Fun things to do in Lake Placid: 15 fun attractions and activities

We were trying to do a hike in the lake glass area, but it was raining so we decided to visit the Lake Placid Olympic museum instead. As soon as I can, there’s the gift shop on the right and the desk where you buy tickets. There is a fun interactive museum that takes no longer than 30 minutes to visit completely. Upstairs, you’ll see the 1980 famous ice rink where the miracle on ice happened, and the 1932 ice rink just down the hall. Very cool to visit and experience. Beautiful new complex and good facilities as well.

We recently took a tour of the Lake Placid Olympic Museum and were absolutely blown away. The exhibits are incredibly well done and so interesting, with a great mix of historical artifacts, interactive displays, and moving tributes to the 1932 and 1980 Games. Our tour guide was fantastic! They were so knowledgeable and enthusiastic, bringing the history of Lake Placid and the Olympics to life with fascinating stories and fun facts. They were also great at answering all our questions and made the entire experience very engaging and entertaining. This was so much more than just walking through a museum; the guided tour really enriched the visit and gave us a deeper appreciation for the Olympic legacy here. If you visit, do yourself a favor and get the guided tour

History comes to life. An incredible museum displaying original attire, Olympic torches, and other artifacts from 1932 and 1980 games. Of course, the main attraction is the Miracle on Ice exhibit and the chance to walk onto the rink where it all happened. A well thought out museum with carefully curated memorabilia, this one of a kind time capsule is a must visit.

Amazing olympic museum in beautiful lake placid. They have old Olympic torches that youre able to hold which is fun, and a lot of great history and memorabilia from the iconic USA winning hockey team. It goes into detail about the real life events that inspired the movie 'Miracle on Ice'.

Parking at the central school lot was a short walk to the rink, but it would be closed if school is in session. Experiencing a women’s USA hockey practice was very cool. It’s very loud and interactive with the coaches. If you’re lucky they might throw a puck over the glass for you. The museum had interactive things too. We especially enjoyed the virtual bobsled because the actual track is being renovated. We even were able to watch women’s figure skating practice at the 1932 rink.

Some videos and great history. Lots to take in. You can visit by here and not go to the museum as they let you wunder all over the place except the museum. 15 - 12 bucks to walk museum, not bad.

We had a wonderful time touring this facility. The guided tour was very enjoyable, and we learned a lot!

Lake Placid is a beautiful town nestled in the Adirondack mountains. To think that at any given weekend, depending on the event being held here, the population can more than triple. Amazing place to visit!

After touring the Olympic Museum, I took some time to walk through the original 1932 "Jack Shea Arena" and the more modern 1980 "Herb Brooks Arena" that are part of the Olympic sites. The 1932 arena was home to the first indoor skating events in Olympic history and of course the 1980 arena is where the USA Men's Hockey Team won gold over the heavily favored Soviet Team. Pretty darned awesome to see these sites where history happened. And the self-guided tour is free. The Olympic Museum is not.

We did the curling experience, and it was actually way more fun than we thought it would be. They don’t give you much information when you sign up but you meet at the 1932 rink. They’ll give you helmets just for safety. And just wear tennis shoes. It was a lot of fun.

I recommend the Legacy Tour at the Olympic Museum. Our tour guide (Tom) lived and breathed Olympic history and brought it alive. If we had wandered through the museum by ourselves, we would not have had such a memorable experience.

Outstanding experience was just there for international ice dance competition. Very organised, beautiful location. The Olympic Museum is a must huge gift shop everyone was so friendly and helpful

