Museum of the Yellowstone

Explore the heritage of travel to Yellowstone at the Museum of the Yellowstone. The Museum of the Yellowstone tells the story of travel to and through Yellowstone National Park, and the Park’s influence on West Yellowstone and the Hebgen Lake Basin.

Yellowstone became the United State’s first national park in 1872, and at first visitation was only about 1,000 people each year because of its- due remote location, and how difficult it was to get there. Train service to the park on the Union pacific Railroad began in 1908, and the town that eventually became West Yellowstone grew up around the train station.

West Yellowstone has become the most popular starting point for visits to our nation's first national park, and the museum is managed by the Yellowstone Historic Center, a non-profit located in West Yellowstone. Ask the West Gate Hotel staff for more information on the Museum of the Yellowstone or other area attractions.