3/21/2007

Custer State Park Opens Visitor Center for the Season
 

CUSTER STATE PARK, S.D. - Park officials are opening the historic Peter Norbeck Visitor Center for the season on Friday, March 30. The hours of operation are from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily and will continue through mid-May. The facility is located along the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway, which is Hwy 16A, near the State Game Lodge and Grace Coolidge General Store.

The visitor center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has a history dating back to the mid-1930s. Members of the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed the building using native materials, such as logs and stones. Art students from around the country provided the early displays, and the facility was opened officially as the Park Museum in 1935.

The displays have since changed to include interactive exhibits and several unique wildlife dioramas. The visitor center is home to a mounted bull bison in a prairie setting. Guests can also view an elk, bighorn sheep, mountain lion, mountain goat, prairie dogs and a host of other smaller wildlife species. Also on display is a gold panner trying his luck in a Black Hills creek and a dorm room from the days of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). And finally, a large ponderosa pine tree ring, dating over 300 years is on hand for viewing.

"The facility is perhaps one of the best interpretive centers in the Midwest,” said Bradley Block, Chief of Interpretation for the park. “Not only is the architecture amazing, there are over 30 different displays providing educational insight into the park's natural and cultural resources."

The non-profit Black Hills Parks and Forests Association manages a bookstore outlet within the visitor center. There are several identification guides on hand, musical CDs and tapes, and other items for sale to complement the visitor experience to the park. Several new titles are being added to the selection list in 2007, and visitors are encouraged to visit the bookstore during their time in the facility.

The visitor center is free to the public. All vehicles require either an annual ($23.00) or temporary park entrance license. The temporary 7-day passes are currently available for only $2.50 per person or $6 per vehicle. On May 1, the passes return to full price at $5 per person and $12 per vehicle. Annual park entrance licenses can be purchased at the visitor center.

For more information on the visitor center or Custer State Park, please contact the park at (605) 255-4515 or visit www.CusterStatePark.info.