Date: December 15, 2007
Contact: David Elkowitz, 432 477-1108

Construction is underway at Big Bend National Park, which in partnership with Big Bend Natural History Association and the Friends of Big Bend National Park is rehabilitating and improving the park’s main visitor center at Panther Junction. The first phase of the project, to rehabilitate the facilities’ restrooms, is nearly complete. The second phase, starting January 6, 2008, 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. This will require that visitor center services, including information, permits, and bookstore, be temporarily located to the south side of the headquarters building. All the services normally found or obtained at the visitor center will remain open and available from the temporary location.

During this phase of construction, visitors can expect some disruption and reroutes of access. Signs will be posted to direct visitors from the usual parking area in front of the visitor center around the west side of the building to the temporary location.

Once the expansion is complete a third exciting project phase will occur. This phase involves completely replacing and upgrading 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 work completed so far, and look forward to the project’s completion in the near future. Visitors to the park will be the true beneficiaries of these long-term efforts."