Built for the Winter Olympics in 1980, this multi-purpose area is best known for hosting the Miracle on Ice game. Lake Placid is gorgeous all year-round, but it's particularly popular in the winter and has been for more than a century. In fact, Lake Placid became the winter sports capital of America when it hosted the Winter Olympics in 1932, and then again in 1980. you can’t even talk about Lake Placid without talking about sports. Everywhere we went to Lake Placid, people were cycling, running, climbing, and hiking. This active lifestyle has been breaded over the last 100 years. Inside the center- Herb Brooks Arena is such an entertaining indoor stuff to do when it’s raining or cold. try to learn about competitions past including the famous “Miracle on Ice”. Lake Placid Olympic Museum - Established in 1994, this treasure trove commemorates the Winter Olympic games in 1932 and 1980. one of the most family-friendly downtown spots to visit in Lake Placid. Learn the history of the Lake Placid Center in depth at its museum through videos, memorabilia from past games, and they frequently display new exhibits. Parking: Just near to Olympic Center or mirror lake, there is a municipal parking area, of course on busy days, it's hard to get a spot, but I would say, wait there and grab a spot because it's damn cheap...! 50 cents per hour. on the street side, it's $2/hr (that is also cheap) but 50 cents /hr. is dirt cheap. and after 6 it was free (Saturday it was)

Words cannot come close to how wonderful this place is. First, you can go in the Herb Brooks Arena, including the locker room FOR FREE. This is worth the price of admission alone! For long stretches you might have the arena to yourself. It is so quiet you can feel like you are at the 1980 game...The museum is very well done and the Miracle on Ice section will bring you to tears. Great selection of medals, clothing and short, educational descriptions. The staff will answer all of your questions in a very friendly way. This is a must-see and a highlight of this region.

We went out with Will & Gavin and had a great morning. They successfully got my son up wake boarding and then we did some tubing. Was a blast for everyone -a highlight of our trip to LP. Will & Gavin were great giving instructions but also sharing interesting things about the lake and the surrounding area. It was also enjoyable to see more of the lake than from our canoe and SUP. Highly recommend-easy to book through Wes also.

Rented a pontoon for the afternoon on Lake Placid from ADK Aquatics for a beautiful afternoon and couldn’t be happier. Wes, Dan, and the crew were very kind and helpful, took care of all docking, and had great communication throughout the trip. Boat was very clean, organized, and ran great. If you’re in town definitely spend some time out on the water! They also have guided tours, water sports, etc. so you’ll find everything you need for a day with the family.

We booked this excursion last minute. We wanted to enjoy a day on lake placid since the weather was so beautiful. Wes has a beautiful boat. He was able to provide some information on some of the houses and businesses on the lake. He let the kids jump off the boat in the lake and play a while. He was very welcoming. Our family had a good time on the lake

You won’t find better instructors! My oldest has been coming here for years and loves wakeboarding! Wes and his crew had my son’s friend fully waking boarding his first time recently…but I’m sure that’s not novel for them! Plus their boat operation is 100% professional and as smooth as silk, making for a safe and time saving experience. All around best people/ place for water sports and fun! Thank you ADK Aquatics!!!

We had an amazing 4 hour charter with Will and Gavin - they were so helpful and wonderful teaching our kids to waterski and wakeboard. We truly could not have had a better day. Highly recommend ADK for a great day on the water!

Wife, kids and myself all had a great time with Wes and his buddy on the water. He walked the kids through their first water skiing experience and got them comfortably on their feet. Thanks for a positive and memorable experience!

Mike was an amazing captain - knowledgeable, funny, and welcoming to us city folk. It was a gorgeous boat tour and the boat was top notch. Pretty, relaxing and worth every penny.

We love the kids tumbling classes with Miss Jarka!

Had absolutely wonderful time with my wonderful friends and colleagues at Lake Placid Sinfonietta this summer!

Wonderful and accommodating people. Great experience!

National Theatre production of King Lear... absolutely fabulous.

You can't beat the view!

Something for everyone

Excellent. Love it. Plenty of time between rounds trips. Staff are wonderful. Is a bit pricey, but wonderful fun.

What a fun ride, the volunteer staff are so friendly and fun. I will go again!!

Great building. Needs to be used

Beautiful Ride through the Adirondacks Wood's

Closed.

Such a great place! Warm water, beautiful views, amazing service — everything was perfect. We had the best time and will definitely come back!😍😍😍

Omg this is the best place! The owner, Greg, is so fun. The boats and boards on the lake is amazing. Thank you!

