3 seconds ago 2009-11-14T06:58:02-08:00
MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, Wash. – The new Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center has opened in Mount Rainier National Park at Paradise.
The $22 million building does not have the 360-degree-view observation deck that was an attraction at the old visitors center, which will be demolished next year. But it does have a dramatic lobby with tall, soaring windows that frame a view of Mount Rainier.
The center is smaller but more energy efficient than the building it replaces, with features like a steeply pitched roof to aid snow removal. The Jackson Center also offers a new movie about the park, new exhibits, a gift shop and food service, and its stone and wood design is architecturally compatible with the Paradise National Historic Landmark District.
The park's historic Paradise Inn reopened in May after a rehabilitation to improve accessibility and make the building safe in the event of an earthquake or fire.
Details at http://www.nps.gov/mora/parknews/index.htm.
