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Colorado Vignette - U.S. Olympic Training Complex in Colorado Springs

Where can you find a thousand tourists, a world-class sport-art museum, profiles on over 100,000 athletes, the most popular meeting/reception facilities in Colorado Springs, an inventory of over 2,000 t-shirts and shorts, a pond (complete with ducks in summer) and a 12 X 18 ft. American flag? The Visitor Center at the United States Olympic Complex!

The complex was dedicated in April, 1997 and has since become one of the most popular tourist and resident‚s attractions in Colorado Springs. Visitors may stop at one of three interactive kiosks and access information on any American athlete who has competed in the Olympic Games since 1896. Also on exhibit are numerous memorabilia, including two Olympic medals, donated by the descendants of famed Olympian Jim Thorpe. The Visitor Center is open 7 days a week. Associate Director Erica Hutchinson and her staff offer free tours of the Complex. The tours include a walk along the Olympic Pathway and an inside look at all the facilities .... including Sports Medicine, Sports Science and Technology, the Aquatics Center, the Shooting Range, the Flume, the Strength & Conditioning Gym and much more. Visitors may also have the opportunity to see athletes, representing up to 12 different sports, "up close and in person" during training sessions.

The Visitor Center also has a world class Sports Art exhibit with tributes to Olympians. The Visitor Center has hosted numerous exhibits from throughout the U.S. and Europe. The current display, "Bronze On Ice" is a figure-skating sculpture exhibit by artists Douglas and Meghan Taylor Gebler. The Carol Grotnes Belk sculpture garden in front of the Visitor Center is a lovely display of sports related sculptures, displayed among flowers and plants. "The Juliet" a figure skating sculpture is a tribute to and was unveiled by Kristi Yamaguchi in 1999.

No tourist experience is complete without the opportunity to SHOP. The Spirit Store fulfills that need with a myriad of Olympic merchandise for the eager shopper. Your purchases also serve a good cause as 85% of all profits go directly to support athlete programs. Thus the Spirit Store plays an important role in furthering the ideals of the Olympic movement.

The Visitor Center staff strives to provide an entertaining and educational experience for young and old alike. It is important that visitors look, learn and leave with a renewed respect for the Olympic Movement. For information and hours of operation, call 719-578-4656.

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