City: Colorado Springs, CO

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (719) 866-4618

Address: 1750 E. Boulder St.

Description: Visitors’ heads tend to turn as recognizable Olympic athletes stroll by their tour group at the US Olympic Training Center, a unique attraction just out of downtown Colorado Springs. It might be a wrestler, a speed skater, a cyclist, or a swimmer—they all come here to live and train at high altitude to improve their performance. The Olympic complex, located on a former air force base, includes dorms and a dining hall for the athletes. The $23 million facility opened in 1996–97 and serves nearly 600 coaches and athletes who are in training. There are state-of-the-art medical and sports science centers. Free daily tours offer insight into how these young athletes live and what it takes to become a world-class competitor. Check out the cool museum, too. It’ll bring back memories of Olympics past.