The Yosemite Valley Welcome Center is the focal point of a complete overhaul of Yosemite National Park’s arrival sequence to better welcome visitors to the park. Visitors arrive through a new exhibit-filled plaza to reach the renovated Welcome Center, where they can gather the information needed for a safe and fulfilling visit to the park; purchase maps and books; participate in interpretive programs; and walk to a nearby shuttle stop to reach park destinations. The project also includes new restroom facilities located on the east edge of the plaza, designed to complement the mid-century architecture.

The Welcome Center, which occupies the glassy south end of a mid-century building, is part of the Yosemite Valley Historic District and followed the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. It was originally a dining room with stunning views of Glacier Point and more recently served as a cluttered sport shop. The project carefully removed store fixtures, obtrusive lighting and window films, and addressed deferred maintenance to enhance the character defining steel post-and-beam framing, window system and rustic wall paneling. The strategies improved occupant comfort, decarbonized building operations, and, significantly, reduced embodied carbon by 85% compared to a new building – demonstrating the great benefits of building rehabilitation.