Museum of the National Park Ranger

The Museum of the National Park Ranger is housed in the Norris Soldier Station, located at the entrance to Norris Campground. 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 floorplan. 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. There is no Yellowstone Association sales outlet in this museum. 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

"The Essenstials for Planning your Trip to Yellowstone Park"
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The Madison Museum 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 museum contains only touch-table exhibits at present, but plans are underway to design and install orientation panels. A wayside exhibit just outside the museum building commemorates the "campfire story," and a commemorative plaque honors Stephen T. Mather.

The visitor center hosts an exhibit that interprets fire's role in the environment, using the fires of 1988 as the example. The movie Yellowstone: The Unfinished Song (on the 1988 fires--20 minutes) and the slide show Touring Yellowstone, A Journey of Discovery (orientation to the park--22 minutes) are shown on a regular schedule throughout the summer months. The Yellowstone Association has a sales area in the lobby of the visitor center.

The Canyon Visitor Center is located 1/8 mile southeast of Canyon Junction in the Canyon Village complex. The building was completed and open for public use in late summer 1957 as part of the Mission 66 project in Yellowstone. Its architecture and design are typical of other visitor centers of that era. The Canyon Visitor Center has traditionally been the location of exhibits explaining the geology of Yellowstone, but there has been no permanent exhibit here since the summer of 1990. The Fire Exhibit, now at Grant Visitor Center, was displayed here in 1991. During the 1992 and 1993 seasons, a geology exhibit designed and produced by students from Shelley, Idaho; Cody, Wyoming; and Helena, Montana, was displayed. "Imagine Yellowstone," the children's art exhibit, was here in 1994 and 1995, with a retrospective exhibit in 1996. In August 1997, a new exhibit on bison was installed. This exhibit is the result of a cooperative effort between Yellowstone National Park and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming. The exhibit deals with the natural history of bison and the bison as a symbol of wildness; it also includes information on the current controversy surrounding brucellosis. Planning for a permanent geology exhibit is underway. Audio visual programs are currently not available at the Canyon Visitor Center. The Yellowstone Association has a large book sales outlet in the lobby.