Lake Placid hosted not one - but TWO - Olympic Winter Games, in 1932 and 1980. Today, people come from all over the world to explore the Olympic sites, so you'll obviously want to add it to your list of things to do while you're in Lake Placid.

The Olympic venues are broken up into 4 sites that are open all year:

1. Lake Placid Olympic Center in Downtown Lake Placid - The center houses the iconic ice rink, Herb Brooks Arena, where the Miracle on Ice game occurred and numerous figure skating and speed skating medals were awarded. You can ice skate on the Olympic Speed Skating Oval, which is open to the public from December to March. The Olympic Museum inside features interactive exhibits on Olympic history.

2. Lake Placid Olympic Ski Jumping Complex in North Elba - The main attraction here are the 90- and 120- meter ski jumps. You can't miss them if if you're the area because they absolutely tower over the trees and fields around them.

3. ****Whiteface Mountain Ski Area in Wilmington - Whiteface Mountain is the site of the Olympic downhill skiing slopes and the greatest vertical drop on the entire east coast. Whiteface is THE place to be in Lake Placid for skiing and snowboarding. There are over 90 trails on Whiteface for all levels, from beginner skiers to Olympic hopefuls.

4. ****Olympic Sports Complex on Mt. Van Hoevenberg - Home to the continent's longest mountain coaster, The Cliffside Coaster, which follows the 1980 Olympic bobsled track. Mt. Van Hoevenberg also has great hiking, mountain biking, the Sky Flyer Zipline, and world-renowned cross-country ski and snowshoe trails.

You can take a guided tour of the Lake Placid Olympic & Paralympic Training Center for free. But if you want to actually partake in activities, consider purchasing the Lake Placid Legacy Sites Passport. The passport is $40 and gives you access to all of the Olympic venues. You can purchase it in person or online here.

First photo Courtesy of Lake Placid CVB