Goodwill Games

The Olympic Center is located in the heart of the Village of Lake Placid and hosted short track speedskating, figure skating and opening celebration at the Inaugural Winter Goodwill Games. The venue has a rich history, as it has been the home of two NCAA Ice Hockey Championships, the ECAC Ice Hockey Championship since 1993, the annual Stars on Ice professional figure skating tour and the 1980 Olympic Miracle on Ice hockey game. The venue is also the home of the 1932 and 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum.

Adjacent to the Olympic Center is the speedskating oval, site of Eric Heiden's gold medal sweep of the 1980 Olympic Speedskating events. The Oval hosted the nightly awards ceremonies at the Goodwill Games.

The Olympic Center is within easy walking distance of most lodging properties.

Venue Facts

Ice Rinks: The Olympic Center contains four ice surfaces including: the 1980 Olympic Arena (seating capacity of 8,000), the 1932 Olympic Arena, Lussi Rink, and USA Rink. The public can walk in and out of the arenas to witness exciting world-class athletes and competitions.

The facility is equipped with a cafeteria, fitness center, conference rooms, dance rooms, meeting halls, and the offices of the 2000 Winter Goodwill Games host organization, the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority. The massive building, set on Main Street in the center of town, is impressively decorated with a skyline of flags, and overlooks the outdoor Olympic Speed skating.

1932 & 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum: The museum, located at the Box Office entrance of the Olympic Center, was established to preserve and interpret Lake Placid's winter Olympic and winter sports heritage. Museum exhibits highlight the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games, explore the history of each of Lake Placid's Olympic sites and examine each of the other Olympic Winter Games and the athletes who participated in them. Athletes' uniforms and equipment, photographs and videos, Olympic clothing, memorabilia and artwork help tell the region's rich Olympic story. The Museum also offers guided tours of the Olympic Center, providing a behind-the-scenes look at its history and on-going importance as a training and competition site. During the Goodwill Games, the museum was free and open to the public, featuring an exhibition which chronicles the history of the Goodwill Games and Winter sports.