Yellowstone History & Museums: History of Yellowstone National Park: West Thumb

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West Thumb History

Make sure to stop by the Grant Village Visitor Center, featuring exhibits on how fire has shaped Yellowstone. If you can, try to find a few Native American hearth sites along the water's edge in West Thumb.

Grant Village Visitor Center
Although the location of this building is controversial (as it was built in prime grizzly bear habitat), the fire exhibits it features are fascinating. There is also a small gift shop on site.

  • Location: .5 mile off park road at Grant Village Junciton (on the shore of the West Thumb)
  • Phone: 307-344-2650

West Thumb Ranger Station
The West Thumb Ranger Station is a perfect example of "parkitecture." Built in 1925, this building is a meeting place for summer ranger walks and a warming hut in the winter.

Native American Hearth Sites
Along the shoreline of the West Thumb, visitors can sometimes spot the original sites of Native American hearths.

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