Yosemite Valley Visitor Center

A must stop to answer any question you have about Yosemite, wildlife, trails, maps, accommodations, rules and regulations. It’s located close to one of the many shuttle spots around the area so very convenient if you are not in the mood to battle parking spots during peak summer season. Rangers are full of info and hot tips. There are better gift shops in the area, but at least what you spend goes back to supporting the park.

For such a popular park, this visitor center is in need of a makeover. There was generally a long wait to talk to a ranger, as the desk was only staffed by 2. One talked extremely slowly — partially adding to the wait time. The exhibits were ok, a bit dated. The gift shop was really lacking compared with other national parks. The restroom facilities were adequate.

If you’ve never been to Yosemite before, this should be one of your first stops in the Yosemite Valley. Try and find a parking spot in Village Day-​Use Parking if you can. From there it’s a 5 minute walk to the visitor center, or you can take the Yosemite Valley Shuttle. The Express Shuttle only runs during the summer.
The gift shop is on your left as you enter the building. You will find all sorts of Yosemite-​related merchandise for sale: shirts, posters, postcards, keychains, DVDs and CDs, books, ornaments, and many other items I have left out. Towards the back there are rangers who dispense advice about things to do, places to see, how to get there, and the latest on road conditions.
They also have a Junior Ranger (ages 7 – 13) program here. A word of warning to parents: in order to earn a Junior Ranger patch, a bag of trash must be collected. Of course this is good for the environment, but I am certain not all parents are on board with their kids picking up random things on the ground. My friends learned of that requirement the hard way. They were not too happy.
«Ken Burns’ Yosemite — A Gathering of Spirit» plays on the hour in the theater. He directed numerous documentaries for PBS: The Civil War, Lewis & Clark, Jazz, Baseball, and most recently, the Roosevelts.
Finally, restrooms are located just to the left of the visitor center.

These people freaked out when I said I was hunting down bears to shoot. I ment to say I was hunting down bears to shoot with my camera. I just wanted some cool pictures. Relax.
This is a cool little place though. Its a stop you must make when you are in Yosemite Village. They have all kinds of cool displays. A theatre that plays an awesome little video of the history of Yosemite National Park.
There is also a little gift store inside. Its lacking alot of cool stuff so I wouldnt waste too much at it. Would go to curry village shop or the Yosemite Village Gift store.
The Park rangers are always here which is awesome because they are always there to answer questions be them dumb or good questions they will answer them.

Yes, if you’re in the valley already, then might as well stop by here and check out the visitor center. It’s a museum… full of the Yosemite National Park history. You’ll learn about the Native Americans, wildlife, etc. Take a quick walk through even if you’re busy. Be sure to pick up an affordable souvenir too! :)

It’s been a few months since I was here. You can blame my forgetful nature, and the fact that I saw a lot during my 2 – 3 day trip at Yellowstone. I hiked around for the majority of the day, but stopped by here after seeing it randomly near a shuttle bus stop.
It’s pretty much what you’d expect. There’s a place to purchase books and T-​shirts (I believe), but also the free exhibit to wander around for a few moments to escape the cold (like I did). I wasn’t mistreated like other people wrote about, and, quite frankly, I was completely ignored. I didn’t mind, that, though.
If this is the exhibit I’m thinking about, there were also a few things set up outside. Teepees and huts, made from the wood of the forest, some hundreds of years ago. Replicas, maybe? I really can’t remember, since it’s been close to 3 months. There were a few interactive points of interest outside, like clicking on a button which would light up the display that was set behind glass, and giving a brief introduction to what it was. I thought it was pretty interesting.
The entire exhibit went through the history of Yosemite. So the Native Americans there, the first settlers, the history of it throughout the ages. I wouldn’t suggest taking a bored teenager here, as this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s certainly informative, and I guess worth a visit if you’re at all interested in the history or origins of the park. I don’t think I’d ever go more than once, since it’s a pretty unchanging place.

