Yellowstone National Park Visitor Centers
Index
| Yellowstone National Park Visitor Centers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Albright | Junior Ranger Station | Old Faithful |
| Canyon | Madison | Ranger Programs |
| Fishing Bridge | National Park Ranger Museum | West Thumb |
| Grant | Norris Geyser Basin Museum | West Yellowstone Entrance |
Updated: April 6th, 2024
Albright Visitor Center
| Albright Visitor Center | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone | Dates | Hours | Location / Services / Information |
| 307-344-2263 | 01 Jan - 26 May 27 May - 30 Sep 01 Oct - 31 Dec |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm 9:00 am - 5:00 pm 9:00 am - 5:00 pm |
Mammoth Hot Springs - 5 miles from the North Entrance. Exhibits on wildlife and history; films on Yellowstone and the national park idea.
The Albright Visitor Center and Museum (open seven days a week) will be closed on the fourth Thursday in November for Thanksgiving. The visitor center (formerly bachelor officers' quarters) now houses a museum with its major theme being history: Native Americans (pre-1800), the mountain men (1807-1840), early exploration (1869-1871), the Army days, and early National Park Service. In early 1998, new exhibits with a predator-prey theme were installed upstairs. Of special note are the Moran Gallery where fine reproductions of watercolor sketches by the painter and expeditioner Thomas Moran are displayed and the Jackson Gallery where original photographs by William Henry Jackson, also of the 1871 Hayden Survey, are exhibited. There is a theater in the visitor center where Park Rangers show film and video presentations every half hour in summer and on request in winter. Films include The Challenge of Yellowstone(1979, 25 min) on the history of Yellowstone and the evolution of the national park idea and Thomas "Yellowstone" Moran (1997, 12 min) on Moran's contribution toward the establishment of Yellowstone National Park and are shown year-round and Yellowstone Today on orienting yourself to the wonders and activities Yellowstone has to offer during the summer (18 min). Also see Ranger Led Activities. |
Closed November 28th, 2024
** Dates are subject to change due to special situations or weather or staffing conditions **
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Canyon Visitor Center
| Canyon Village Visitor Center | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone | Dates | Hours | Location / Services / Information |
| 307-344-2550 | 11 Mar - 18 Apr 19 Apr - 30 Apr 01 May - 25 May 01 Oct - 31 Oct | CLOSED 9:00 am - 4:30 pm 9:00 am - 5:00 pm 9:00 am - 5:00 pm |
Located in the East central area of the park. Interactive exhibits about Yellowstone's super volcano and other aspects of its geology. A spectacular new film on the geology of Yellowstone: Land to Life reveals how powerful geologic forces from fire to ice have combined to create a unique landscape which supports an abundant variety of life.
Enter the Canyon Visitor Education Center and the world of Yellowstone's super volcano an idea that has captured the minds and imaginations of people around the world. For the first time, park visitors will see, hear, and learn how the Yellowstone volcano, its geysers and hot springs, and geologic history shape the distribution and abundance of all life found here. Explore these ideas through interactive exhibits, animations, audio-visual productions, and real-time scientific data. Also see Ranger Led Activities. The unique exhibits include:  A spectacular new film on the geology of Yellowstone: Land to Life reveals how powerful geologic forces from fire to ice have combined to create a unique landscape which supports an abundant variety of life.A room-size relief model of Yellowstone that illuminates and narrates the parks volcanic eruptions, lava flows, glaciers, and earthquake faults for visitors on the first floor; from the second floor view, visitors can hear tribes associated with the park interpret the parks geology from their tribes perspective.A 9,000 pound rotating globe illustrating global volcanic hotspots.One of the worlds largest lava lamps illustrating how magma rises by heat convection.Computer-generated exhibits displaying real-time earthquake and other geologic data exactly at the same time it is being collected in the park.Murals and enlarged photographs showing the enormity of Yellowstone's glaciers and their lasting effect on the landscape.Detailed panoramas, dioramas, and cross sections of life in a lodge pole forest and a grassland habitats made possible by Yellowstone's fire and ice. |
Closed Nov 11th and Nov 28th, 2024
** Dates are subject to change due to special situations or weather or staffing conditions **
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Fishing Bridge Visitor Center
| Fishing Bridge Visitor Center | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone | Dates | Hours | Location / Services / Information |
| 307-344-2450 | 25 May - 12 Oct |
8:00 am - 6:00 pm |
Located in the northeast area of the park, one mile off the Grand Loop Road on the East Entrance Road. Built in 1931, it is a National Historic Landmark. Its distinctive stone-and-log architecture, known as "parkitecture," became a prototype for park buildings all around the country.
