Venues of the 1960 Winter Olympics
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For the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, in the United States, a total of five sports venues were used. Except for the Palisades Tahoe, all of the venues had to be constructed. For the first time in Winter Olympic history, a temporary venue was constructed at McKinney Creek for biathlon, cross-country skiing, and Nordic combined. A bobsleigh track was not constructed over the guarantees from the FIBT not being able to field the minimum twelve teams needed to compete, making it the only time bobsleigh has not been included in the Winter Olympics.
| Venue | Sports | Capacity | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blyth Arena | Figure skating, Ice hockey; opening and closing ceremonies | 8,500 | [1] |
| McKinney Creek Stadium | Biathlon, Cross-country skiing, Nordic combined (cross-country skiing) | 1,000 | [2] |
| Papoose Peak Ski jumping hill | Ski jumping, Nordic combined (ski jumping) | Not listed. | [3] |
| Squaw Valley Olympic Skating Rink | Ice hockey, Speed skating | 8500 | [1] |
| Palisades Tahoe | Alpine skiing | 9,650 | [4] |
Before the Olympics
Bobsleigh was not included at this Winter Olympics at a 1957 International Olympic Committee meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria because of a lack of assurance from the International Bobsleigh Federation (FIBT) on having a minimum twelve teams.[5] This was why a track was not constructed for the 1960 Games.[5] As a result, an extraordinary event would take place at the 1956 Winter Olympic venue used for bobsleigh.[6]
The ski jump was designed in 1957 with construction beginning the following year.[3] It was completed the following year with trial events taking place in February 1959.[3] The jumps had calculation (K) points of 40 m (130 ft), 60 m (200 ft), and 80 m (260 ft), the first time in Olympic history that there were three ski jumps.[3]
McKinney Creek Stadium in Tahoma, California on the western side of Lake Tahoe was constructed in August 1959 and completed in time for the 1960 Games. The organizing committee originally intended to house all events in Squaw Valley proper, but real estate developments in Squaw Valley made this difficult.[2]
Mount Rose Ski Tahoe was chosen as an alternate venue for the Downhill event, in case Palisades Tahoe did not receive enough snow.[7] To this end, an official FIS Downhill run and additional facilities were constructed.[8] The facilities at Mount Rose were never used in the Winter Olympics, as it started snowing on the day of the opening ceremony and Palisades was able to host the Downhill event as planned.[7]