Informative exhibit.

We had a great visit at Yosemihte National Park VC. We were really delighted to meet Park Ranger Mr. Shelton Johnson as we had enjoyed the documentary on his book Gloryland on PBS about a month prior to our visit. He was so nice to our family as he took his time to answer our questions and share historical details about the park and contributions. I would highly recommend visiting the VC and looking for Park Ranger Shelton Johnson.

We really liked the visitor center and having a chance to walk through and learn more about the history of this National Park. I purchased a nifty little Passport to National Parks for myself and my son which we both thought were really cool. Most definitely worth a stop if it’s your first time here.

Visitors to the village center may park in the visitor’s parking lot about a 5 minute walk from the village center. This parking lot usually fills up by mid day on weekends in the summer.
If the visitor’s parking lot is filled, one can park in the medical center parking lot behind the village center.
Finally if both the visitor’s parking lot and the medical center parking lot are filled, park at Curry Village, and take the free shuttle to the village center. This is a very short ride, as there are three stops at the Curry Village both going to and from the Mist Trail shuttle stops.
Bathrooms with flush toilets are available at the visitor’s center. Ladies, enjoy it while you can, as all the trails have unisex pit toilets, and are not cleaned nor maintained with regularity –i.e. the area in front of the pit toilets, more often then not, are soiled with urine discharged from the opposite sex sprinkling, and wetting toilet tissues fallen off the toilet seat.
At the visitor’s center one may get the latest updates on the conditions of the trails. While we were in the Valley, we had no cell phone coverage, so we couldn’t call the visitor center for information.
We were there April 18, and learned that the Taft Point and Sentinel Dome trails were open, but covered in areas with heavy snow. You will also learn where the mosquitoes are heaviest in June. In August 2013 we found out the progress of the Rim Fire toward closing first highway 120 and then the Tioga road.
The visitor’s center has a topographical three dimensional hands on map of Yosemite valley, a great aid to elementary school children.
The visitor’s center also has a bookstore, with postcards, books on Yosemite, history books, topo maps, picture books, animal books which the kids like, and calendars.
Much of the visitor’s center is taken up by a historical 3 D walk in time. The theme is the changing face of Yosemite. You start out when volcanoes and molten lava pushing up masses of granite, followed by the age of dinosaurs, and the coming of the ice age.
There is a nature display of the different animals inhabiting the various geographical areas, from the grasslands in the valleys to the alpine area near the peaks. This type of display appeals to elementary children in particular.
There comes the age of man, with native Indians settling in the valley, followed by the gold rush of 1849, and the clashes between the Indians and the white men, including displays replicating white cowboys burning the tepees and leveling waste to Indian settlements.
Coming into the 20^th century, we are presented with a huge photographic display of the horse drawn carriages at Winoma, followed by model T type automobiles entering the valley. Pictures of tourists on open rail cars at the turn of the century, and then traffic jams in the 1920s,
A display of changing values in the 1960s, with efforts of conservation and establishment of paved trails, to preserve the Park for generations to come.
Letters to home at each historic era in the 20^th century.
The East-​West Auditorium in the back, shows a 23 minute film salute to 150 anniversary of the Yosemite Conservancy movement. A chance to get off your feet and rest up.

Whoa~My check-​ins are MONTHS behind! It was cold and raining here at the Park LAST YEAR! The Ranger Ricks and Rickettes are so very cool and helpful!

Very helpful visitor center, complete with very nice, charismatic, helpful park rangers. The rangers are extremely knowledgeable and friendly.
It contains a very helpful center that is extremely interesting: allows you to learn about the geological process of Yosemite Valley, the history of the local Indians, as well as lots of info on John Muir.
Great book store connected to the Visitor Center.
Also, you can find information on the latest weather and road conditions, as well as campsites.
Whether you are a seasoned visitor, or a first-​timer, this is THE go-​to place before some major adventures to be had in Yosemite.
4 Star Experience (for 5-​Star experience they will need to update/​modernize their exhibits and facilities). But worth a visit!

