Jesse Owens Museum

08/27/2026

ANNOUNCEMENT

The Jesse Owens Museum and Park will open at 12:00 pm on Saturday, August 29, 2026. This later opening time is to help accommodate staff in preparing for the 90th anniversary event, which begins at 1:00 pm. Thank you for your understanding, and we can't wait to see everyone this Saturday!

08/27/2026

90th Anniversary: Event Rules and Regulations

• Registration for all events will begin at 1:30 pm outside of the Jesse Owens Museum. All events are free, but parents or guardians need to register children for awards purposes. Participants will receive a bib, and no child will be able to participate in any event without a bib.
• There will be three events: long jump, 100-meter dash, and 1-mile run.
• Athletic events are for children ages 2-12. All children that participate in all three events will receive a participation award. Parents and adults may not participate in the long jump or 100-meter dash, but an adult may accompany a child in the 1-mile run.
• Participants will be divided into ages 2-6 and 7-12 along with male and female divisions. Gold, silver, and bronze medals will be awarded to winners in each division in each event. An overall award will be presented to 1 boy and 1 girl from all the participants whom the referees feel exhibited the best sportsmanship and competitive spirit throughout all the events.
• The athletic events will be held on a rolling schedule which means as one event ends another event will begin. Please listen for announcements in case the events move quickly and the schedule is moved up.

Intended schedule and locations:

o Long jumps will begin at 2:00 pm at the long jump pit in front of museum.
o 100-meter dash will begin at 2:30 pm on the lawn in between the ballfield and front of the museum. Painted lanes will be used.
o 1-mile run will begin at 3:00 pm on the starting line near the road at the front fence.
• Awards ceremony will take place in front of the museum at the awards podium at 3:30 pm or earlier if events end earlier.
• Questions may be directed to [email protected]

08/25/2026

90th Anniversary Feature Collector: Justen Burns

Justen Burns is the Managing Partner and Assistant Branch Manager at Peritus Wealth Management of Wells Fargo Advisors. Before his career in wealth management, Justen served in the United States Army for 20 years, retiring as a Sergeant. Justen and Fabiola visited Oakville's Jesse Owens Museum and donated a rare book about the 1936 Berlin Games. The book contains results from that year’s Berlin Olympics and original photos from the Games. During his two tours in Germany, Justen was on a quest to find a pristine copy of this book. Justen will be at our event for several hours during the afternoon to meet the public.

08/25/2026

90th Anniversary Featured Collector: Russ Opdahl

Until his recent retirement, Russ was VP of Sales and Engineering for Oracle. Given Huntsville’s unique status as a massive engineering and defense hub (and its proximity to the upcoming August 29th event at the nearby Jesse Owens Museum), we expect strong interest in meeting Russ. Whether you are connected to Huntsville’s aerospace and defense tech sector or interested in the historical and cultural community, we know this day will be fun and interesting for all. Russ will be there for several hours during the afternoon to meet the public.

08/12/2026

08/06/2026

After securing his second Olympic gold medal, Jesse Owens continued to make Olympic history. On August 5th, he won a third gold medal, this time in the 200-meter dash. He ran the event in an Olympic record 20.7 seconds.

Had he been a bit faster, he might have beaten the world record of a lightning-quick 20.3 seconds. But luckily for Jesse, he held that record too. He set that number during his college days at the Big Ten Championship in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1935.

Jesse Owens’ accolades remain some of the most celebrated in Olympic history. What remains equally remembered is the impact he had globally outside of world records and medals.

Want to learn more about the lasting impact of Jesse Owens? Visit the Jesse Owens Museum and explore our galleries dedicated to inspiring stories like this one.

08/04/2026

On August 4th, 1936, in Berlin, Germany, Jesse Owens made an unexpected friend. It's a friendship that became a powerful symbol of unity and bravery. After struggling in the long jump qualifiers, help came from an unexpected source. Luz Long, a German competitor, offered Owens advice that would ultimately help him win his second Olympic gold. While Long earned a silver medal, the story between these two became something far greater than their accolades.

In a time marked by division and prejudice, Owens and Long demonstrated sportsmanship and respect that transcends nationality and race. Their bond remains one of the most powerful examples of unity in sports history.

Want to learn more about this remarkable friendship? Visit the Jesse Owens Museum and explore our galleries dedicated to inspiring stories like this one.