Odin and I had a fantastic afternoon sailing a Scorpion sailboat from Mirror Lake Boat Rental! Greg and Jodi were excellent—friendly, helpful, and made the whole experience easy and fun. The boat was in great shape, and the wind couldn’t have been more perfect for Odin. Highly recommend for anyone looking to get out on the water!

Our first kayak experience and the girls and boys working there are very nice. I came with a big family group and I really appreciated how patient they were with us, explaining everything to us as well and giving us genuine instructions. We all had a very fun experience. The lake is beautiful and the area is calm. Would come back again and I recommend. Thank you !!

It was so easy to rent a canoe from this place! The guy was super nice, easy to deal with and got us right on the Lake! I will give you a heads up, he only accepts cash!!!!

We had a great time on the water in a paddle boat!

It was a terrible experience. Our paddle boat almost sank within the 1 hour session And our boat, filled with water, had to be towed back to the place. And the guy was unapologetic and just made fun of us. Accidents do happen and we understand that completely but I Will never recommend him just because of the way he treated us. I wish he be blessed with some empathy when needed instead of sarcasm always.

Such a nice easy relaxing walk with the chance to access the lake and take a dip if you wish.

Beautiful hike on this peninsula at the end of Lake Placid. One good portion is right along the Lake. DEC is building a new parking lot today. The main trail is a loop around the park. There are a few additional paths cutting through the park

These gorgeous trails, yes there are multiple ones here, criss cross the peninsula into Lake Placid, and the the borderline trail goes right by the lake. It is always beautiful here. You can also see where the lake outlets the water and at multiple points you can see the Whiteface Mountain peak. It is pet friendly but it is take in take out, no garbage bins.

Beautiful scenic hike along the lake! Relatively flat, a bit muddy in spots and some roots to navigate.

What a gorgeous spot! If you are looking for an easy no-elevation change "hike" (it's really a walk), this is perfect. Lots of water views. Beautiful trail in the woods. Fun interpretive signage.

Really good hiking trail for views and easy for all ages

Beautiful trails along the shore of Lake Placid, up the ridge and in the woods. We went the day after one of the first snows of the season in November. The trail along the shore was quite muddy but passable. Wear waterproof shoes, for sure. Gorgeous and easy trail - our group included kids ages 4, 6 and 10, and everyone was able to complete with minimal complaints. The main Peninsula Trail is likely an old service road so it is well developed and mostly dry. We did not do the ridge trail but looked interesting. We did a 2.5-3 mile loop Peninsula trail to Boundary Trail, connecting to the Lake Shore Trail and back to the main road/trail to the parking lot. It took a little over an hour and provided beautiful views of the lake. We heard a couple of motorboats which could be a bummer during the summer season if they are nonstop (likely). Also there is probably some good fishing at the dam - we didn't bring our gear this time but made a mental note not to forget it next time. A great hike for all ages!

I hate leaving bad reviews, but I hope this helps not just people interested in booking this place, but also the people who run it, you have a nice place there, take it as constructive criticism. We just came back from spending some days to celebrate my birthday, and for the price paid, our room didn't have hand soap nor body wash. We told this to one employee that we saw the first night we stayed hoping she would pass the message, but that didn't happen. We had to go to the drugstore and buy our own soaps. Also, I'm not sure if this is common, but we were left alone the whole weekend. We were on our own, not that we needed anything, but in case we did, no one was around. No one asked how we were doing, how was our room, nothing. On the website it said that bathrobes were provided... but nope. The room was okayish, but the carpet had big bleach stains. the "$199" discounted price for the low season could be lowered even more since we basically took care of ourselves. Coffee/tea and stale pastries could do better. So, if you're looking for a place to stay, take this into consideration. If you don't care for room service, the area is definitely beautiful.

This is one of Lake Placid’s most beautiful inns and restaurants. The bar is absolutely gorgeous and so cozy. We enjoyed cocktails and dinner; my tuna tartare appetizer was especially good. This fine restaurant has been hit hard by Canadian tariffs and loss of business. Hope economic times improve, because the Interlaken is a true Adirondack gem.

