The Olympic Center, which is owned and operated by the state Olympic Regional Development Authority, focuses much of it’s programming on schools around the North Country, said Carter, sport communications manager at ORDA. Last year, they connected with 33 schools and over 1,000 students and teachers. Bastian, the Olympic Museum director, said she has compiled materials to share with schools helping students learn more about the 1980 Games.

As a relative newcomer to the Lake Placid community and a parent, Carter said she doesn’t take for granted the opportunities the Olympic Legacy Venues offer to children.

“Who is this lucky that 6-year-old boys are playing hockey on the same ice that the U.S. won on, where the ‘Miracle on Ice’ happened?” she said. “(Our goal is to) have that same feeling throughout the venues, and to take this time of the year to focus on this.”

Most people are familiar with the “Miracle on Ice,” when the U.S. men’s hockey team upset the mighty Soviet Union team en route to winning the gold medal. However, Bastian and Carter say there is so much more to learn about the Olympics, from the bid process to the behind-the-scenes work that happened as community members pitched in during the event.

A new exhibit featuring the stories of local residents who were in Lake Placid for the 1980 Games is shown Tuesday at the Lake Placid Olympic Museum. (Enterprise photo — Grace McIntyre)

In this spirit, there are several opportunities for residents and visitors of all ages to learn more about Lake Placid’s Olympic history. On Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to noon, visitors can catch a glimpse into the Olympic Museum archives and see artifacts that aren’t currently on display in the museum. This opportunity happens year-round, but this month the artifacts will be related to the 1980 Games specifically, Bastian said.

The museum also has a special exhibit composed of stories and memories from the 1980 Games told by Lake Placid community members. These “telegram tales” are inspired by the telegram messages that were posted on the locker room wall for the U.S. men’s hockey team prior to their legendary game. There’s also a collage of credentials that were issued to different workers and volunteers — including many familiar names — for everything from secret service agents to disco instructors and video techs.

“We tried getting really fun ones to show how many people were involved in the community,” Bastian said.

On Fridays and Saturdays, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., visitors can hold the 1980 Olympic torch, which the museum has in its collection of torches from other games. On Saturdays at 10 a.m. during the month of February, there will be a gallery talk entitled “Remembering 1980,” which will revisit the “world, the nation and the village of Lake Placid as they were during the 1980 Games,” according to an ORDA statement.

Feb. 23 will be “Golden Ticket Day” at the Olympic Museum. Tickets will only be $5 on that day, in honor of Eric Heiden’s five gold medals, which he won at the 1980 Games on the speedskating oval.

Providing recreational and sport opportunities, while also educating kids about the Olympic legacy in the Lake Placid region, is a big priority for Bastian and Carter. Carter hopes opening their doors, ice and snow for as many students as possible will help inspire future athletes.

“The Olympic region has sent an athlete to every single Winter Olympics since the beginning of the Olympics,” she said. “We have the pathways for young athletes to develop and to get there if they want to.”

For more information about times and tickets to the Olympic Museum, visit tinyurl.com/yjye4f9w.

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Time to skate

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The 45th anniversary activities also include opportunities to skate. From Feb. 13 to 24, there will be special 1980 Games-themed community skating at the James C. Sheffield Speed Skating Oval. Tickets are free for registered local students and families.

There will be a special commemorative skate for people affected by cancer. The event is affiliated with Sk8 to Elimin8, by the Scott Hamilton Cares Foundation, a nonprofit that helps fund cancer research. The “Frozen 5K” will be held Feb. 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. Hamilton was the U.S. flagbearer at the 1980 Games. To learn more about Sk8 to Elimin8, visit tinyurl.com/yc4vjk34.

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Connecting sport and art

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ORDA and the educational programs at the Olympic Center have recently expanded programs to provide “Art in Sport” opportunities and curriculum for schools in the North Country. This effort was jumpstarted by ORDA’s partnership with Art of the Olympians, and its affiliate organization the Al Oerter Foundation, in 2023.

Part of AOTO/AOF’s collection of artwork made by former Olympians was damaged by Hurricane Ian. ORDA stepped in to serve as a secondary home for the organization and has had many pieces of art displayed in ORDA facilities.

In conjunction with the broader “Art and Sport” programming, there will be a soft launch of an exhibit with art by LeRoy Neiman and other Olympian artists on March 7. There will be a ‘Best Ever’ Bobsled Art Contest at Mount Van Hoevenberg, from March 6 to 16 for young visitors and an awards ceremony for the North Country Art in Sport Awards, including hundreds of students from around the North Country, will be on March 8 at 12:30 p.m.