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A very informative and busy visitor center with a huge gift shop and lots of hand on displays. What was really special here, though are the views of the grand Tetons all around us
This visitor center is worth going to. Parking was not an issue when I went there. It's spacious and well-maintained. There's a part where there were screens on the floor and videos were playing. It's informative; the theater shows video about the Grand Teton. The rangers were present, ready to answer questions. The gift shop is big. Magnets, puzzles, books, shirts, stickers, etc are available. Would definitely check this out before going to the national park.
This a spacious, modern, well-lit visitor center in Grand Teton National Park. We perused the interactive displays, watched the park film in the movie theater and shopped in the gift shop
After being disappointed that the first visitor center we stopped by was closed for the season (Jenny Lake, but also our fault for not checking), we moved on to Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center which is open until the end of October. This center was huge, with a very interesting exhibit section, decently sized gift shop, and a helpful ranger desk. Michael H. was probably the best and most helpful park ranger I've come across in all the National Parks I've been to! He was very friendly, gave amazing suggestions, and even had an awesome highlighter collection to help us distinguish the different areas of interest we mentioned to him. He gave us a quick rundown on bear safety and extra suggestions/helpful tips. Also Oh also one cool little part is when you enter and go straight ahead to the back where you have a view of the Tetons range. On the ground are markers that are lines that point out the individual mountains and their elevation. Just thought it was a beautiful visual. So glad we stopped by!
While you are exploring the Grand Tetons, this is a great stop to make to learn more about the history of the area and the wildlife. There are a variety of ranger-led programs that you can partake in too. The museum area has some interactive exhibits and a collection of Native American Indian artifacts. I personally liked the raised relief map of the Teton range in the lobby. It helped give me perspective of how large this park is. You can also get backpacking and boat permits here as well as a stamp for your national park passport book.
This is probably the nicest visitor center I've visited. The building even looks architecturally gorgeous. It's very nice, clean and you learn a lot in the educational spaces. There was also a ranger outside in the front of the visitor center teaching you more about the wildlife and the recommendations of the different trails and stops. It's located a few yards before the actual pay station entrance to the park. There's plenty of parking and bathrooms and their souvenir shop carries a good variety of shirts, postcards, cups, books, magnets etc. If you have the time and need some gift shop items, this is a good place to stop.
Not all visitor centers are must stops but the Craig Thomas & visitor center in Moose, Wyoming is. It is located in Grand Teton National Park and opened in 2007 so it is a relatively new visitor center. The center is an interactive venue featuring the parks natural history, western artifacts, a ranger information station, maps of all the trails, displays of early explores, settlers and mountaineers. They have an extensive souvenir shop. You can also get your passport stamped here. A 15 minute film is shown in the 154 seat theater on a loop which is well done. The Ranger program includes an information center, a scavenger hunt for young kids who are rewarded with a wooden badge for completing the hunt, booklets to fill out to earn patches and scheduled ranger talks .Back country permits can be obtained here, as well as, detailed descriptions of all the the available trails in the Grand Teton National Park. Something unexpected was a demonstration by a ranger on how to use bear spray. A bonus to visiting the Craig Thomas Discovery Center is the photographic views of the Grand Tetons.
Beautiful building and very nice display even with COVID This site is well marked from the road and easy to get to from the main park road. There is a large parking lot with plenty of parking. They have managed the COVID arrangements very well. They have arranged it with one entrance and one exit . Dots on the floor to specify 6 foot distance. The 3 d map, gift shop and ranger booth are all open. The view out the window looks directly out onto the Tetons. This is a great first stop for seeing the park and I highly recommend it for people to prepare to see the park.
They have a really cool Jr Ranger program here. They have a scavenger hunt as part of the program which was very exciting for my 8 year old. When completing the program they gave her a wooden Jr Ranger badge where all of the others had given her a plastic badge. As of the displays they are great. The gift store has many options, but know that the check out process is very slow. What did I learn today? Bear prints show 5 toes.
One of the nicest National Park Visitor Centers we've ever stopped in to see. There are very clean rest rooms and all sorts of interpretive displays to see. The information desk is well staffed with Rangers that can assist you in planning your visit or arranging your permits to hike in the back country. Across the street is a check in station where you can have your boat inspected if you are going to go on any of the lakes or rivers.
