The Olympic Museum

The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, is the official museum of the Olympics and is a fascinating walkthrough of the history of the modern games.

History of the Olympic Museum

The museum was founded in 1993 at the behest of the then-President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in order to showcase the history of the Olympics – from the ancient games to their resurrection and reincarnation in the late 19th century.

In 1995, the museum was named European Museum of the Year, and it underwent major refurbishment between 2012and 2013.

The Olympic Museum today

The Olympic Museum is a must for any sports fans: even sceptics will find themselves enjoying the walk-through of Olympic history. This is a very 21st century museum: there are videos and interactive displays aplenty, making it a great day out with kids as well as adults. There’s a video bank showcasing over 1000 of the very best moments of the Olympics – it’s dangerously fascinating and quite easy to get sucked into hours of clips.

Kids will love the Olympic Village themed third floor, where there’s a chance to test your balance, agility and mental skills and see what it takes to become an Olympic athlete – big kids also welcome! Temporary exhibitions have hosted regularly on all kinds of threads of the Olympics, and are normally of excellent quality.

It’s also worth stopping at the café, both for the food and the lake views from the terrace, which are sublime. Allow half a day to do the museum and its grounds properly. Closed on Mondays. As the museum says, it’s about an idea – ‘Olympism’ – and you’re sure to leave with a renewed enthusiasm for the so-called greatest games on earth.

Getting to the Olympic Museum

The Olympic Museum is accessed via the Quai d’Ouchy, on the banks of Lac Leman. There’s some parking but public transport is king – the metro stop Ouchy Olympique is less than a 10 minute walk away and bus route 24 stops on the Quai d’Ouchy just outside the museum. You’ll need to climb the steep winding path up to the museum through the gardens on foot however you do it.