The Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation was established in 1989 for the purpose of construction a modest ski museum in honor of ski legend, Alf Engen. With the selection of Salt Lake City to host the 2002 Winter Olympics, the museum concept was dramatically expanded to include a Salt Lake 2002 Olympic gallery and other features which would transform the modest ski museum into a winter sports cultural center. In recognition of a lead gift from the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation the life-long friendship of the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame members, Alf Engen and Joe Quinney, the Engen Foundation Board of Trustees unanimously agreed that the facility should be named the Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center with the Alf Engen Ski Museum as the primary cornerstone of the building. The Alf Engen Ski Museum's vision is to be the recognized world leader in ski history museums. The Alf Engen Ski Museum's mission is to inspire through education and preservation of the rich history of skiing in the Intermountain Region.