Norris Museum/Norris Comfort Station | |
 The Norris Geyser Basin Museum viewed from the south | |
   | |
| Location | Grand Loop Road, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°43′35″N 110°42′12″W / 44.72639°N 110.70333°W |
| Built | 1929–30 |
| Architect | Herbert Maier |
| Architectural style | National Park Service Rustic |
| MPS | Yellowstone National Park MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 83003362[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | July 21, 1983 |
| Designated NHL | May 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.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ "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.
- ^ ""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.
- ^ a b c Culpin, Mary Shivers (November 11, 1982). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form". National Park Service. Retrieved July 20, 2009.