Date: October 12, 2007
Contact: David Elkowitz, 432 477-1108

Big Bend National Park, in partnership with Big Bend Natural History Association and the Friends of Big Bend National Park, has begun construction to rehabilitate and improve the park’s main visitor center at Panther Junction. The first phase of the project will completely rehabilitate and expand the current restroom facilities including upgrading them to handicap accessible standards. The second phase will include expanding the current visitor center to allow for a larger visitor center desk, new exhibit space, and a larger and more efficient bookstore.

During construction, visitors can expect some disruption and reroutes of access. However, the visitor center remains open to serve park visitors.

Once the expansion is complete a secondary and exciting project will occur to completely replace and upgrade the visitor center’s interior exhibits through funding raised by the Friends of Big Bend National Park. The design and text layout for the new exhibits is complete and fabrication is underway in anticipation of an April 2008 installation for the new exhibits.

Park Superintendent Bill Wellman said, “We are pleased with the terrific response from our partners towards making the expansion and new exhibits for Panther Junction a reality. Visitors to the park will be the true beneficiaries of these long-term efforts.”