Yosemite Museum

Founded in 1926 through the efforts of Ansel Franklin Hall,[1] the museum's displays focus on the heritage and culture of the Ahwahnechee people who lived in the valley.

The first "museum" in Yosemite predated the Park Service: it was an arboretum established in 1904 by Major John Bigelow, Acting Superintendent, near the Wawona Hotel.

The increased space allowed the addition of historic, ethnographic and geological materials to the exhibits, and the museum was extremely popular with visitors.

Indigenous building material, such as native rocks, logs, and shakes (wood shingles), were utilized for all visible exterior parts.

The architectural philosophy was that "(rustic style) gives the feeling of having been executed by pioneer craftsmen with limited hand tools.