New Laurance Rockefeller Preserve Center To Offer Grand Teton Visitors High Def Way To Know Park’s Ecology, Stewardship
We Bring Our Readers a Special Insider's Look at the New Center, Which Won't Open Until Mid-Summer, But Early Feedback is – Wow!
Designed by John Carney Architects of Jackson Hole, WY., the new Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center will offer visitors a new way to experience Grand Teton National Park through high definition television and sensaround audio presentations. Photo by David J. Swift
Officially it's known as the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve, others simply know it as the Preserve, but whatever you call it, visitors to Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park will come to know it as some of the most breathtaking country in America, and it’s now part of the nation’s National Parks System. The Preserve, approximately 1,100 acres of majestic, natural beauty southeast ofPhelps Lake, is a gift from the late Laurance S. Rockefeller to the citizens of the United States and the world. Formerly known as the JY Ranch (see our sidebar), the property was part of approximately 35,000 acres of valley lands purchased by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. during the late 1920s and early 1930sfor the purpose of protecting and enlarging Grand Teton National Park. Valued at over $160 million, the property was given by Rockefeller to the public with the intent that visitors will be inspired to appreciate the land and all of its wonder, “and also foster individual responsibility for conservation stewardship,” according to the National Park Service.
Inside the Center, visitors will have the opportuity to learn more about the ecology of the Preserve property in a casual, almost cabin-like setting that includes a sitting area (above) and even a fireplace (right) to help encourage dialog with other visitors. Photos by David J. Swift
But Rockefeller wasn’t just satisfied in giving the land to the public; he wanted people to see it in its original, pristine condition. He ordered that all roads, ranch buildings, utilities and other structures be removed in order to restore the area’s natural landscape and re-establish natural systems. One building will remain, however a brand new multi-million-dollar, state-of-the-art interpretive center where visitors will be able to visually and audibly experience close up the ecology of the Preserve and the Grand Tetons. “The Center will not be a place for orientation for visitors about Grand Teton National Park, but it will be a destination in and of itself, a springboard for people to understand nature, a way for visitors to open up their hearts and minds to what’s around them,” said Jackie Skaggs, spokesperson for Grand Teton National Park. The Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center, approximately 7,000 square feet, includes display rooms where visitors will be able to see, hear and touch the natural settings that are outside the building. It will include parking for around 50 cars, restrooms and a 12-mile trail network. The centerpiece is a viewing room with three large high definition television screens which will display what’s at the Preserve. “It will show what’s here for people to experience – everything from clouds to large animals and small butterflies,” Skaggs said. “People can sit on a bench, move around to different screens, see different things.”
Everywhere in the Center visitors will find ways to learn about the Grand Teton flora and fauna, including a glass-top table, shown here, that includes rocks and other bits of nature. Photo by David J. Swift
This night-time photo shows how visitors can see both a high definition video presentation of the park's many features, then look outside the huge picture window to see the Grand Tetons in all their natural wonder. Photo by David J. Smith
There’s also an auditory room, what Skaggs called more like a sensaround room, where visitors will be able to hear the Preserve’s sounds – everything from birds to the rustle of pine trees. The Center also includes a quiet room for reading, or just thinking about what’s at the Preserve. “All of this was driven and directed by Laurance Rockefeller,” Skaggs said. “He wanted the land to speak for itself, to help people see how we relate to nature by itself, and come away with a greater appreciation for conservation stewardship.” The Jackson Hole, Wyoming architectural firm of John Carney Architects designed the Center. While the building is nearing completion, the official opening and dedication won’t be until some time in mid-summer. “The rangers here at the park had a chance to see, hear and experience some of the things in the Center, and it’s fantastic,” Skaggs told OldWestNewWest.Com. “People coming here are really going to love it.”
The JY Ranch was just southeast of Grand Teton's majestic Phelps Lake. NPS photo
The JY Ranch was originally purchased in 1906 by Lewis Joy and is considered to be the first true dude ranch in Jackson Hole. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. purchased the ranch in 1932, intending to include it in a sizeable land donation to the park.
Over the years, however, it became a treasured family retreat and remained private property. Laurance Rockefeller inherited the JY from his father, and in the 1990s arranged for the transfer of a significant portion of the ranch—some 2000 acres—to Grand Teton.
According to the National Park Service, the property will no longer operate as a dude ranch, and there will be no mention or display of the JY Ranch at the Center. Rockefeller, apparently, did not want the property to be seen as a tribute to the Rockefeller family, and wanted the land to speak for itself.
Laurance Rockefeller announced his intention to gift the remaining JY lands to the park in a ceremony held at the ranch on May 26, 2001. In remarks made during the event, he expressed his desire for the Preserve to become a place of physical and spiritual renewal, and he stated his hope that the property would serve as a model for achieving balance between preservation and public use.
He further declared that it would demonstrate how citizens—working in partnership with their government—can achieve important goals.
