Heritage and Research Center
NPS, Yellowstone National Park, Photographer Colleen Curry
The Heritage & Research Center (HRC), located at 200 Old Yellowstone Trail in historic Gardiner, Montana, is a state-of-the-art facility that is home to Yellowstone National Park’s museum collection, archives, research library, historian, archeology lab, and herbarium. This 32,000-square-foot, facility is located on seven acres adjacent to the Gardiner School. It now houses almost 3,000 linear feet of historic records, 90,000 photographic prints and negatives, 20,000 books and manuscripts, 300,000 cultural and natural science specimens, over 35,000 archeological artifacts and approximately 10,000 plant specimens. The HRC provides a 500% increase (from 1,642 to 8,017 square feet) in library and archives space including storage, processing areas, reading rooms, and offices; and a 700% increase (from 1,206 to 8,906 square feet) in museum spaces including storage, processing areas, and offices. It was not only designed to improve space for the collections, including room for 25 years of growth, but also to improve access and ease working conditions for employees, visitors, and researchers; increase security; better accommodate tours; and showcase rotating exhibits. Excerpts from Yellowstone Science Vol.12, Number 4 Part I & Part II Public tours of the HRC will be every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00 AM, from June 1—September 9, 2010. Space is limited to 10 participants, so please call (307) 344-2662 to reserve a slot. Hours of Operation:The facility is open, Monday – Friday, 8am-5pm and closed weekends and federal holidays.
Archives and Museum Collections: By appointment only. Please be advised that the herbarium and archeology labs do not maintain an open door policy for researchers due to field work. For general information regarding these programs, please see their respective links on the upper portion of this webpage. Research:Researchers are encouraged to complete their preliminary research at other archives, libraries, and/or museum collections with a broad topical focus before approaching the holdings of Yellowstone National Park (YNP). YNP has limited reference staff and resources that must be made available to researchers whose work focuses on materials available only at Yellowstone. Access to materials is dependent upon their physical condition and the level of processing to date by the park staff. All research must be done on-site in the museum research room or the library reading room. Other Repositories Containing Yellowstone National Park Related Collections For information about the building, please call: 307-344-2662 |
Did You Know?
There are more people hurt by bison than by bears each year in Yellowstone. Park regulations state that visitors must stay at least 25 yards away from bison or elk and 100 yards away from bears.