The Visitor Center at the will be closed for the next several months while the old building undergoes renovation. I stopped by last week to find out just what’s planned and got a tour of the center.
The building, which sits at the front of the property on Alhambra Avenue, was originally a veterinary hospital. It was renovated years ago by the National Parks Service for use as the Visitor Center. It’s always been adequate, but never exciting, and in my mind not nearly up to the stature of the treasures that are the Muir House, Martinez Adobe, Muir’s Grave and Mt. Wanda, all of which are part of the site. So this is great news for those of us who love Muir.
I was initially met by Ranger Greg Bacigalupi in the temporary entrance station, a small portable building that has been placed just outside the old Visitor Center. It’s tiny, and before I stepped in I had my doubts about the kind of welcome that could be provided in such cramped quarters. But it’s been set up nicely, and is chock full of the best of what was in the old Visitor Center. Many of Muir’s writings, books about him, brochures for the nearby National Monuments and Historic Sites, posters and maps as well as guide books, are neatly displayed. Not half bad for a place just big enough for one person to turn around in.
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Bill Solis, the Maintenance Supervisor who will be coordinating the project, gave me a tour of the old building, and I got a close up view of just why the renovation is so badly needed. One room had a sharp slope to the floor, and he thought this had been used for cleaning the animals that once were treated here. The carpets are shot, and the rooms cramped and uninviting.
He pointed out internal walls that will be taken down to open up the space, and outlined a large curving desk that will replace the small square counter and cash register. It should be a more spacious and inviting welcome to the property.
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The building itself will be expanded on the side facing the Post Office to allow for new bathrooms and storage. Visitors will exit on this side and when rounding the building, their first view of the Muir House will be more expansive, and potentially a more exciting entrance than the old layout.
The native plant gardens will also be redone in a joint effort of the National Parks Horticulturalist and the John Muir Association with an effort at making them more instructive, and more beautiful.
The renovation is being done with an attempt to build as “green” as possible. New flooring in the public areas will be of bamboo, and elsewhere there will be carpet tiles using 35 percent recycled materials. Solis explained that bamboo is a giant grass that is harvested in five to seven years, and is a highly sustainable source of “hardwood” flooring. Paints may be from recycled materials, and will be low VOC (volatile organic compound) which are much safer for people and the environment. The half round desk is planned to be made of reclaimed and recycled redwood. Bill thought the National Parks should “walk the walk” not just “talk the talk” when it came to green construction, and hoped this renovation would set an example.
The project is jointly funded by the National Parks Service and the John Muir Association. Demolition is tentatively set to begin on February 22, with a possible completion date in May 2011. The Muir House and grounds are not affected by this project, so if you’ve been planning to visit the site, it’s still a good time. They are open, Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm.
If you’re interested in visiting the John Muir Historic Site, first visit their web site.
The John Muir Association has a wonderful web site as well. Both are always in need of volunteers, so if you’re interested, check them out.
If you love our national parks, and the great beauty we’ve preserved as Americans, come and see where it all began. Something happened here in the Alhambra Valley that changed the world. An idea was born, and an effort was launched, that makes us the envy of people who love nature world wide, and there’s a beautiful old mansion on a hill right here that commemorates it.
We’ll be checking up on the progress over the next several months and letting you know how it’s proceeding.
