Ski Museum Directory
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
The Ski Museums of the World guidebook is organized alphabetically first by country, and then by city/town. (For example, within the United States, you will find the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame listed under Ishpeming, rather than Michigan.) Within each nation’s listing, the dedicated ski museums appear in the first section, followed by other museums, collections and libraries that contain ski-history material. Museums or collections that are in storage, or have recently closed, are listed at the end of the guide.
Click here to read an overview of this guide by author and ski historian E. John B. Allen
Publication of this guidebook was partially supported by a generous grant from the Marc Hodler Foundation in Switzerland.
Morgedal, Telemark
Norwegian Ski Museum MorgedalAddress:Morgedalvegen 159 Morgedal, Telemark 3848 Norway Contact: Email: post@vtm.no Telephone: (+47) 35 06 90 80 Website: https://www.visittelemark.com/vest-telemark-museum/information/product/norwegian-ski-museum-morgedal-p1363173 The museum Norsk Skieventyr is the starting point for any visit to Morgedal. This is a striking building which houses a multimedia journey through skiing history with special attention paid to the skiing revolution which developed out from Morgedal in the 1850's. Open May 1 to September 15 |
Tromsø, Troms County
Polar MuseumAddress:Tromsø, Troms County 9008 Norway Contact: Email: via website Telephone: (47) 776233 60 Website: www.uit.no Nansen, Amundsen and also Hansen and Johansen with Amundsen to South Pole. |
Kongsberg, Buskerud County
Ski Museum in the Mining MuseumAddress:Kongsberg, Buskerud County Norway Contact: Email: bergverksmuseet@bvm.no Telephone: (47) 9191 3200 Website: https://norsk-bergverksmuseum.no/skihistorisk-samlung The ski museum is part of the Mining museum. Especially strong in Kongsberg and Ruud materials. |
Trondheim, Trøndelag County
Sverresborg Trøndelag FolkmuseetAddress:Trondheim, Trøndelag County 7020 Norway Contact: Email: post@sverresborg.no Telephone: (47) 7389 0100 Website: www.sverresborg.no Ski museum which is among a large number of buildings which comprise the Folk Museum of the area. |
Tromsø, Troms County
Tromsø University MuseumAddress:Tromsø, Troms County 9037 Norway Contact: Anita Maurstad Email: postmottak@tmu.uit.no Telephone: (47) 776 450 01 Website: https://uit.no General exhibits on northern life, especially Sami. Some ski material including ca. 25 skis. |
Trysil, Hedmark County
Trysil-Knut Ski MuseumAddress:Trysil, Hedmark County 2420 Norway Contact: Email: rvingels@gmail.com Telephone: (47) 918933 77 Website: www.expology.com/trysil-knut Small museum, nice displays. |
Warszawa,
Museum of Sport and TourismAddress:Warszawa, 01-531 Poland Contact: Tomasz Jagodziński Email: muzsport@muzeumsportu.waw.pl Telephone: (48) 225 603 780 Website: www.muzeumsport.waw.pl Skiing presented among other sports. Large library, museum publications. |
Zakopane, Province of Lesser Poland
Museum of the Tatra MountainsAddress:Zakopane, Province of Lesser Poland 34-500 Poland Contact: Anna Wende-Surmiak Email: biuro@muzeumtatrzanskie.pl Telephone: (48) 182 0152 05 Website: www.muzeumtatrzanskie.pl Ski material and excellent photographs. |
Cieklin, Subcarpathian Voivodeship
Stanisław Barabasz Ski Museum in CieklinAddress:Cieklin, Subcarpathian Voivodeship 38-222 Poland Contact: Wieław Czechowicz Email: muzeumnarciarstwa@op.pl Telephone: (48) 791 994 591 Website: www.muzeum-narciarstwa.pl Tadeusz Wowkonowicz and Stanisław Barabasz archives, and local ski development. |
Moscow,
State Historial MuseumAddress:Moscow, 109012 Russia Contact: Email: Telephone: (7) 495 692 4019 Website: www.shm.ru Information about the few bog skis held in this museum comes from Natalia I. Astashova, "Skis from the Archeological Collections of the State Historical Museum," in Karin Berg et al (Eds.), History of Skiing Conference Holmenkollen, Oslo 16. - 18.9.1998. Holmenkollen: Skiforeningen, 1998, 89-94. |
Slovenija, Upper Carniola
Elan Alpine Ski MuseumAddress:Slovenija, Upper Carniola 4275 Slovenia Contact: Rebeka Lah Notar Email: muzej@elan.si Telephone: (386) 453 5 14 00 Website: http://museum.elanskis.com This is the ELAN factory museum. |
Rateče, Upper Carniola
Planica Museum in Nordic Center PlanicaAddress:Rateče, Upper Carniola 4283 Slovenia Contact: Email: info@nc-planica.si Telephone: (386) 316 898 06 Website: www.nc-planica.si Excellent displays of jumping and ski flying. |
Tržič, Upper Carniola
Slovenian Ski MuseumAddress:Tržič, Upper Carniola 4290 Slovenia Contact: Jana Babšek Email: trziski.muzej@siol.net Telephone: (386) 4592 3810 Website: www.trziski-muzej.si Ski materials are only one part of the museum. |
Ljubljana,
