By Rob Burbank

The New England Ski Museum’s Eastern Slope Branch in North Conway, N.H., uses a variety of media and engaging exhibits to illuminate the region’s rich ski history.

Videos highlight the accomplishments of Olympians with ties to New England, such as Michaela Shiffrin, Sophie Caldwell, and Tyler Palmer. Sis and skiwearof other Olympians, such as Bode Miller and Leanne Smith, and Bill Koch are also on display.

With its location close to Mount Cranmore, the Ski Museum’s Eastern Slope Branch is uniquely suited to celebrating Austrian skimeister Hannes Schneider, who taught The Arlberg method of skiing at Cranmore. Known as the father of modern ski instruction, Schneider was known worldwide for teaching thousands to ski. On display are his ski boots, a ski, and luggage owned by the famed skier, as well as a photo of his arrival at the North Conway train station (adjacent to the Museum) in 1939.

Also highlighted is the legendary spring skiing Mecca of Mount Washington’s Tuckerman Ravine,  with its dizzying ski runs. Take in the photographic mural of the ravine that occupies an entire wall of the Museum, and you can feel like you’re there.

Visitors can also snap a selfie while sitting on an original Skimobile car, or climb aboard a gondola car that once carried skiers to the top of Wildcat Mountain.

Opportunities abound to gain new insight on the National Ski Patrol, safety in the mountains, and the region’s steepest and most challenging ski trails.

You’ll also find skis of all kinds, both antique and more modern; snowboards; Snurfers; and ski lift components. A popular attraction is the Lost Ski Areas of New England exhibit, an interactive video timeline that explores the growth of skiing in New England and the subsequent loss of ski areas with changing times.

The Museum also pays tribute to the 10th Mountain Division ski troops, the original infantry formed in 1941 and trained for winter warfare in the mountains.

With a visit to the Eastern Slope Branch of the New England Ski Museum, you can become a part of the history, and future, of skiing.