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Denali National Park opens visitor center
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More from LifestyleANCHORAGE — The new Eielson Visitor Center opened in June in Denali National Park on Denali Park Road, 66 miles from the park entrance.
The center looks out on the Alaska Range, including Mount McKinley, North America's highest peak. It features a dining area and exhibits that include an interactive topographical model of Mount McKinley and works by participants in Denali's Artist-in-Residence program. The National Park Service is calling the building a model of sustainable design, with features that maximize daylight and promote energy conservation.
From 1934 to 1950, a tent camp occupied the site. The original building opened in 1960 but was demolished in 2005 to make way for the new facility. The total cost of the building and its exhibits was $9.2 million. It is named after Carl Ben Eielson, a pioneer Alaskan aviator.
Private cars are not permitted that far along Denali Park Road, so most visitors arrive at the center on tour buses.
The center will be formally rededicated during a ceremony Aug. 12 and is open through Sept. 15.
(Requires free registration.)
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