Vancouver Olympic Games museum opens in Richmond, B.C.

A $10-million Olympic museum is opening at the Richmond Oval next weekend, becoming the first Olympic Museum in North America to join the IOC's Olympic Museum Network.

The Richmond Olympic Experience or ROX is being billed as one of the most interactive sports attractions in the world, featuringinteractivevideos and virtual reality exhibits that allow visitors to try out various sports.

John Furlong, former CEO of theVancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games(VANOC) said the museum offers visitors the chance to seewhat it was like in Vancouver during the Games.

"It's a bit like putting Science World, the OlympicGames andDisney Worldtogether and coming up with a program to engage young people andthe world," said Furlong.

"You can go down the bobsled track, you can ski jump, you can shoot hockey pucks, you can shoot soccer balls."

There's also a searchable database listing all the names of those who worked or volunteered during the Games.

"If you had anything to do with the Games, if you were in our database as a volunteer or worker, your name was in the system.

"You can follow the torch route all over the countrytoallthe places it went. There isn't probably a venue anywhere in the world quite like it. Certainly the only one on this continent."

The City of Richmond contributed more than $500,000 to build the museum.Sponsorships and donations helped fund the rest of the project.

Furlong hopes the museum becomes a major attraction for tourists and locals.

"It will be a destination for people to go to," he said.

"It's sort of like deciding to go to Capilanoor up to Grouse Mountain or go to the RichmondOval, and you will have an experience [at the museum]that you can't really match."

The museumopensto the public on Saturday, Nov.28, with Richmond residents receiving early access fromNovember 21 to24.

Tickets range from $13 for concessions, $17 for adults to $46 for a family of four. Tickets for children over six are $11, while younger children can get in for free.Annual memberships are also available and are currently on offer for $30.