1) Party of 6. 2) Restaurant was essentially empty, but our food took nearly 70 minutes to prepare. 3). The waitress/bartender was less than enthusiastic. 4) Bill included a 20% gratuity because we were a party of 6 - I DID NOT SEE THAT ON THE BILL - so gave her an extra bump! She cleared nearly $200 tip for a lousy experience and the food was only MEH!

The restaurant is outstanding. A league above everything else I tried this week in Placid, and the prices were reasonable! Absolutely worth what you’re paying. I loved the gorgonzola squash ravioli, the roast duck with mushroom risotto, and the gnudi. Hate of to the chef!

My boyfriend and I came to spend the weekend for the Lake Placid Ironman and absolutely loved our stay. We felt so strongly about it that I am writing my first ever review. We felt at home from the moment we were greeted at check-in. Elizabeth and Beth were great hosts and made sure we were comfortable with the room and gave us recommendations around the area. They checked on us often and were lovely company. Our room was great. We were able to go in and out of the kitchen as we pleased to use the sink and microwave as we brought a lot of our own food. We met Chef JJ and he truly elevated our stay— even making my boyfriend fresh brioche buns for his pre-race breakfast. The amount of effort and dedication he puts into the restaurant is incredible. We felt extremely welcome at the Inn and would recommend it to anyone staying in the area. We will definitely be back and cannot wait to review the restaurant.

My brother took me to this establishment to have a nice dinner before me and my fiancé head home. The food was delicious, but unfortunately the server was miserable. Regina had no personality and was rude.

Went to dinner and waited WAYYYY too long for food and terrible service. We were a group of 6 adults (Grandpa, 2 couples and auntie) with 4 children. We have been going to the Interlaken for the last 20 years (some of us even longer!). Always a highlight of our visits to LP. Unfortunately, we cannot see ourselves returning. I preface this review with the fact that we went in January and had an AMAZING time. When we went in February, it was a total disaster. Waitress forgot menus, didn't put in orders timely, never refreshed waters, forgot to bring popcorn (it did come out 2 hours after we sat down because one of us asked for it when they were serving other tables), and never asked about drinks after the first ones were served. There was one other table in the dining room with 4 people whose service was as slow as ours, and a few couples in the "porch" area just of the dining room who were in and out. Our reservation was for 6:30, and we sat down at that time. I immediately ordered a bread apetizer (it's bread and butter) for the children which came out promptly. That was the only thing. About 10 minutes later, we ordered a second bread appetizer. That second bread apetizer took over an hour to come out (after 7:45). Six of us ordered soup. They served one soup to three of us (8:15), and 20 minutes later, another soup was served. It took 1 hour and 30 minutes for them to bring a buttered pasta appetizer for two of the children (who ordered it as a side to their Wagyu steaks which were served 20 minutes after that around 8:20). Ten minutes after the pasta, one kid's meal was served (chicken tenders), and 20 minutes after that, another kid's meal was served (a hamburger). We were clearly being ignored to the point where we had to walk into the bar (we were in the dining room) to order and collect drinks. They have always had beignets on the desert menu, so when the last of the adult dinners were served, I asked for 2 orders to be brought out (understanding that everything else had been so delayed) for the children. As soon as we finished eating, I asked the waitress if the beignets were ready, and her response was, "oh, I didn't put them in, it will only be minute". At that point, we declined and asked for the check. We had to pay the 20% service fee for large groups. I hope they appreciated it because we will not be returning. Thank you to the bartender (M) who is usually a waiter. He provided much needed comic relief to the situation, but it was still frustrating. It's painful to have an experience like that at a place we truly enjoyed visiting, but to which we will likely never return.

I booked a large pontoon boat for myself and 8 other friends and let me tell you, we did not regret it! The communication was seamless and the boat was perfect. Our captain Hunter was awesome and knew everything about Lake Placid. He took us to all of the best spots. I would recommend this to anyone looking for the best possible time on the lake. 10/10 experience!!

