New Museum Exhibits Celebrate Park City’s Past And Present

PARK CITY, Utah – For many museums, it can be a challenge to keep exhibits new and fresh.

Changing displays is often what attracts repeat business and interest from the public.

It’s also why new displays were announced and introduced Tuesday afternoon for the Alf Engen Ski Museum at Utah Olympic Park in Park City.

“Oh yes. We should be really proud,” said Connie Nelson, who is the executive director of the Alf Engen Ski Museum. “One of the things about the board that we have is they’re very proactive in saying let’s keep current. Let’s make sure that we redo each area every year.”

Starting Tuesday afternoon, visitors to the museum can now see new exhibits on Engen.

One of the highlights of the new displays include Engen’s trophy case, which is impressive in the amount of items and awards shown.

There is also a new exhibit on Stein Eriksen, who is a pioneer in skiing in Utah.

Even though most people think of the 2002 Winter Olympics as the event that put Utah on the map when it comes to winter sports, and deservedly so, there was a lot going on in the state before the Olympics.

That’s where the Alf Engen Ski Museum comes in.

It celebrates a time when the sport was really starting to take off with legends like Engen and Erikson.

The new exhibits also include hometown heroes of the present, like Olympic skier Ted Ligety and ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson.

Their uniforms and press credentials are on display from the 2018 Winter Olympics that were held in PyeongChang, South Korea.

There is also a display from Park City ski jumper Lindsey Van, who was on the first team that allowed women to compete in the sport during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

“It’s pretty cool to see the display up there. It takes me back and reminds me of how much I enjoyed ski jumping and that I can see it for future generations,” said Van.

There are also several exhibits where guests can touch screens, listen to audio, and see video to get a better understanding of what the display is all about.

“What we’ve tried to do and create over the last 16 years is interactivity,” said Nelson. “So when somebody comes in, they’re not just reading a plaque, there’s not just a ski on a wall, there’s information about what that ski is and what that plaque is. And even a virtual ride where you can sit on a quad chair and participate in the powder skiing at Alta. Or fly over Mt. Superior.”

If you would like more information on visiting the museum and seeing what displays are on the free tour, you can visit Engenmuseum.org.