Old Faithful Haynes Photo Shop To Debut Tomorrow as New Yellowstone Park Foundation Exhibit Space

The landscape around Old Faithful is changing, as the former Old Faithful Haynes Photo Shop has been moved to a spot next to Old Faithful Lodge, opening tomorrow as exhibit space for the Yellowstone Park Foundation (YPF) and the National Park Service.

The store was last located next to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge and was moved within a few hundred feet of its original site. The facility was recently restored by the Yellowstone Park Foundation and the National Park Service (the above photo shows work done on it in late May). It will house innovative features that include:

• Interactive exhibits that tell the Yellowstone Park Foundation story.
• A glimpse of Yellowstone as seen through the camera lenses of early Yellowstone photographers Frank J. Haynes and his son, Jack E. Haynes.
• A Photo Op area where visitors can have their photo taken in front of a giant reproduction Haynes postcard.
• Opportunities to become stewards of Yellowstone National Park.

“As a new venue in America’s first national park, the Old Faithful Haynes Photo Shop will delight visitors this summer with its creative exhibits, videos, photographs, displays that highlight exciting projects supported by YPF, and original Haynes memorabilia that date from around 1900,” said Karen Bates Kress, President of the Yellowstone Park Foundation.

“This is another significant collaboration between the Yellowstone Park Foundation and the National Park Service that will showcase the importance of philanthropy in the Park,” said Dan Wenk, Yellowstone National Park Superintendent. “The restored Old Faithful Haynes Photo Shop will give our visitors a snapshot of the great work YPF has done, and also inspire them to become future stewards of this spectacular wonderland.”

The facility is also being submitted for gold LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) designation. LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system that verifies a building is designed to improve performance metrics and sustainability.

Some elements included in the revamped building that will contribute to achieving this designation are:

• Reuse of the original building structure, windows and exterior finishes.
• Salvaged and recycled materials sourced from regional manufacturers, including Douglas fir wood interior finishes, porcelain tile, and glass paving throughout the building and site.
• Many materials sourced from regional manufacturers.
• Energy-efficient lights operated by occupancy sensors throughout the building.
• Light pollution reduced in compliance with LEED, and Yellowstone National Park’s Outdoor Lighting Standards.

Originally built in 1927, the facility housed one of the Haynes Photo Shops, the first photo concessions in the Park, established by Frank J. Haynes and his son Jack. The Haynes family ran the shops continuously for 84 years from 1884 to 1968. They sold hand-colored Yellowstone postcards, some that are collectors’ items today, guidebooks, photos and other souvenirs cherished by generations of visitors.

This year the facility will be open June 22, 2013 to September 30, 2013, with daily hours of operation from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entrance to the Old Faithful Haynes Photo Shop is free. For more information and history about the Haynes family and their work inside Yellowstone National Park, visit www.ypf.org.