Slovenian Sports MuseumAddress:Ljubljana, 1000 Slovenia Contact: Tomaž Pavlin Email: info@muzejsporta.si Telephone: (386) 1431 8340 Website: https://museu.ms/museum/details/35/muzej-sporta Most of the ski material has been moved to the complex at Planica. Good library, especially on Olympics. |
Falun, Dalarna
Dalarnas IdrottsmuseumAddress:Falun, Dalarna Sweden Contact: Elisabeth Thorin Email: elisabeth.thorin@dalarnasmuseum.se Telephone: (46) 023 138 24 Website: www.dalarnasidrottsmuseum.se |
Schönenwerd, Solothurn
Bally Shoe MuseumAddress:Schönenwerd, Solothurn 5012 Switzerland Contact: Email: receptioncaslano@bally.ch Telephone: (41) 916 129 111 Website: www.bally.com One of the largest collections of boots and shoes with occasional early ski boots. |
Grindelwald, Berne
Heimatmuseum GrindelwaldAddress:Grindelwald, Berne 3818 Switzerland Contact: Marco Bomio Email: grindelwald-museum@bluewin.ch Telephone: (41) 338 5343 02 Website: www.grindelwald-museum.ch The winter sport section is on the second floor. |
Arosa,
Heimatmuseum und Kulturarchiv Arosa-SchanfiggAddress:Arosa, 7050 Switzerland Contact: Email: info@arosa-museum.ch Telephone: (41) 796 765 658 Website: www.arosa-museum.ch Local museum with local archive. Essential to call ahead. |
Bad Ragaz, St. Gallen
Jürg Hess CollectionAddress:Bad Ragaz, St. Gallen 7310 Switzerland Contact: Jürg Hess Email: hess_juerg@bluewin.ch Telephone: (41) 79 616 7885 Website: Massive private collection of equipment, especially skis and bindings. |
Les Blois, Jura
Laurent Donzé CollectionAddress:Les Blois, Jura 2336 Switzerland Contact: Email: l.donze@bluewin.ch Telephone: (41) 794 188 252 Website: Private collection of c.a. 2000 cross-country skis. |
Zermatt, Wallis
Matterhorn MuseumAddress:Zermatt, Wallis 3920 Switzerland Contact: Email: matterhornmuseum@zermatt.ch Telephone: (41) 279 674 100 Website: www.zermatt.ch/en/museum Mostly on growth of Zermatt from mountain farm community to summer and winter alpine resort with much on Matterhorn climbing. |
Tramelin, Berne
Musée Du Ski GeiserAddress:Tramelin, Berne 2720 Switzerland Contact: Email: info@geiser-sports.ch Telephone: (41) 324 874 160 Website: www.geiser-sports.ch The ski museum is in the shop, various exhibits are available for ski clubs etc. |
Pontresina, Grisons
Museum Alpin PontresinaAddress:Pontresina, Grisons 7504 Switzerland Contact: Annemarie Brülisauer Email: museum@pontresina.ch Telephone: (41) 818 427 273 Website: www.pontresina.ch/museumalpin Local museum with some ski material. Exhibit on 50th anniversary of Engadin marathon. |
Näfels, Glarus
Museum Des Landes GlarusAddress:Näfels, Glarus 8752 Switzerland Contact: Jürg Davatz Email: info@freulerpalast.ch Telephone: (41) 556 121 378 Website: www.freulerpalast.ch Local museum, skiing being one of seven major exhibits with emphasis on Glarus. |
Vaz/Obervaz, Grisons
Obervaz MuseumAddress:Vaz/Obervaz, Grisons 7082 Switzerland Contact: Birgit Parpan Email: museum.vaz@bluewin.ch Telephone: (41) 81 385 21 59 Website: www.vazobervaz.ch/sportmuseum Local museum displaying importance of tourism and holding late 19th century skis. |
About the Author
E. John B. Allen is an emeritus professor of history at Plymouth State University and the historian for the New England Ski Museum, both located in New Hampshire, USA. Allen has had an interest in ski history since 1976. He’s an active member of the editorial review board for Skiing History, the bimonthly journal of the nonprofit International Skiing History Association (ISHA), helping to vet all articles for historical accuracy prior to publication. In writing his ten books on skiing, he has traveled to many of the museums listed in this guide. His leading books include From Skisport to Skiing: 100 Years of an American Sport (1993), The Culture and Sport of Skiing from Antiquity to World War II (2008), and FIS: 100 Years of International Skiing (2010), coauthored with Egon Theiner. He’s also the junior partner in a 2019 translation by William Frank of a Russian ski book by K.B.E.E. Eimelius, Skis in the Art of War. In 2020, his short book on 35 skiing artworks and artists will be published in Vienna.
Allen has edited two books of conference papers, International Ski History Congress Collected Papers (2002) and The Spirit of Skiing (2009). He has also published more than 60 articles and book chapters in regional, national and international journals, and written 13 encyclopedia entries. He has consulted on ten films, including Legends of American Skiing, which has appeared on the the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) from time to time since the early 1980s. He is a frequent lecturer in the United States and Europe and has been keynote speaker at academic conferences in Norway, France, Finland and in Austria, and a seminar leader in Switzerland in 2018. In 2009, he made an eight-lecture tour of Slovenia. He has received the Ullr award from the International Skiing History Association (ISHA) for three of his books and ISHA honored him with its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.