Could not have dreamt of a better time to spend a summer day. Placid Boat Rentals was very reasonably priced, quick to handle paperwork and get my friends and I on our way to the lake. The trip on the lake was beautiful and serene and we were really able to value our time out there. Our kayaks, life jackets and paddles were in mint condition and served us really well. Afterwards we were able to speak with the owner who was so accommodating to us. He gave us good laughs and stories and even assisted us in getting our way around town which my friends and I really appreciated. Couldn't imagine a better experience out here at beautiful Lake Placid and this is a sure place to spend your time and money with such a great business!

Super easy pickup and drop off! Great help and information from the folks up front. Good selection of boats - we enjoyed our 2 person kayak trip across Lake Placid!

The older gentleman working at the boat rental business was spectacular! The man shared interesting facts and some history about Lake Placid and even offered me and my buddies a ride to the Marshall’s nearby to get a change of clothing after getting absolutely soaked while kayaking! Overall, we will definitely be visiting this place again on our next trip!

We rented a Boston Whaler for 2 hours this afternoon on Lake Placid and had such a wonderful experience!! We are somewhat beginner boaters but Hunter was a huge help. This was one of our best experiences here.

Was renting a powerboat at this place. The boat was very good. The staff were friendly and very helpful. They helped me with all my questions and asks. Will strongly recommend this place. Thank you, Cara and Hunter, for a great time on one of yours rental powerboats! Appreciate all your help!

They asked for a review so here it is: good powerboat rental experience.

We have arrived at 2 PM on Sunday just to be told that they are closing because they do not have enough customers. 15 min. later more than 30 people showed up just to find the place closed. Also hours and days are incorrectly posted.

OMG this is the best thing EVER!! Where else can you experience something as fun as this? Only right here in Lake Placid will you find the Toboggan Chute. It's a fun family activity, and something that everyone should experience once in their lifetime. You fly down that chute. We had to be doing at least 40 mph. We were screaming (good screams like on a roller coaster) and laughing too. Definitely something to check out.

Fun winter activities for kids and adults. The line can be long but it goes fast. It is definitely an upgrade for a snow slide Also we can enjoy beautiful view of the frozen lake mirror from above Definitely a good fun for family activity

Our family had so much fun! A must for anyone who loves a thrilling experience!!

We visited the lake in summers and didnot get a chance to use sled from Toboggan chute it serves its purpose in winters when lake is frozen. But we enjoyed our time there.

I love this place.. best slide ever. My daughter had so much fun..it's better than snowtubing

Absolutely a blast! Highly recommend getting there early.

Lake is 5 stars but this is for the business. Store is set up for hockey fans and paddle board rentals seem to be a side hustle. We had to carry the boards 150yd along sidewalk and down a grassy/dirt hill to get to the put in. Boards were cheap inflatables and poorly balanced for carrying. To their credit, they gave us a discount on just one hour but were weak on local information (water temp?). Will keep driving along the lake to another spot next time.

Friendly and informative staff. Equipment in good condition. Very close to launch site. Wonderful time on Mirror Lake!

What a way to spend the day! Nice family run company with kind and helpful staff. Equipment was high quality and easy to use. Family of 4 (kids 7 and 5). Had an amazing time. SUPlp offered a tremendous service at a fair price with quick and easy service and access to Mirror lake. John M.

There are lots of places in Lake Placid where you can rent kayaks and paddle boards… without having to carry them down/up a hill. Also, their stand up paddle boards are inflatable.

Rented 2 paddleboards. Had to carry down to public beach area for access to lake and back up hill. No official launch area. One paddle was old and heavy with tape on it. Young man behind counter was not very helpful.

This trail access point, behind the Dack Shack on Hwy 86 in Lake Placid, leads to the Peninsula Trails, a small pleasant park. It also gets you go the Jackrabbit Trail thru the Whiteface Club golf course (open only in winter) and the McKenzie Mountain segment. A better starting place for that segment is on Whiteface Inn Road.

Ski Trail traverses the northern Adirondacks. Ski from town to town. This access point starts from the back of the parking lot at the Dack Shack

Amazing experience going up in the gondola and then in the elevator. Wish the outside section would have been open, but so cool watching the skiers do practice jumps!!!

