Pennsylvania Ski and Winter Sports Museum and Hall of Fame

The Pennsylvania Ski and Winter Sports Museum and Hall of Fame is located in Camelback Ski Area’s base lodge, with additional exhibits in the museum’s Liberty Mountain Annex. In 1994 Alex Bensinger and Alber Dowden headed a group in forming this education organization that is committed to preserving the state’s skiing and winter sport heritage.

The museum’s collection at Camelback in Tannersville includes displays entitled “One Hundred Years of Ski Equipment”, “History of Sledding”, “One Hundred Years of Pocono Winter Sports” and the Hall of Fame. Amongst the items on display are skis, equipment, clothing, sleds, ice skates, posters, biographies, memorabilia and photographs. Organizations that have collaborated with the museum to create a place where the public can learn about winter sports include the United States Ski and Snowboard Association, American Association of Museums and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

The Hall of Fame, also located at Camelback Ski Area, has been in operation since 2002 and has inducted about 50 individuals who have made contributions to snow sports in Pennsylvania, countrywide or internationally. These individuals are honored at the annual Hall of Fame ceremonies and then their names are added to the permanent exhibit. Amongst the Hall of Famers are Howard head, inventor of the metal ski and S.L. Adams, creator of the Flexible Flyer. Founders of various ski resorts have also been inducted, including James Moore (Camelback), Martin Wilburger (Elk Mountain), Dupre Family (Seven Springs) and Irvin Naylor (Roundtop).Others who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame include veterans of the 10th Mountain Division from World War II, National Ski Patrol volunteers, ski retailers, racing officials and ski instructors.

The Pennsylvania Ski and Winter Sports Museum’s Liberty Mountain Annex is situated at Liberty Mountain Resort and Conference Center in Fairfield. This supplement to the main exhibits at Camelback was opened in December of 2007. This museum contains a number of items related to the history of winter sports, particularly those related to Liberty Mountain. There are also plans to expand to other ski areas, opening up small museums across Pennsylvania. Be sure to pay a visit to the Pennsylvania Ski and Winter Sports Museum and Hall of Fame when skiing in the area, as there is much to discover.

Holmenkollen Ski Museum in Norway

Holmenkollen Ski Museum was established in 1923, making it the oldest ski museum in the world. It is situated at the base of Norway‘s famous Holmenkollen ski jump in Oslo. Tours of both the museum and the Jump Tower are on offer, providing insight into the ancient history of skiing, as well as modern-day skiing. In fact, the Holmenkollen Ski Museum covers the history of skiing back some 4,000 years to the Stone Age.

The latest addition to the exhibitions at the Holmenkollen Ski Museum is the “Is it possible?!” display. Located in the new building of the museum, this feature has been designed to challenge people’s perceptions and open them up to the possibilities. It demonstrates how anything is possible for those with disabilities, how difficulties can be overcome. Visitors to the museum are given the opportunity to experience firsthand what it is like to move on a Sitski, as well as what it feels like to shoot when blind.

The museum’s polar exhibitions deal with the expeditions of Børge Ousland, Fridtjob Nansen and Roald Amundsen, with much of the equipment on display having been donated by polar explorers. Two of Fridtjof Nansen’s expeditions are followed. Firstly there is his trip across Greenland in 1888. Nansen is noted for his experimental nature, testing different types of ski gear during the journey. He published “The First Crossing of Greenland” in 1890, leaving a model for explorers who followed him. The next expedition of Nansen’s covered at the Ski Museum is the “First Fram Expedition” to the North Pole in 1893 to 1896. On display is the clothing worn by Fridtjof Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen, along with other artifacts from their attempt to reach the North Pole.

Roald Amundsen’s South Pole expedition is also looked at. This was in fact a race between Amudsen’s group and a British expedition with Captain Rober Falcon Scott. They won the race, arriving at the pole on 14 December 1911, followed by the British on 18 January 1912.

An interesting display is related to Børge Ousland, who in fact borrows pack his equipment when headed on further polar adventures. There are film clips of his solo North Pole trip in 2001 as well as other items on display. Further exhibitions at the Holmenkollen Ski Museum show how skis were used in prehistoric times, as well as the development of skis through the ages. Intricately decorated skis are found in the Old Norwegian Village Skis display. There is a Wall of Fame that is constantly updated, models of the Holmenkollen ski jump and films of famous moments in skiing history.

Holmenkollen Ski Museum is well worth a visit for the whole family. Visiting hours are 10 am to 4 pm in October to April; 10 am to 5 pm from May to September; and 9 am to 8pm in the months of June, July and August.

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