Very helpful staff here who can help plan your Yosemite trip. There is a lot of information about the history and geology of the area as well. Definitely worth a visit if you are curious!

It’s a must for Yosemite first timers to go here in order to learn more about the park and everything that it has to offer, as well as some good safety tips. The rangers are very helpful and knowledgeable.

I LOVE this place!
The rangers here are so knowledgeable and friendly. There is a top-​notch interpretive center that is extremely interesting: learn about the geological process of Yosemite Valley, learn about the history of the local American Indians, learn about the life zones, learn about my hero, naturalist, John Muir, as well as the different stages of Yosemite’s existence as a park. Heck, you might learn a thing or two! Of course being a teacher, I am slightly biased.
There is also an amazing book store that benefits the Yosemite Conservancy, which works at making Yosemite a beautiful place for future generations to enjoy. You will be sure to find QUALITY items in this place.
Also, you can find information on the latest weather and road conditions, as well as campsites.
Whether you are a seasoned visitor, or a first-​timer, this is THE go-​to place before some major adventures to be had in Yosemite.
And please remember, DO NOT FEED THE WILDLIFE!
Happy Trails!

Always start your trip here whether you’re actually seeking information about Yosemite or just need an easily-​memorable starting point for your hikes and adventures!
The employees/​docents here are really nice and informative. If you have any questions about Yosemite, they’ll either know it off the top of the their head, or will help you look it up in the matter of seconds.

Good idea to start your trip here, stretch your legs a little and get information. Nice exhibits and can learn lots about the park.
Friendly employees who were patient and gave us some great tips on how to spend our day.

The Yosemite Visitor Center is done very well and should be included on anyone’s itenerary to Yosemite. It is chock full of info on the geological aspects of Yosemite. Has a model of the park showing the granite peaks and valleys below. Very interesting.
Has an exhibit on the first inhabitants, the Ahwahneeche. In the back is a film on Yosemite which should be a must see. Starts every hour and on the half hour. Superb filming and photography of not only the valley floor, but the back country which most tourists never get to see.
Great book store with great maps, books, and souvenirs.
The Yosemite Visitor Center is well worth a visit. Plan on spending 45 – 60 minutes there is you see the film.

From the Valley, without taking a step you can see awesome and wonderful sites. You can see El Capitan, Half Dome, and Lower Yosemite Falls.
Certainly taking a hike up the range it gets more intense and awe inspiring, but without doing the work, everything — or a lot of the sites, are within in view just by driving up into the loop. Great for those that cannot hike or do not want too.
As far as the services around here — meh, I’ve experienced better, much better. But it’s better to know that going into it — that food service etc. is on a Nat’l park level, not on a nice restaurant we’re here to serve you level. It just isn’t, so it’s better to not go into it expecting more — expect less and you will be pleased.

The Valley Visitor Center is the biggest visitor center in Yosemite National Park and is found in the main village area. It’s definitely worth a visit and is a great source for information about Yosemite.
In the main building, there is a big information board with information covering all aspects of the park trails, roads and campsites and even information about roads a little further away such as the 108 and 88 highways further north. The staff on duty are also a goldmine of information and very willing to answer questions and give advice.
There’s a great relief map of the whole valley and really helps you to orientate yourself and to seek new areas to explore. There are the usual maps, books and postcards for sale.
In an adjacent building out of the back, a free film ‘The Spirit of Yosemite’ is a welcome chance for a sit down but the film is also fantastic at demonstrating the true beauty of this amazing place and to fill in some of the history behind how Yosemite became a national park. It runs on a half hourly loop.
There’s a also an Ahwahnee Indian village where you can find out how the Ahwahneechee lived in Yosemite. In fact, some of the buildings are still used for ceremonies today.
This is definitely worth a visit