Final outside panel set to be installed on Olympic and Paralympic Museum

The highly anticipated downtown Colorado Springs museum is one step closer to being finished.

Construction crews were set to install the last diamond-shaped panel on the exterior of the building Wednesday. Project officials said there are 9,987 panels on the outside of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum.

“Not a single one of them is the same shape,” said Brian Tominov, GE Johnson Construction’s project manager. “So the technology that’s gone into that, and the collaboration to make that happen. It’s just been immense and extremely challenging.”

The museum has been recognized as one of the

of the year.

Once finished, the museum will give guests an

into what it’s like to be an all-star athlete on the world’s biggest stage.

“The Olympic and Paralympic games have the power to unite, and that’s what this museum does. It unites people,” said Tommy Schield, the museum’s marketing and communications director. “From gallery to gallery, it all ties together, and it tells one holistic story of not only Team USA athletes but also the Olympic and Paralympic movements.”

The museum is expected to be done at the end of May. Staff are planning a community event that will be free and open to the public.