Sierra Nevada Olympic & Winter Sports Museum (S.N.O.W.)
Picture This: December 2024
The lights of the S.N.O.W. Museum cast a warm glow across the snow, welcoming visitors and locals, families and friends to enter the museum from the upper parking lot in the Squaw Valley Park. Inside, a stone wall rises to the ceiling, recognizing local athletes (many of them Olympians) and the movers and shakers of Sierra Ski lore from the 1800s to the present. It is The Far West Ski Hall of Fame – the ideal setting for the annual induction ceremony.
Follow the right hall to experience the amazing story of the 1960 Winter Olympics — How did it happen? What made it work? Why was it “The Best Olympics Ever”? Cross the glass enclosed bridge to the left hall and find out what December was like in 1849; when there were no roads and miners and their families strapped on their long- board skis to visit neighbors, buy goods and hold races on nearby slopes.
Imagine your organization, club, class, employees, friends or family meeting for a catered reception and lecture, movie, meeting or opening exhibit in the expandable multi-purpose room, while kids explore the “Olympic Park” at the foot of the iconic Tower of Nations adjacent to the building.
December 2018
The SVSMF Board of Directors, Advisory Board and Staff thank you for your loyalty, enthusiasm and support in 2018!
The year began with the results from the Squaw Valley Park Committee’s 2017 survey. From a list of 20 proposed park amenities: 1st Place: An Enclosed Sports Pavilion on the existing soccer field. 2nd Place: The Squaw Valley Olympic Ski Museum. 3rd Place: flush toilets (which the museum will provide).
A 125K Placer County Matching Funds Grant (approved Feb. 2017 “to conduct and submit review documents for the first phase of the Environmental Questionnaire Application to Placer County.”) Thanks to generous donors and a dedicated Board of Directors, we raised the matching funds. To date, the museum has received less than 1/2 the funds. When the remaining funds are disbursed, the last two requirements to complete this phase will be scheduled.
A Game of Names: Branding Consultant, Scott Keith, led a committee through months of evaluating the objectives, values, personality and unique attributes of the Museum. Three public polls, local and online, finally confirmed our new and final name:
The S.N.O.W. Sports Museum
(Sierra Nevada Olympic & Winter Sports Museum)
All-day Architectural Planning Workshop with Architects Peter Pfau and Marcos Ancinas assured that the architecture of the future S.N.O.W. Museum would relate to the natural surroundings and inspire awe and pride for the park. Board members were excited to explore the exhibit rooms, library and storage — and to visualize how a visitor might move from one place to another — always within sight of the towering Hall of Fame.
A second matching Grant for 2019 will provide matching funds to support key projects with our engineers, architects, consultants, marketing team and community outreach.
Our first fundraising event at the Poulsen family home in Squaw Valley was a success beyond all expectations — SOLD OUT at 250 guests. Good food, music and memories of Poulsen parties past brought the Squaw Valley community and friends from the Lake, Reno, Sacramento and beyond together in an enthusiastic affirmation of the SNOW museum — so enthusiastic, in fact, that $40,000 for the second matching fund grant were raised on the spot. (Note: Placer County has a hold on the grant pending new conditions.)
Looking forward to 2019
As in the past, we are counting on you, our generous and much appreciated donors, to provide the financial resources to complete the Environmental Questionnaire in 2019. A tax-deductible donation this year will guarantee our success in 2019 to:
- Engage the creative team to develop the new logo and brand identity system for the Museum. ($5,000)
- Design, print and distribute informative marketing brochures, cards, and reports. ($5,000)
- Update and manage our Website as our cornerstone and information hub. ($15,000)
- Launch Phase One of the Collection and Archival Program to build and catalog the stories and collections, as they will be the driving force for in planning exciting future exhibits. ($10,000)
