Visitor / Information Center
Visitor / Information Center: A location that provides information to the visitors who tour the place or area.
Visitor / Information Center
The Guidelines define Visitor Center as follows:
A location that provides information to the visitors who tour the place or area.
- INDICATORS: These will not always be located within the park or recreation site. Sometimes these are in a nearby town, manned when open to public.
INCLUDES: Visitor centers associated with non-federal public lands, such as state, county, local parks and recreation sites. Sites must be manned during public hours.
DOES NOT INCLUDE: Chamber of Commerce information sites, information kiosks (unmanned), visitor/information centers located on federal lands managed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife, National Park Service, National Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management.
What is a Visitor Center?
A Visitor Center is defined as a location that provides information to the visitors who tour the place or area.
Where can I find authoritative lists of Visitor Centers?
Visitor Center information can sometimes be found on municipal, county and state official sites and tourism sites. Personal knowledge is also acceptable but be sure to document the source in the comments field (e.g. “I volunteer at this visitor center on weekends”).
Check out our Authoritative Sources List for more on the types of sources that are acceptable.
Where do I place a Visitor Center structure point?
Place the structure point on the building that is manned during public hours and provides information about a park or recreation site. Something to note is that these will not always be located within the park or recreation site and will sometimes be in a nearby town.
How do I name a Visitor / Information Center?
Try to find the official name of the visitor center from an authoritative source (park or city tourism website), or from signage seen on or near the building. Visitor center names generally have the format: <park or area name> <Visitor Center>, for example: City of Rocks State Park Visitor Center. However, visitor center names can vary, as in the case of the Park City Visitor’s Bureau. We are not collecting chamber of commerce locations, but they are often coupled with visitor’s bureaus, and visitor’s bureaus can be collected.
As long as the name matches the one listed by an authoritative source and accurately represents the structure being collected, it is acceptable. Keep in mind that we are not collecting parks, recreation areas, or nature centers unless the nature center serves the same functions as a visitor center as outlined in our collection criteria. Check out our Name and Address Formatting guide for more on how to properly name visitor centers.
