Norris Geyser Basin Museum

For the Norris Museum in England, see St Ives, Cambridgeshire § Culture.

Norris Museum/Norris Comfort Station
The Norris Geyser Basin Museum viewed from the south
Norris Geyser Basin Museum is located in Wyoming
Norris Geyser Basin Museum
Norris Geyser Basin Museum is located in the United States
Norris Geyser Basin Museum
LocationGrand Loop Road, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Coordinates44°43′35″N 110°42′12″W / 44.72639°N 110.70333°W / 44.72639; -110.70333
Built1929–30
ArchitectHerbert Maier
Architectural styleNational Park Service Rustic
MPSYellowstone National Park MPS
NRHP reference No.83003362[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 21, 1983
Designated NHLMay 28, 1987[2]

The Norris Geyser Basin Museum, also known as Norris Museum, is one of a series of "trailside museums" in Yellowstone National Park designed by architect Herbert Maier in a style that has become known as National Park Service Rustic. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is one of three parts of a National Historic Landmark, the Norris, Madison, and Fishing Bridge Museums, which were funded by Laura Spelman Rockefeller's grant of $118,000.[3][4] Built 1929 - 1930, the Norris Museum is sited on a hill between the Porcelain Basin and the Back Basin of Norris Geyser Basin. Its central breezeway frames a view of the Porcelain Basin for arriving visitors.

The 94-foot (29 m) by 20-foot (6.1 m) museum consists of two rectangular sections divided by the breezeway, which is roofed by a prominent jerkinhead gable., framed in massive logs. The pavilions to either side are of shingle-coveredframe construction on a massive stone base. A stone and concrete terrace surrounds the building.[4]

A nearby comfort station is included in the National Register nomination. It was probably built in the 1930s.[4] With the construction of modern restroom facilities the one story log structure is now used as a bookstore operated by the Yellowstone Association.

The museum exhibits focus on geothermal geology, features of Norris Geyser and plant and animal life in thermal areas.

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Norris Museum.
  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ^ "Norris, Madison, and Fishing Bridge Museums". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 26, 2006. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  3. ^ ""Architecture in the Parks: A National Historic Landmark Theme Study: Norris, Madison, and Fishing Bridge Museums", by Laura Soullière Harrison". National Historic Landmark Theme Study. National Park Service. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  4. ^ a b c Culpin, Mary Shivers (November 11, 1982). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form". National Park Service. Retrieved July 20, 2009.