Visitor Information

Information Centers

Canyon View Information Plaza -- Completed in the fall of 2000, Canyon View Information Plaza, near Mather Point, was designed to orient visitors arriving at the park via a new light-rail system. Though the rail system will not debut in the foreseeable future, the Information Plaza has the streamlined appearance of a modern mass-transit hub, with ample room for crowds and no automobile parking lots. Outside, kiosks provide basic information about tours, trails, overlooks, cycling, and other topics.

The South Rim's main visitor center is inside the long, glass-fronted building known as the Visitor Center at Canyon View Information Plaza. Here, you'll find additional displays about the canyon and the Colorado Plateau, an area for ranger presentations, a large bookstore, an information desk, and restrooms. To get here, you'll need to take a free shuttle, walk, bicycle, or park at nearby Mather Point. The Information Plaza is open daily 8am to 6pm in summer, 8am to 5pm during the rest of the year.

Yavapai Observation Station -- Located a half-mile west of Canyon View Information Plaza on Yavapai Point, this historic station has an observation room from which you can identify many of the central canyon's monuments. Rangers frequently lead interpretive programs here, and exhibits explain the region's geology, including how the canyon was formed. It's open daily from 8am to 7pm in summer, and from 8am to 6pm the rest of the year.

Desert View Information Center -- At this small station 26 miles east of Grand Canyon Village, you can buy books and get information about the canyon. It's just inside the park's East Entrance, 29 miles west of Cameron on Highway 64. Open daily from 9am to 5pm.

Tusayan Museum -- This museum, 3 miles west of Desert View, has an information desk staffed by rangers, plus displays about the area's indigenous people. Open daily from 9am to 5pm (closed Tues and Wed in winter).

Kolb Studio -- On the rim at the west end of Grand Canyon Village, Kolb Studio houses a small bookstore and an art gallery with free exhibits. Open daily from 8am to 7pm in summer, and from 8am to 6pm the rest of the year.

North Rim Visitor Center -- This visitor center near Grand Canyon Lodge has a small bookstore and an information desk. It is open daily 8am to 6pm through the season the North Rim is open (mid-May to mid-Oct).