Utah Olympic Park offers summer fun for all ages
Park expands offerings for kids ages 2 to 8
Summer 2023
Written By: Brooke Constance White | Images: Courtesy Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation
The Utah Olympic Park has long been a top destination for people in search of a summer adventure. But this year, the park is expanding its offerings to reach an audience that has historically been somewhat excluded from the fun: kids ages 2 to 8.
The park’s new action tower was designed for the smallest adventurers and will feature activities and experiences that are specifically designed to help kids step outside the familiar and explore new things.
Patrick Rosevear, the director of public programs for the park, said the tower will have a climbing wall, multiple platforms for jumping into a giant inflatable airbag, an enclosed slide that launches kids into another inflatable airbag, a 150-foot tubing run and more.
“This is going to fill a void we’ve had for a while, and we’re excited about it because we want something that’s great for an adventurous thrill-seeker but also has elements for a more cautious kid, so everyone has a great time,” he says. “This is going to be the perfect way to get kids out of their comfort zone, but in a successful way.”
The adventure park will open for the season on Memorial Day Weekend, welcoming guests to its extreme indoor playground complete with an alpine slide, tubing, an extreme zipline and a freestyle zipline, three levels of ropes course, a drop tower, airbag jumps and scenic chairlifts.
From mid-June to Labor Day, the Flying Ace All-Stars will perform their renowned aerial show on Friday and Saturday nights. Ticket holders will marvel as current and past Olympians and U.S. National Team skiers and snowboarders perform acrobatic feats that launch them up to 60 feet in the air before they dive into the awaiting pool. In years past, these spectacular family-friendly shows have drawn audiences of over 1,000 spectators.
And if guests are feeling particularly adventurous and want to try the aerials themselves, the park has ski and snowboard freestyle pool lessons.
Those looking for the most exciting of thrills can zoom down the 2002 Olympic bobsled track with a professional pilot, reaching up to 60 mph in less than a minute. It’s worth noting that the Utah Olympic Park has one of the only bobsled tracks in the world where guests can start from the very top of the track.
Meanwhile, the free and air-conditioned Alf Engen Ski Museum and Eccles 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum are great destinations for a rainy day. These two well-curated museums highlight the history of skiing in the inter-mountain region and showcase the glory of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games through a gallery of visual highlights and artifacts.
“The Utah Olympic Park is all about providing our guests with activities and challenges that they can experience alongside the world-class athletes that compete and train here at the venue,” Patrick says. “We want to inspire our visitors and offer experiences that celebrate our mission as a nonprofit.”
