Olympic Museum

Museum Museum chronicling Olympic history and sports artifacts

Perched above Lake Geneva in Lausanne, the Olympic Museum displays Olympic artifacts, multimedia exhibits and IOC archives. Visitors pair interactive displays on athletes and Games history with views across the lake toward the Alps.

Main image

The Olympic Museum in Lausanne is a museum dedicated to the history and values of the modern Olympic movement, located on the shores of Lake Geneva in the Ouchy district. It functions as the principal public museum interpreting Olympic history and culture.

Exhibits combine trophies, torches, medals and athletes’ objects with interactive and multimedia displays that cover multiple editions of the Games, Olympic ideals and the organization of the International Olympic Committee. The museum’s outdoor spaces include sculptures and terraces with views over the lake.

Opened in the early 1990s, the museum has undergone redevelopment to add modern exhibition technologies and expand visitor facilities. It operates alongside the IOC headquarters in Lausanne and serves as a focal point for Olympic education and temporary exhibitions.

Located in Ouchy on the Lausanne waterfront, the museum is accessible from central Lausanne by public transport and sits directly above lakeside promenades and parks.

  • Lake views: The museum sits on the Ouchy lakeshore and has terraces with clear views across Lake Geneva, making late afternoon light a good time for photos.
  • Visitor services: Audio guides and multilingual displays are available to explain objects such as torches, medals and athletes' memorabilia.

What to See #

  • Permanent galleries: Permanent galleries presenting objects, images and multimedia that trace the modern Olympic movement from its 19th-century revival to the present.
  • Olympic Park and sculpture terrace: A lakeside park and sculpture trail that displays monuments and commemorative works related to the Olympic Games, adjacent to the museum.
Olympic Museum
Quai d'Ouchy 1, 1006 Lausanne, Switzerland
46.5078, 6.6338

How to Get to Olympic Museum #

The Olympic Museum (Musée Olympique) is in Ouchy on the shores of Lake Geneva in Lausanne. Take Lausanne’s Metro Line M2 to the Ouchy-Olympique stop; the museum is a very short walk (about 3-5 minutes) from that station. By car, Lausanne is about 60 km (around an hour) northeast of Geneva on the A1 motorway.

Tips for Visiting Olympic Museum #

  • Take Lausanne's metro M2 to Ouchy-Olympique for the most direct public-transport access to the Olympic Museum and lakeside park.
  • Combine the museum visit with a lakeside walk in Ouchy-the museum's multimedia displays and temporary exhibitions pair well with the outdoor Olympic sculptures and the waterfront setting.

Best Time to Visit Olympic Museum #

The Olympic Museum is best seen in spring or autumn on weekdays to avoid the busiest summer crowds and enjoy shorter lines.

Summer
Jun-Aug · ~20-25°C (museum climate-controlled)
Busiest tourist season in Lausanne-expect more visitors and longer waits, but full exhibition programming is available.
Shoulder
Apr-May, Sep-Oct · ~20-22°C (museum climate-controlled)
Quieter periods with pleasant city weather and shorter lines at the museum; good balance of exhibitions and fewer crowds.
Winter
Nov-Feb · ~20-22°C (museum climate-controlled)
Lower visitor numbers outside peak tourist months; ideal for a quieter visit though some outdoor Olympic sites are less accessible in cold weather.

Weather & Climate near Olympic Museum #

Climate

Olympic Museum's climate is classified as Oceanic - Oceanic climate with warm summers (peaking in July) and cold winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from 0°C to 26°C. Abundant rainfall (1144 mm/year), wettest in June.

Best Time to Visit
JulyAugustJune
Temperature & Rainfall
Temperature Range
33°
Warmest Month
-26°
Coldest Month
Monthly Conditions

January

January is the coolest month with highs of 5°C and lows of 0°C. Regular rainfall (81 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

41 Poor

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
85%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

81 mm
Rainfall
1.8 m/s
Wind
Calm
0.1
UV Index
Low
8.9h daylight

February

February is cold with highs of 7°C and lows of 0°C. Moderate rainfall (79 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

41 Poor

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
84%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

79 mm
Rainfall
2.0 m/s
Wind
Calm
0.3
UV Index
Low
10.2h daylight

March

March is cold with highs of 11°C and lows of 2°C. Moderate rainfall (75 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

55 Acceptable

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
11°
81%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

75 mm
Rainfall
2.2 m/s
Wind
Calm
0.6
UV Index
Moderate
11.8h daylight

April

April is cold with highs of 14°C and lows of 5°C. Regular rainfall (89 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

57 Acceptable

Comfort

10°
Feels Like Cold
10°C
Temperature
14°
77%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

89 mm
Rainfall
2.2 m/s
Wind
Calm
1.0
UV Index
High
13.4h daylight

May

May is cool with highs of 19°C and lows of 9°C. Significant rainfall (102 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

59 Acceptable

Comfort

14°
Feels Like Cool
14°C
Temperature
19°
78%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

102 mm
Rainfall
2.0 m/s
Wind
Calm
1.4
UV Index
High
14.8h daylight

June

June is cool with highs of 22°C and lows of 12°C. The wettest month with heavy rain (126 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

71 Very Good

Comfort

17°
Feels Like Cool
17°C
Temperature
12° 22°
75%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

126 mm
Rainfall
1.9 m/s
Wind
Calm
1.7
UV Index
Very High
15.6h daylight

July

July is the warmest month with highs of 26°C and lows of 15°C. Significant rainfall (103 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

73 Very Good

Comfort

20°
Feels Like Mild
20°C
Temperature
15° 26°
72%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

103 mm
Rainfall
1.8 m/s
Wind
Calm
1.8
UV Index
Very High
15.2h daylight

August

August is mild with highs of 25°C and lows of 15°C. Significant rainfall (103 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

73 Very Good

Comfort

20°
Feels Like Mild
20°C
Temperature
15° 25°
72%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

103 mm
Rainfall
1.6 m/s
Wind
Calm
1.5
UV Index
High
14.0h daylight

September

September is cool with highs of 21°C and lows of 11°C. Significant rainfall (105 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

65 Good

Comfort

16°
Feels Like Cool
16°C
Temperature
11° 21°
76%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

105 mm
Rainfall
1.6 m/s
Wind
Calm
1.0
UV Index
Moderate
12.4h daylight

October

October is cool with highs of 15°C and lows of 7°C. Regular rainfall (99 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

57 Acceptable

Comfort

11°
Feels Like Cool
11°C
Temperature
15°
79%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

99 mm
Rainfall
1.6 m/s
Wind
Calm
0.5
UV Index
Moderate
10.7h daylight

November

November is cold with highs of 9°C and lows of 3°C. Regular rainfall (96 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

51 Acceptable

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
84%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

96 mm
Rainfall
1.7 m/s
Wind
Calm
0.2
UV Index
Low
9.3h daylight

December

December is cold with highs of 6°C and lows of 1°C. Regular rainfall (86 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

41 Poor

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
84%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

86 mm
Rainfall
1.9 m/s
Wind
Calm
0.1
UV Index
Low
8.5h daylight

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