Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Cauldron Park

The Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Cauldron Park is a plaza located at the south end of Rice-Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, Rice-Eccles Stadium was known as Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium and hosted the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. The plaza contains a 2002 Winter Olympic museum, the Olympic cauldron, and other memorabilia from the 2002 Olympic Games. As the University of Utah moves forward with stadium expansion and limited space, the future of the park is uncertain. The Hoberman Arch was removed in August 2014, while other portions of the park, such as the film, are no longer functional.Park HistoryConstruction on the park began October 2, 2002 with a ground-breaking ceremony attended by Olympians Shannon Bahrke and Bill Schuffenhauer. The first phase of construction, which included moving the cauldron and getting it operational was completed in February 2003, in time for the one-year anniversary celebration. The second phase, which included the visitors center, was completed later that summer, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held August 22, 2003. The park cost $12 million to construction, and was paid for with revenue and extra surplus from the 2002 Games. Following the park's opening the Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) turned over control and maintenance of the park to the University of Utah, giving them a $1 million endowment. The park is open to the public free of charge, with the exception of the film shown in the Visitor Center. Money from ticket sales for the film, along with the original $1 million endowment pays the park's operating costs.