Built between 1934 and 1939, the Moose entrance kiosk was the first entrance station in Grand Teton National Park. It was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a government organization created by President Roosevelt’s New Deal plan. CCC workers arrived in Jackson Hole in 1933 and built a camp just south of Jenny Lake and began several construction projects on visitor services and administration buildings for the new Grand Teton National Park. Projects included the Jenny Lake campground and comfort stations, Beaver Creek Administration housing and outbuildings, and the Moose entrance kiosk. The kiosk was constructed using National Park Service standardized plans, intended to save on material costs and allow the emphasis to remain on the natural environment. The use of natural materials like logs and wooden shingles paired with a lack of decorative elements allowed the building to blend in with the landscape.
Text by Samantha Ford, Director of Historical Research and Outreach
The kiosk was originally located much closer to Jenny Lake, due to Grand Teton’s original eastern boundaries being in the Jenny Lake area. In the 1960s after the park’s final expansion in 1950, the kiosk was moved further south to its current location. While it is no longer in use, it remains adjacent to the two current entrance stations in Moose. In 1934, Grand Teton visitation was at about 75,000 tourists. By the 1960s, visitation numbers were up to 2 million. The small, outdated kiosk was experiencing overuse that was contributing to increased deterioration. The rustic corner notching style extending out from the building was also becoming hazardous due to the increase in vehicle traffic. It would take until the late 1980s before two new entrance stations were built to accommodate the huge increase in tourists and provided more comfort for the rangers. Today, more than 3 million visitors pass through both the Moose and Moran entrance stations to visit Grand Teton National Park. Many are unaware of the original 1930s entrance kiosk, but its historic importance is not forgotten.