Yellowstone National Park Historic Trailside Museum
Situated at the north end of Lake Yellowstone, Fishing Bridge Trailside Museum was one of the original museums in the National Park built in the 1930s and was designated as National Historic Landmark in 1987. Today, the museum highlights the ecology and environment around and in Yellowstone Lake, utilizing hundreds of bird specimens collected from the area nearly a century ago.
Studio Tectonic developed re-envisioned display and mounting approaches for existing historical cases and artifacts at the visitor center, created all new exhibitry for a recently renovated gallery, and created new interpretive graphics throughout the building. Extreme care was given to working within the historical context of the building to allow the tradition of displays to be present in the renovated approach. Highlights include an illuminated diorama of the lake trout and Yellowstone cutthroat trout specimens, a recreated underwater lake bed spire showcasing hydrothermal activity, and updated graphics throughout. Now, the visitor center now reveals layers of history beyond the avian collection, to the greater ecology, geology and social history of this very special part of Yellowstone National Park.
Client
National Park Service
Location
Yellowstone National Park, WY
Categories
Exhibition
Featured
Museum
Parks and Open Space
Science | Natural History | Technology
Visitor Center
Partners
Contract Holder: Prime Meridian Media
Fabrication: Acme Scenic
Copy Writing: NPS

The Yellowstone lakeshore and area surrounding the historical Fishing Bridge Visitor Center are rich in both its variety of ecosystems and avian species. Organized by ecological zones, the grand central gallery allows visitors to explore several collections of newly refreshed displays of historic bird specimens that have been on display for nearly 100 years. From the endearing lesser scaup to the majestic great horned owl, in-the-round exhibits celebrate all the feathered diversity along the lake shore and upper parts of the Yellowstone River.