West Yellowstone has long been shaped by visitors coming to experience Yellowstone National Park. Since the park’s creation in 1872, travelers from around the world have come to see “Wonderland” for themselves. The evolution of travel, from stagecoaches to touring cars to modern buses, has shaped the experience for each generation.

The Museum of the Yellowstone, managed by the Yellowstone Historic Center, is housed in the 1909 Union Pacific Depot, a Craftsman-style building of native rhyolite stone. It’s the oldest building in town and tells the story of how West Yellowstone and the park grew together. Once a bustling summer hub, the depot welcomed daily trains and travelers heading into Yellowstone. Surrounded by a historic cluster of railroad buildings–like the depot, dining lodge, and dorms crafted by the Union Pacific/Oregon Short Line for early Yellowstone visitors–the grounds still hum with the excitement and anticipation felt by travelers then and now.

But this region’s history stretches far beyond railroads and tourism. People have lived in and traveled through Yellowstone for at least 13,000 years. The area was home to the Tukudika Shoshone, a band of Mountain Shoshone who lived for thousands of years in what would become Yellowstone National Park, and a gathering place for many Native nations. Today, 27 associated tribes maintain ancestral and modern connections to Yellowstone, relationships that remain cultural, spiritual, and enduring.

West Yellowstone also sits along the Nez Perce (Nimíipuu) Historic Trail. In 1877, the Nimíipuu fled U.S. military forces from Idaho toward Canada, traveling through the area to protect their traditional culture. The museum features an exhibit dedicated to their journey.

Additionally, learn about human-widlife encounters in the park at the exhibit featuring “Old Snaggletooth”, West Yellowstone’s most famous dumpster bear and find out why “Do not feed the bears!” became such an essential rule. You’ll discover all these stories, and many more, when you explore the Museum of the Yellowstone. Step in, explore, and experience the evolving story of West Yellowstone.