The historic bird specimens (by Carl Russell) were installed in 1931, provide a good overview of the birds of Yellowstone. Other taxidermied animals include a grizzly sow and two cubs (formerly from the Canyon Visitor Center) and a family of river otters. Also see Ranger Led Activities. * Depends on snow conditions |
Closed Jan 1 and Jan 20 / Feb 17 / Oct 14 / Nov 11th and Nov 28th / Dec 25 2024
** Dates are subject to change due to special situations or weather or staffing conditions **
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Grant Village Visitor Center
| Grant Village Visitor Center | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone | Dates | Hours | Location / Services / Information |
| 307-344-2650 | 25 May - 12 Oct |
8:00 am - 6:00 pm |
The Grant Visitor Center is located on the shore of Yellowstone Lake one mile off of the main park road at Grant Village Junction.
The visitor center and development are named for President Ulysses S. Grant, eighteenth president of the United States, who signed the bill creating Yellowstone National Park on 01 March 1872. The facility was constructed during the 1970s and, along with the entire Grant development, was and is a controversial Yellowstone development due to its location in prime grizzly bear habitat (the area is the location of several major cutthroat trout spawning streams). The visitor center hosts an exhibit that interprets fire's role in the environment, using the fires of 1988 as the example. The movie Ten Years after Fire is shown on a regular schedule throughout the summer months. Also see Ranger Led Activities. |
Closed Jan 1 and Jan 20 / Feb 17 / Oct 14 / Nov 11th and Nov 28th / Dec 25 2024
** Dates are subject to change due to special situations or weather or staffing conditions **
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Junior Ranger Station
| Junior Ranger Station | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone | Dates | Hours | Location / Services / Information |
| 307-344-2821 | 04 Jun - 30 Sep Bookstore |
9:00 am - 4:30 pm |
Located at the Madison Information Center. Yellowstone National Park has an official Junior Ranger Program open to children ages 5 - 12. The goal of the program is to introduce children to the natural wonders of Yellowstone and their role in preserving them for the future. For more information go to the Junior Ranger Page. Also see Ranger Led Activities and Star Talks. |
Closed Jan 1 and Jan 20 / Feb 17 / May 27 / Oct 14 / Nov 11th and Nov 28th / Dec 25 2024
** Dates are subject to change due to special situations or weather or staffing conditions **
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Madison Information Station
| Madison Information Station | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone | Dates | Hours | Location / Services / Information |
| 307-344-2821 | 04 Jun - 30 Spe Bookstore |
9:00 am - 4:30 pm |
The Madison Information Station dates from 1929-30 and is a National Historic Landmark. Located at Madison Junction in the Madison Picnic Area, it is built from wood and stone materials. The building sits near the site of the legendary campfire circle of the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition. Although no evidence can confirm the authenticity of this tale, the legend gives us a strong theme for discussion of the establishment of Yellowstone National Park.
In previous years, this building has been used as a museum, has housed the Arts Yellowstone program, and has sat empty and abandoned. It began its new life as an information station and Yellowstone Association bookstore during the summer of 1995. The station contains only touch-table exhibits at present, but plans are underway to design and install orientation panels. A wayside exhibit just outside the building commemorates the "campfire story," and a commemorative plaque honors Stephen T. Mather. Also see Ranger Led Activities. |
Closed Jan 1 and Jan 20 / Feb 17 / May 27 / Oct 14 / Nov 11th and Nov 28th / Dec 25 2024
** Dates are subject to change due to special situations or weather or staffing conditions **
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Museum of the National Park Ranger
| Museum of the National Park Ranger | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone | Dates | Hours | Location / Services / Information |
| 307-344-7353 | 30 Jun - 31 Aug | 10:00 am - 4:00 pm | This museum is housed in the Norris Soldier Station, located at the entrance to Norris Campground in the west central part of the park.
This building was one of the original soldier stations, built in 1908, as an outlying station for soldiers on patrol. The building has been completely rebuilt, using original materials where possible and staying true to the original floor plan. The original building was taken down on site and rebuilt. Exhibits depict the development of the park ranger profession from its roots in the military traditions through early rangers and to the present array of NPS staff specialized duties. A small auditorium shows a laser-disc production of the 25-minute movie, "An American Legacy," which tells the story of the development of the National Park Service. The staffing is done primarily by retired National Park Service employees who volunteer for short periods of time. Many of these employees retired as superintendents, chief rangers, regional directors, and from various positions in the Washington office. For more information, click here. |
Closed Jan 1 and Jan 20 / Feb 17 / May 27 / Jun 19 / Sep 2 / Oct 14 / Nov 11th and Nov 28th / Dec 25 2024
** Dates are subject to change due to special situations or weather or staffing conditions **
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Norris Geyser Basin Museum & Information Station
| Norris Geyser Basin Museum & Information Station | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone | Dates | Hours | Location / Services / Information |
| 307-344-2812 | 25 May - 12 Oct | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm | The Norris Geyser Basin Museum is located .25 mile east of Norris Junction just off the Grand Loop Road. It was built in 1929-30, and is a National Historic Landmark. Its distinctive stone-and-log architecture became a prototype for park buildings throughout the country known as "parkitecture" (Fishing Bridge Museum and Madison Museum date from the same time period and are of the same style).