Went to ski jumping competition this past weekend and had a blast. Gondola ride to the top offers great views and the line moved quickly. Vendor lines were pretty long, but everyone was happy hanging out. Parking was a bit awkward with the lot being full, but we saw many other people parking on the side of the road nearby.

This place was so cool, I wasn’t sure that it was open but if you drive past the guard shack, you can go right down to the clubhouse. It was 20 bucks to take a gondola ride to the top and then you could take an elevator to the top of the tall tower. The view was fantastic and the day that we were there they were practicing for a meet the next day. A really fun experience.

In town for the Can/AM hockey tournament. We received free admission with our "special badges" We were lucky enough to be there on a day with some of the athletes making runs, which was amazing to watch in person. The staff was friendly and shared lots of information about the facility.

The staff was very nice and helpful. The views, of course, were beautiful! 2 of my grandkids went down the zipping and had good time.

Great experience, go early in the day to see practice runs. We went in August and the views were incredible from the top.

We visited on a weekday. It was definitely a spectacular site when we arrived. My disappointment was that we paid full price and were not informed that the outside deck at the top of the ski jumping complex was closed for maintenance. We rhode the gondola up, took the elevator, only to be able to look out of enclosed windows. So disappointed. I also expected the staff to be more welcoming and act more like tour guides. For $40.00 it just didn’t seem worth it.

Who says you can’t be a kid again at 50? Riding the Mt. Van Hoevenberg sled track was like jumping straight into an Olympic daydream I’ve had since 1980! The moment that sled took off, I was grinning like a 10-year-old watching the Winter Games on a grainy TV. The speed, the curves, the rush—absolutely unreal. The crew was fantastic—professional, friendly, and just as excited as I was. For a few glorious seconds, I wasn’t a middle-aged guy with a mortgage—I was an Olympian flying down the track. If you've ever wondered what it feels like to live that dream, trust me: DO IT. You’re never too old to fly! Time line- went in the fall just as trees were changing colour which made it ready beautiful. Lots of parking and I would get a ticket online as it can be an hour wait for time slot and another hour lined up

High Falls Gorge was very nice but it's one falls with views from several locations. Don't expect to see more than one falls. A little pricey in my opinion, although I can see it's a big investment for the pathway.

Best-maintained trails. If you want to do a short hike, that's the place. You will have a great view at the top, and hiking on-site is free. As a bonus, you can see the bobsleigh track. They offer rides on a real bobsleigh, but it is only on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and not all year long. There's also a mountain tour on rails available. It's a clean and fun place to visit.

We had a blast. Our son hurt his ankle earlier at home and a medic team checked him out as if he was an Olympic athlete!! Melissa and Noah you ROCK!! The deck overlooking the coaster had a small bar which was helpful while we watched the boys “slide”. Excellent memories made! Bucket list checked! Perfect birthday experience for our 11 year old grandson!

We had so much fun! All the staff in the climbing room were great especially Cat who was super helpful and kind. We went on a rainy day and it was the perfect activity to do in Lake Placid. I never did it before but my friends have and we all had a great time. I was worried when I saw a lot of people in the lobby but there were other tours and things going on at the complex and they limit the number of people per hour in the climbing room so it’s very comfortable. It looks narrow but there’s actually lots of space to try different climbs. I will be back!

The location is amazing. Building is very modern and has a lot of facilities. Shopping, ticket counter, food court, seating area, etc. are all inside. Very short walk to costed and the Bobsledge. Be mi dful to download the maps to this place and from this place to your next destination. The signal is very spotty to none. My van navigation also lost signal here. Otherwise, it is a nice place to spend half a day with kids. I am not sure if the building has wifi so that you can get the route on Google before you get into the car.

We went on the legacy tour of the bob sled facility and it was absolutely amazing, you got to actually walk on the actual track, like in the corners and the starting area, so far the best tour yet! And for 15$ best deal of our vacation, such a beautiful facility and they have a nice cafe as well, we had Chilli fries and you get agiant portion for 8$ our tour guide was super nice and very knowledgeable, I would go back!