Officials have inaugurated Rio’s museum'>Olympic City Museum one month ahead of the opening ceremony for Brazil’s 2016 Olympic Games.

The new museum and digital centre on the Barra da Tijuca, just behind the location of the Athletes' Village, opened its doors to the public on 5 July, incorporating virtual reality so visitors can experience the city’s Olympic venues and the tourist attractions.

Using 360-degree aerial footage captured using hang gliders and helicopters across Rio, guests will be able to virtually visit locations including Deodoro and Barra, the rejuvenated city centre, Sugarloaf Mountain and Copacabana beach.

The wider museum makes use of cutting-edge digital technologies and multimedia, with interactive activities including visitors trying their hand at Olympic and Paralympic sports in front of a screen. The museum also details how the Olympic Games and digital innovations have changed Rio and how technology is having an influence on sport, as well as telling the history of Brazil at the Olympics, Paralympics and Winter Olympics.

An agreement for the plans, which form part of AECOM’s masterplan for the Olympic Park, was signed by the Brazilian Olympic Committee COB in June last year. Brazil made its Olympic debut at the 1920 Games in Antwerp and has competed at every Games since, except for the 1928 event in Amsterdam. The South American nation has also sent teams to every Winter Olympic Games since Albertville in 1992.