If, as a ranger at Montana's Little Big Horn National Historic Site told us, the National Park Service is running on fumes then the Craig Thomas Visitor Center at the Moose Entry to Grand Teton National Park has a full tank of high test fuel! This stunning for architecture, view siting, displays and orientation film may be the most impressive of all visitor centers we've experienced at many National Parks. Be certain to stop here and even plan to spend an hour or more. We almost passed this by in eagerness to get into the Park and that would have been our loss. STUNNING ARCHITECTURE, VIEWS, DISPLAYS The outlook alone here, from the inside windows of this 22,000 square foot facility or from the path at the back of the uniquely designed building is worth the stop as you get the sense of how unique are the Tetons given they, unlike most mountain ranges, seem to rise straight out of the ground given absence of foot hills. You'll also enjoy displays that describe the land and people that pioneered it and which include a large relief model of the entire National Park. Some of those displays are even embedded as digital images in the floor. There are also beautiful sculptures in and out as well as a large gift store with all sorts of mementos from books to clothing to games to DVDs. We didn't do more than peek in there, but it seemed to have something for people of all ages in the gift store just as there is in the displays. EXCELLENT HD MOVIE Be certain to take the time to see the HD, Discovery Channel produced, 24 minute movie about the Grand Teton National Park. If is awe inspiring, not only for the magnificence of the land but for how so many people before us helped preserve the land and make the Park possible for us to enjoy today. Some of these people by willingness to brave the fierce elements to create the infrastructure of roads and dwellings to make the land inhabitable year around. Some of these people in spite having do the proverbial shoveling of sand against the tide of Washington DC based politics that tried to stand in the way of the expansion of the Park to what it is today. As example, we owe a debt to Laurence Rockefeller as one of those individuals who invested not only years of his time but millions of dollars of his money to overcome the hurdles and have the land protected from development and incorporated into the Park Then the best part of all, at the end of the movie in the silence among the audience was so complete in appreciation of what we had just watched that you could hear a pin drip in that theater, the big curtains opened immediately as the screen was raised to reveal a stunning view of the Tetons. Awe inspiring for their majesty. PUBLIC SECTOR - PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHIP Maybe it is because this visitor center is funded through government National Park funds of $8M and another $13.5 million in private sector gifts that it is so extraordinary. That public - private buy in has made this visitor center remarkable. The names of some of the philanthropists who helped to make this happen are listed on a plaque. In a time when it is popular to throw darts at people with wealth, it is also worth remembering how philanthropic generosity from those folks makes things like this visitor center possible for all of we were mortals. THIS N THAT: 1) ACCESSIBILITY: This is a stellar example of seamlessly incorporated universally accessible design for people of all physical abilities and ages. (Think people pushing strollers, or using wheelchairs or crutches.) 2) TRAIL PASSES: Available here for those trails where they are required. 3) CROWDS: To avoid them, the hour or so after morning opening is best. 4) HOURS & ENTRY: This is located off Teton Park Road as you drive toward the Parks entrance at Moose. If you get to the Moose Entry at the Park, you've gone too far so turn around and look for the sign into the visitor center. No entry fee into the visitor center. Hours are roughly this, seven days a week: June thru Aug 8a - 7a, Sept & Oct 8a - 5p, Nov to June 9a - 5p.
This is an essential stop when in the vicinity of Jackson and the Grand Tetons. This is the place to get the lowdown on the Who, What and Where before you return to your car and experience your Grand Teton Adventure. There was a pretty interesting, artsy gift shop as well, if only they had been open! The huge visitor's center is pretty new, with nice displays, dioramas, films, and some thoughtfully placed benches to sit and marvel at the sight outside. It is completely glassed in on the western side, so you can view those statuesque mountain spires without enduring the fickle weather changes. And don't forget to get your picture taken with the moose outside. He is the only one I dare recommend getting close to.
Stopped by here while in the Tetons. Just like most of the visitor centers in this and Yellowstone they were first class. Clean and good parking. The rangers that worked here were very helpful. A good place for a stop.
