Nanjing Olympic Museum

Covering a total area of 7,896 square meters with a main exhibition area of 5,034 square meters, the museum’s exhibition theme is “A Century of Olympic Heritage, Youthful Nanjing.” The museum features six main exhibition halls: The Origins of the Ancient Olympics, The Rise of the Modern Olympics, The Olympic Family, China and the Olympics, Jiangsu and the Olympics, and the Youth Olympics in Nanjing—systematically presenting the development of the Olympic Movement from ancient Greece to the present day.

The museum houses a collection of over 1,400 artifacts (sets), including torches, medals, mascots, athletes’ equipment, and audiovisual materials from past Olympic Games. In 2015, the museum joined the International Olympic Museum Network, and in 2016, it hosted the network’s first annual meeting in China.

II. Treasures of the Collection and Classic Exhibits

The original manuscripts of Pierre de Coubertin are the museum’s most prized treasures. This over-100-page handwritten manuscript was acquired from the international market by Mr. Wu Jingguo, a former IOC Executive Board member and founder of the museum, and brought to Nanjing. Among the pages is a section documenting Coubertin’s travels through China.

The Torch Wall is one of the museum’s most visually striking exhibits, displaying Olympic torches from the first torch of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, to the “Xiangyun” (Auspicious Cloud) torch of the Beijing Olympics, to the “Gate of Happiness” torch of the Nanjing Youth Olympics—each carrying the century-old tradition of the torch relay. The museum also features a wall of Olympic posters from past Games, life-sized wax figures of IOC presidents, and other classic exhibits.

Additionally, the museum houses the world’s first World Roller Skating Museum—a “museum within a museum” hosted by the International Roller Sports Federation (World Skate), supporting Nanjing’s goal of becoming the “World Capital of Roller Skating.”

III. Family-Friendly Interactive Experiences: Learning Through Play

The museum is particularly well-suited for family visits, with interactive experiences being a major highlight. The exhibition areas combine physical artifacts, images, videos, holographic projections, and hands-on activities, transforming young visitors from passive observers into active participants. Regular interactive offerings include archery experiences (learning how to hold the bow, aim, and control power) and floor curling experiences (practicing control of pushing force and direction). The museum is also a Jiangsu Provincial Science Education Base, offering year-round youth sports culture educational programs that have attracted over 10,000 young participants.

IV. Recent Special Exhibitions

On the occasion of its 12th anniversary, the museum launched the special exhibition “The Road to Self-Strengthening—A Thematic Exhibition on the Development of Modern Sports in China” on August 17, 2026. This exhibition systematically reviews the century-long journey from the early sports enlightenment of the late Qing and early Republic periods to China’s Olympic quest. Among the exhibits are precious artifacts such as the competition registration booklet of Liu Changchun, the first Chinese athlete to participate in the Olympic Games. The exhibition hall features immersive photo installations and interactive NPC experiences, offering visitors a journey through time and space into the history of Chinese sports culture.

V. Visitor Information

From Pierre de Coubertin’s original manuscripts to torches from every Olympic Games, from archery experiences to floor curling—the Nanjing Olympic Museum invites every visitor to journey through a century of Olympic history and feel the pulse of the Olympic spirit through its rich collection and immersive interactive experiences.