Heritage Tourism: Ensuring Placer County’s Place in Olympic History” which examined the economic opportunities of heritage tourism based on the Lake Placid example.

The second report, “Squaw Valley Ski Museum, Preliminary Master Plan Report, July 2009” has provided us a professional opinion that confirms the worthiness of our vision for a large scale Museum telling the story of the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics and the history of western skiing.  If we can build this museum as envisioned, it will be more than a collection of artifacts and stories; it will represent a cultural way of life centered around winter sports, and become a major asset to the community centered in North Lake Tahoe. This is a story and heritage that is unique to our region and should be an attraction of local pride, state wide prominence and international significance.

At this point the recommendations of the museum planning team are being taken under consideration.  Give the high bar set by the planning team it’s now up to the Foundation and the community to evaluate the potential and set goals.  Many questions must be answered in the next few months: what is a realistic budget; can we raise funds; where will the museum be best sited; can this be a phased project? We do know the Museum must be self-sustaining and be a source of community pride.  As we move forward the SVSMF board is welcoming input from the North Lake Tahoe community as we evaluate this master plan.   In fact, we can’t move forward without it! 

Squaw Valley Ski Museum Foundation Collections Drive:
A Race Against Time

Did you attend the 1960 Olympic Games as a spectator? Were you involved as a volunteer or athlete?  Do you or your family have a long connection to skiing in the region with memorabilia to share?  If so, the Squaw Valley Ski Museum Foundation is seeking your help. 

The museum’s mission is to collect, preserve and exhibit the legacy of the 1960 Winter Olympic Games and our western ski heritage before it is gone.  Any winter sports-related historical item, ranging from Olympic objects, photographs and films, vintage equipment to family scrapbooks is of interest.  The Foundation is asking for donations, loans and permission to reproduce media. Please help us capture our heritage and culture for present and future generations.

Of immediate need is collecting for the Olympic Heritage Celebration January 8-17, 2010 during which a temporary exhibition of Olympic History will be presented in Squaw Valley.  This exhibit will be free to the public and will showcase artifacts and memorabilia.

To donate an item or artifact, or to provide a tip for locating artifacts you can email us at svomseum@gmail.com.