A great stop when entering Grand Teton NP! Clean restrooms, museum exhibits, gift shop and information desk. Love the large windows in the lobby area; shows a great view of the Tetons! Parking lot is pretty large here. Staff is friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend. read more
It's very spacious and clean. You can tell it's well maintained with intentional placement of their shop, information and exhibit. It's very pretty the moment you walk closer to it. Architecturally stunning. I will say it feels like there is a bit too much space like there's something more they could have done to add another layer of complexity to the center. I like where the place is located and how it's close to some historical sites that you can just walk to if you're up for a brief trail walk. As gorgeous as this place looks, I found it to be a one-and-done sort of experience. It's not a place I would go out of the way to visit again, but it was nice to experience. There are other centers where I feel like there's enough content or service where I want to come back and visit again. read more
This visitor center is worth going to. Parking was not an issue when I went there. It's spacious and well-maintained. There's a part where there were screens on the floor and videos were playing. It's informative; the theater shows video about the Grand Teton. The rangers were present, ready to answer questions. The gift shop is big. Magnets, puzzles, books, shirts, stickers, etc are available. Would definitely check this out before going to the national park. read more
3 years ago
This a spacious, modern, well-lit visitor center in Grand Teton National Park. We perused the interactive displays, watched the park film in the movie theater and shopped in the gift shop read more
After being disappointed that the first visitor center we stopped by was closed for the season (Jenny Lake, but also our fault for not checking), we moved on to Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center which is open until the end of October. This center was huge, with a very interesting exhibit section, decently sized gift shop, and a helpful ranger desk. Michael H. was probably the best and most helpful park ranger I've come across in all the National Parks I've been to! He was very friendly, gave amazing suggestions, and even had an awesome highlighter collection to help us distinguish the different areas of interest we mentioned to him. He gave us a quick rundown on bear safety and extra suggestions/helpful tips. Also Oh also one cool little part is when you enter and go straight ahead to the back where you have a view of the Tetons range. On the ground are markers that are lines that point out the individual mountains and their elevation. Just thought it was a beautiful visual. So glad we stopped by! read more
While you are exploring the Grand Tetons, this is a great stop to make to learn more about the history of the area and the wildlife. There are a variety of ranger-led programs that you can partake in too. The museum area has some interactive exhibits and a collection of Native American Indian artifacts. I personally liked the raised relief map of the Teton range in the lobby. It helped give me perspective of how large this park is. You can also get backpacking and boat permits here as well as a stamp for your national park passport book. read more
4 years ago
This is probably the nicest visitor center I've visited. The building even looks architecturally gorgeous. It's very nice, clean and you learn a lot in the educational spaces. There was also a ranger outside in the front of the visitor center teaching you more about the wildlife and the recommendations of the different trails and stops. It's located a few yards before the actual pay station entrance to the park. There's plenty of parking and bathrooms and their souvenir shop carries a good variety of shirts, postcards, cups, books, magnets etc. If you have the time and need some gift shop items, this is a good place to stop. read more
6 years ago
Not all visitor centers are must stops but the Craig Thomas & visitor center in Moose, Wyoming is. It is located in Grand Teton National Park and opened in 2007 so it is a relatively new visitor center. The center is an interactive venue featuring the parks natural history, western artifacts, a ranger information station, maps of all the trails, displays of early explores, settlers and mountaineers. They have an extensive souvenir shop. You can also get your passport stamped here. A 15 minute film is shown in the 154 seat theater on a loop which is well done. The Ranger program includes an information center, a scavenger hunt for young kids who are rewarded with a wooden badge for completing the hunt, booklets to fill out to earn patches and scheduled ranger talks .Back country permits can be obtained here, as well as, detailed descriptions of all the the available trails in the Grand Teton National Park. Something unexpected was a demonstration by a ranger on how to use bear spray. A bonus to visiting the Craig Thomas Discovery Center is the photographic views of the Grand Tetons. read more
6 years ago
Beautiful building and very nice display even with COVID This site is well marked from the road and easy to get to from the main park road. There is a large parking lot with plenty of parking. They have managed the COVID arrangements very well. They have arranged it with one entrance and one exit . Dots on the floor to specify 6 foot distance. The 3 d map, gift shop and ranger booth are all open. The view out the window looks directly out onto the Tetons. This is a great first stop for seeing the park and I highly recommend it for people to prepare to see the park. read more
They have a really cool Jr Ranger program here. They have a scavenger hunt as part of the program which was very exciting for my 8 year old. When completing the program they gave her a wooden Jr Ranger badge where all of the others had given her a plastic badge. As of the displays they are great. The gift store has many options, but know that the check out process is very slow. What did I learn today? Bear prints show 5 toes. read more
