Funded by a grant of $118,000 from Laura Spelman Rockefeller, the museums interpreted park features for visitors, and represented an early version of the visitor information center concept that became widespread throughout the National Park Service.
[1] The Old Faithful museum, the first of the series, was built at a cost of $8,500 and was completed in 1929.
[2] The museum was a low T-shaped single-story structure of rustic log and stone construction.
Two stepped sections of roof dominated the main portion of the building with deep overhangs supported by angled log brackets resting on a raised stone foundation sill.
[3] The museum's surroundings featured an amphitheater for ranger talks and a small garden of native botanical specimens.