Yellowstone History & Museums: Yellowstone: Lake Village History

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Lake Village History

Home to the historic Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Fishing Bridge, you can explore historic sites at Lake Village in Yellowstone as much as you can enjoy outdoor activities.

Fishing Bridge Museum & Visitor Center
Stop by the Fishing Bridge Museum to see a few exhibits on the park's birds and nearby geology. This building is a National Historic Landmark and is a prototype for many National Park Service visitor facilities across the country.

  • Location: You'll find this visitor center just 1 mile east of the Grand Loop Road, along the East Entrance Road.
  • Season: Late May through September
  • Hours: 9am-7pm
  • Phone: 307-344-2450

Lake Village Ranger Programs
Join a ranger led talk that features the nearby history. Download the Ranger Program Schedule. The Lake Scenic Cruise is a boat tour and ranger talk, a popular activity for visitors during hte summer months.

Lake Village History

  • Fishing Bridge
    Since it was built in 1902, fishing from the Fishing Bridge was a popular activity for many park visitors. Fishing was closed from the bridge in 1973 due to declining numbers of cutthroat trout. Today you can gaze down at hundreds of protected trout right from the bridge.
  • Lake Yellowstone Hotel
    Originally built in 1891, the hotel was drastically upgraded in 1903 and then again in 1991. It holds much history and is one of the most distinguished lodging options in the park today.
  • Lake Lodge
    This lodge was built in 1926 after the need arose to provide lodging that was in between the affluence at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel and tent camping.
  • Geological History
    Yellowstone Lake is part of the enormous Yellowstone Caldera and the lake used to be 200 feet higher than it is today. Over the last decade two volcanic vents have caused a slight shift in the lake, exposing more sandy beaches in the north and flooded areas along the southern shores.

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