New exhibits on geothermal geology, Norris Geyser Basin features, and life in thermal areas were installed in 1995. These exhibits replaced old ones from the 1960s with similar subject matter. There is no auditorium in this building, and it consists of two wings separated by an open-air breezeway. An information desk in the breezeway is staffed by National Park Service interpreters. Also see Ranger Led Activities. |
Closed Jan 1 and Jan 20 / Feb 17 / Oct 14 / Nov 11th and Nov 28th / Dec 25 2024
** Dates are subject to change due to special situations or weather or staffing conditions **
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Old Faithful Visitor Center
| Old Faithful Visitor Center | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone | Dates | Hours | Location / Services / Information |
| 307-344-2751 | 19 Apr - 25 May 26 May - 02 Sep 03 Sep - 30 Sep 01 Oct- 31 Oct Dec 15 - Mar 15 |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm 8:00 am - 8:00 pm 9:00 am - 5:00 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm 9:00 am - 5:00 pm |
Enter the new Old Faithful Visitor Education Center and the world of Yellowstone's hydrothermal features and the creatures that live in and among them. For the first time, park visitors can see, hear, and learn how the Yellowstone volcano, its geysers and hot springs, and geologic history shape the distribution and abundance of all life found here. Explore these ideas through interactive exhibits, animations,
audiovisual productions, and real-time scientific data. Evening ranger-led programs are presented during the summer and the winter seasons, see Ranger Led Activities.
Visit the Exhibit Hall to: Explore how a geyser erupts and why eruptions can vary. See what happens within the natural plumbing of a geyser as it begins to erupt. Learn how tiny life forms live in scalding water and boiling mud. Take a close look at a room-size display of a hot spring—can you pick out all the living things in this hot water area? Compare hydrothermal features in the park: How are they similar? Why are they different? Embark on a scientific expedition to answer intriguing questions about four areas of the park. Visit the virtual visitor center kiosk to discover how you can continue your Yellowstone exploration after returning home.Hey, Kids! Look deep inside this new visitor center for a shimmering portal. Walk through it—and enter the world of the Young Scientist. . . . ✷ examine elk jaws and figure out why elk may have shorter lives in the geyser basins ✷ peer into hot springs and study organisms you usually can't see ✷ study eruptions of Old Faithful and figure out how to predict the next one ✷ get right next to the inside guts of a geyser and watch superhot water surge up and up and ERUPT! |
Closed : Nov 11th and Nov 28th 2024
** Dates are subject to change due to special situations or weather or staffing conditions **
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West Thumb Information Station
| West Thumb Information Station | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone | Dates | Hours | Location / Services / Information |
| 307-344-2650 | 26 May - 12 Oct | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm | The historic West Thumb Information Station, located in West Thumb, serves as a meeting place for interpretive walks and talks during the summer season. During the winter, this facility serves as the West Thumb Warming Hut. Visitors can warm up, read interpretive exhibits on history and a variety of winter topics, and get their questions answered by an Interpretive staff person. Also see Ranger Led Activities. |
Closed Jan 1 and Jan 20 / Feb 17 / Oct 14 / Nov 11th and Nov 28th / Dec 25 2024
** Dates are subject to change due to special situations or weather or staffing conditions **
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West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center - NPS Desk
| West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center - NPS Desk | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone | Dates | Hours | Location / Services / Information |
| 307-344-2876 | 19 Apr - 25 May 26 May - 02 Sep 03 Sep - 30 Sep 01 Oct - Oct 31 15 Dec - 15 Mar |
8:00 am - 4:00 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm 8:00 am - 4:00 pm 8:00 am - 4:00 pm |
West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce Building. Yellowstone National Park information and ranger walks and talks. |
Closed: Nov 11th and Nov 28th 2024
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** Dates are subject to change due to special situations or weather or staffing conditions **
| Yellowstone National Park Ranger Led Activities | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bridge Bay | Junior Ranger | Star Talks |
| Campfire Programs | Lake | Tower Fall |
| Canyon | Madison | Visitor Centers |
| Fishing Bridge | Mammoth | West Thumb |
| Grant | Norris | West Yellowstone |
| Indian Creek | Old Faithful | Wildlife Olympics |
| Yellowstone National Park WebCams | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Faithful Live | All Old Faithful | Old Faithful Static | Old Faithful VC |
| North Entrance | Mt Washburn | Mammoth | YVO WebCam |
| Entrance Cities and Gateway Towns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardiner, Montana | Silver Gate, Montana | West Yellowstone, Montana | Cooke City, Montana |
| Livingston, Montana | Cody, Wyoming | Jackson Hole, Wyoming | Yellowstone National Park |
| Links | |
|---|---|
| The Great Outdoors Net | Great Outdoor Recreational Places |
| Gardiner, Montana | West Yellowstone, Montana |
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