Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Cauldron Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Salt Lake 2002Olympic Cauldron Park |
|
|---|---|
The cauldron with Rice–Eccles Stadium in the background.
|
|
| Location | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Created | 2003 |
| Operated by | University of Utah |
| Status | Open Monday–Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Year round |
| Website | Official website: http://stadium.utah.edu/space/olympic.php |
The Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Cauldron Park is a special area in Salt Lake City, Utah. It's located at the south end of Rice–Eccles Stadium on the University of Utah campus. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, this stadium was called Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium. It was where the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Games took place.
The park used to have a museum about the 2002 Winter Olympics. It also had the Olympic cauldron and other cool things from the Games. Over time, some parts of the park have been removed. For example, the Hoberman Arch was taken down in 2014. Other parts, like the film and art gallery, are also gone. Today, the Olympic cauldron is the only main feature left in the plaza from the Games.
Contents
Park's Story
Work on the park started on October 2, 2002. Famous Olympians Shannon Bahrke and Bill Schuffenhauer were there for the groundbreaking ceremony. The first part of the park was finished in February 2003. This included moving the cauldron and making it ready to light up again. This was just in time for the one-year anniversary of the Olympics.
The second part of the park, which included the visitor center, was finished later that summer. A special opening ceremony was held on August 22, 2003. The park cost a lot of money to build. This money came from the extra funds left over from the 2002 Games. After the park opened, the group that organized the Olympics gave control of the park to the University of Utah. The park is free for everyone to visit.
What You Can See at the Park
The park has some interesting features. The main one is the Olympic cauldron. It also used to have the Hoberman Arch and a visitor center. The park is decorated with fountains, plants, and stone walls. There are also 17 special panels along the southern edge of the park. Each panel represents one day of the Olympics. The inside of each panel tells about the Olympic events and highlights of that day. The outside shows images that were used around downtown Salt Lake City during the Games.
The Olympic Cauldron
The park is home to the giant cauldron that held the Olympic flame during the Games. The cauldron was designed to look like an icicle. It was made of glass so you could see the fire burning inside. Its design was inspired by the 2002 Olympic motto, Light the Fire Within, and the Fire and Ice theme.
The glass part of the cauldron is about 12 feet (3.7 meters) tall. It sits on top of a twisting support made of glass and steel. The flame inside burns very hot, around 900 degrees Fahrenheit (482 degrees Celsius). The whole cauldron, with its support, stands about 72 feet (22 meters) tall. It was made from 738 separate pieces of glass. Small jets of water flow down the glass sides. This keeps the glass and metal cool so they don't crack. It also makes it look like melting ice.
The cauldron was designed by a company called WET Design from Los Angeles, California. Its frame was built by Arrow Dynamics in Clearfield, Utah. The glass pieces were made by Western Glass in Ogden, Utah. The cauldron cost 2 million dollars to make. It was first shown to the public at Rice-Eccles Stadium on January 8, 2002.
During the Olympics, the cauldron was placed high up at the south end of the stadium. This allowed people all over the Salt Lake Valley to see the flame burning. After the Games, the cauldron was moved to the plaza just south of the stadium. Now, it sits in a pool of water in the center of the park. It has a V-shaped stone wall on either side. The names of the 2002 medal winners are carved into these stones. Water flows down the wall into the pool. The cauldron used to be lit for special events, like the start of the 2006 Winter Olympics. In 2012, for the 10-year anniversary, they tried to light it, but it only stayed lit for a short time.
The Hoberman Arch
The amazing Hoberman Arch was first located at the Olympic Medals Plaza in downtown Salt Lake City. It worked like a giant curtain for the stage there. It could open and close like the iris of a human eye. When it opened, it showed a large 3D sculpture of the 2002 Olympic logo. It also revealed a second Olympic cauldron, called the Hero's Cauldron. This stage was used for award ceremonies where athletes received their medals. It also hosted many concerts during the Olympics.
After the Olympics, people wanted to find a new home for the arch. Many citizens of Salt Lake City hoped it would be used in an outdoor theater. However, the United States Olympic Committee placed rules on where the arch could go. This was to protect the Olympic sponsors. Because of these rules and disagreements, the arch was moved to the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Cauldron Park.
On July 30, 2003, cranes lifted the arch onto its new permanent base. It no longer opens and closes, but it used to be lit up with different colored lights at night. It was located just outside the park's southern fence. Visitors could walk through a partly open section of the arch. A large sign in the park explained how the arch was designed and used during the Olympics. It also showed photographs. The Hoberman Arch was removed from the park starting on August 1, 2014.
The Visitor Center
The park's visitor center is on the western side of the park. It used to have an art gallery, a theater, and an area with video kiosks. Large windows in the round glass and sandstone building allowed visitors to see the cauldron and the arch from inside. The building also served as a ticket office for the nearby stadium.
The center's theater used to show a 10-minute film. This film looked back at the success of the Games. It was shown on three screens and used special effects like fog and lights. While the rest of the park was free, there was a charge to see this film.
The film started in the dark with inspiring quotes. Then, fog filled the room, and a single light appeared on the screens. This light grew larger and turned out to be the lantern of a skater, known as the "Child of Light," from the opening ceremony. Skaters then appeared on the three screens, and a voice sang "there's a flame that burns in every heart." The film continued with highlights from the opening ceremony, the sports competitions, and ended with the closing ceremony.
The free areas of the center included the art gallery. It had more than 50 photographs taken during the Games. You could also watch filmed highlights on interactive screens.
Images for kids
-
The cauldron with Rice–Eccles Stadium in the background.
-
Close-up of the cauldron. Notice the water flowing down the glass.
-
The cauldron from the 2002 Winter Olympics with the Hoberman Arch on the left.