8 years ago
One of the nicest National Park Visitor Centers we've ever stopped in to see. There are very clean rest rooms and all sorts of interpretive displays to see. The information desk is well staffed with Rangers that can assist you in planning your visit or arranging your permits to hike in the back country. Across the street is a check in station where you can have your boat inspected if you are going to go on any of the lakes or rivers. read more
13 years ago
If, as a ranger at Montana's Little Big Horn National Historic Site told us, the National Park Service is running on fumes then the Craig Thomas Visitor Center at the Moose Entry to Grand Teton National Park has a full tank of high test fuel! This stunning for architecture, view siting, displays and orientation film may be the most impressive of all visitor centers we've experienced at many National Parks. Be certain to stop here and even plan to spend an hour or more. We almost passed this by in eagerness to get into the Park and that would have been our loss. STUNNING ARCHITECTURE, VIEWS, DISPLAYS The outlook alone here, from the inside windows of this 22,000 square foot facility or from the path at the back of the uniquely designed building is worth the stop as you get the sense of how unique are the Tetons given they, unlike most mountain ranges, seem to rise straight out of the ground given absence of foot hills. You'll also enjoy displays that describe the land and people that pioneered it and which include a large relief model of the entire National Park. Some of those displays are even embedded as digital images in the floor. There are also beautiful sculptures in and out as well as a large gift store with all sorts of mementos from books to clothing to games to DVDs. We didn't do more than peek in there, but it seemed to have something for people of all ages in the gift store just as there is in the displays. EXCELLENT HD MOVIE Be certain to take the time to see the HD, Discovery Channel produced, 24 minute movie about the Grand Teton National Park. If is awe inspiring, not only for the magnificence of the land but for how so many people before us helped preserve the land and make the Park possible for us to enjoy today. Some of these people by willingness to brave the fierce elements to create the infrastructure of roads and dwellings to make the land inhabitable year around. Some of these people in spite having do the proverbial shoveling of sand against the tide of Washington DC based politics that tried to stand in the way of the expansion of the Park to what it is today. As example, we owe a debt to Laurence Rockefeller as one of those individuals who invested not only years of his time but millions of dollars of his money to overcome the hurdles and have the land protected from development and incorporated into the Park Then the best part of all, at the end of the movie in the silence among the audience was so complete in appreciation of what we had just watched that you could hear a pin drip in that theater, the big curtains opened immediately as the screen was raised to reveal a stunning view of the Tetons. Awe inspiring for their majesty. PUBLIC SECTOR - PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHIP Maybe it is because this visitor center is funded through government National Park funds of $8M and another $13.5 million in private sector gifts that it is so extraordinary. That public - private buy in has made this visitor center remarkable. The names of some of the philanthropists who helped to make this happen are listed on a plaque. In a time when it is popular to throw darts at people with wealth, it is also worth remembering how philanthropic generosity from those folks makes things like this visitor center possible for all of we were mortals. THIS N THAT: 1) ACCESSIBILITY: This is a stellar example of seamlessly incorporated universally accessible design for people of all physical abilities and ages. (Think people pushing strollers, or using wheelchairs or crutches.) 2) TRAIL PASSES: Available here for those trails where they are required. 3) CROWDS: To avoid them, the hour or so after morning opening is best. 4) HOURS & ENTRY: This is located off Teton Park Road as you drive toward the Parks entrance at Moose. If you get to the Moose Entry at the Park, you've gone too far so turn around and look for the sign into the visitor center. No entry fee into the visitor center. Hours are roughly this, seven days a week: June thru Aug 8a - 7a, Sept & Oct 8a - 5p, Nov to June 9a - 5p. read more
This is an essential stop when in the vicinity of Jackson and the Grand Tetons. This is the place to get the lowdown on the Who, What and Where before you return to your car and experience your Grand Teton Adventure. There was a pretty interesting, artsy gift shop as well, if only they had been open! The huge visitor's center is pretty new, with nice displays, dioramas, films, and some thoughtfully placed benches to sit and marvel at the sight outside. It is completely glassed in on the western side, so you can view those statuesque mountain spires without enduring the fickle weather changes. And don't forget to get your picture taken with the moose outside. He is the only one I dare recommend getting close to. read more
Grand Teton National Park was beautiful. The Teton mountains are really breathtaking. Very scenic! We only had a day here and were able to see some beautiful views, see a glacier, and get great photos. If you're in the area, you have to visit here! read more
17 years ago
10 years ago
Beautiful entrance to Grand Teton NP. Great exhibits, very informative on the history of the region and J.D. Rockefeller Jr's role in establishing GTNP. I ended up purchasing "Creation of the Teton Landscape", in the GTNP Gift Shop. It's a fantastic read for those of us who enjoy the geology of the area. BTW, it's beneficial to purchase a membership in the GTNP Association (or the Yellowstone Association, for that matter) if you are going to visit national parks fairly often. read more
14 years ago
10 years ago
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