LANSING, WV (LOOTPRESS) – For the first time since its construction in 1991, the Canyon Rim Visitor Center has received a brand new look.
Although the newly renovated visitor center reopened to the public in early March, the official dedication and ribbon cutting was held on Thursday alongside park officials, friends, and government representatives.
The planning for this project began five years ago, before New River Gorge was even designated as a national park in 2020.
The project was funded through the National Park Service’s Recreation Fee program and includes exhibits, new carpeting, lights, auditorium seating and other upgrades.
The new exhibits include orientation to all three national sites, Gauley River National Recreation Area, Bluestone National Scenic River, and New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, and interactive displays on geology, history, plants and animals, recreation, and information about other national park sites.
The park also dedicated new bookstores at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center and the Thurmond Depot during the event, a project funded by Eastern National, the park’s primary partner in providing book sales and other park-related merchandise.
The Canyon Rim Visitor Center is open seven days a week 9 AM-5 PM excluding federal holidays.