| Norris Geyser Basin and
Museum
The Norris Geyser Basin Museum is located 1/4 mile east
of Norris Junction just off the Grand Loop Road. Built in 1929-30, it is National Historic
Landmark. Its distinctive stone-and-log architecture became a prototype for park buildings
throughout the country known as "parkitecture" (Fishing Bridge Museum and
Madison Museum date from the same time period and are of the same style). New exhibits on
geothermal geology, Norris Geyser Basin features, and life in thermal areas were installed
in 1995. These exhibits replaced old ones from the 1960s with similar subject matter.
There is no auditorium in this building, and it consists of two wings separated by an
open-air breezeway. An information desk in the breezeway is staffed by National Park
Service interpreters. An adjacent old restroom facility of matching architectural style
houses a Yellowstone Association bookstore.
The Museum of the National Park Ranger is housed in the Norris
Soldier Station, located at the entrance to Norris Campground. This building was one of
the original soldier stations, built in 1908, as an outlying station for soldiers on
patrol. The building has been completely rebuilt, using original materials where possible
and staying true to the original floorplan. The original building was taken down on site
and rebuilt. Exhibits depict the development of the park ranger profession from its roots
in the military traditions through early rangers and to the present array of NPS staff
specialized duties. A small auditorium shows a laser-disc production of the 25-minute
movie, "An American Legacy," which tells the story of the development of the
National Park Service. There is no Yellowstone Association sales outlet in this museum.
The staffing is done primarily by retired National Park Service employees who volunteer
for short periods of time. Many of these employees retired as superintendents, chief
rangers, regional directors, and from various positions in the Washington office.
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