Project overview: Design new exhibits for the Exploration Center — in consultation with affiliatedTribesand other stakeholders — to replace exhibits that were irreparably damaged by the unprecedented rainfall of winter 2022–2023.

How your support helps: Due to the unseasonably wet winter of 2022–2023, some 3,440 square feet of exhibits in the Exploration Center — formerly the Valley Visitor Center — suffered irreparable storm damage and resulting mold. In the years that followed, Yosemite Conservancy donors funded new, temporary exhibits that kept visitors connected to Yosemite’s natural and cultural history while plans for long-term displays took shape. 

Now that building damage has been repaired and the temporary exhibits have been installed, it is time for the National Park Service (NPS) to take the next step in developing a permanent solution. 

Quatrefoil Associates — a firm that plans and designs exhibits and interactives for museums, historic sites, and centers — has been selected as the design firm to completely overhaul and update the 2,790-square-foot exhibit hall in the Exploration Center. 

These new exhibits will be ADA-compliant, accommodate all learning styles and abilities, address the park’s significant resource themes, provide visitors with access to park information, incorporate multiple viewpoints and voices, use appropriate technology, and reinforce the cultural history of the park’s early inhabitants.   

Together, Quatrefoil Associates, the NPS, and Conservancy donors will create a fabrication-ready design for new exhibits that will spark a sense of discovery and invite visitors to foster memorable experiences in Yosemite. 

This year: In 2026, the Quatrefoil Associates design firm will begin creating the fabrication-ready design package for 2,790 square feet of new exhibits in the Exploration Center. The firm will consider opportunities for sensory, accessible, bilingual experiences, and plans to complete the entire design package by early 2028.

Project partners: Yosemite National Park; Quatrefoil Associates; Affiliated Tribes of Yosemite