Lake Placid hosted the Winter Olympics twice, in 1932 and 1980, and unlike most host cities it never packed the venues away. They are still in daily use for training, competition and for visitors who want a turn. From the cabins it is a twenty-minute drive.
The Olympic Center and the Miracle on Ice
In the middle of Main Street sits the Olympic Center, home to the 1932 rink and the 1980 Herb Brooks Arena where the United States beat the Soviet Union in the game everyone calls the Miracle on Ice. You can walk the arena, sit in the stands, and visit the Lake Placid Olympic Museum in the same building.
Public skating sessions run on Olympic ice through much of the year, which means you can skate laps on the same surface as the 1980 final. Bring gloves and a sense of occasion.
The Olympic Jumping Complex
The two ski jump towers are visible for miles. A lift and a glass elevator take you to the top of the 120-metre tower for a view straight down the inrun and out across the High Peaks, and it is quietly terrifying in the best way.
In summer the jumpers train onto a plastic surface and land in a pool, and there is a zip line and freestyle aerial training to watch. It is the single best value photograph in the region.
Mount Van Hoevenberg: bobsled, luge and skeleton
The sliding track at Mount Van Hoevenberg is where the national teams train. In winter you can take a passenger ride in a bobsled driven by a professional, and in the warmer months a wheeled version runs on the same track.
The same complex holds the Olympic cross-country ski and biathlon trails, a mountain coaster that runs year round, a modern lodge and a skeleton experience for the truly committed. It is easily a full day.
Making a day of it
A good itinerary from Colden Lodge: drive over mid-morning, do the jumping complex first while the light is good, eat lunch on Main Street in Lake Placid, then take the afternoon at the Olympic Center or Van Hoevenberg.
A multi-venue Olympic Sites Passport is usually the cheapest way to see several venues, and bobsled rides sell out, so book those the moment your dates are confirmed.
Good to know
- Book bobsled and skeleton experiences well in advance; capacity is limited.
- Ask about the Olympic Sites Passport if you plan to visit more than two venues.
- Main Street Lake Placid is walkable, with lake views, shops and plenty of places to eat.
- Whiteface, the alpine venue of the 1980 Games, is another twenty minutes beyond the village.
