The Pioneer Yosemite History Center is an assembled collection of historic buildings from Yosemite National Park that is located in Wawona, California. Visitors can walk around the buildings year round, and the interiors are open in the summer on a limited basis.
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Wawona Visitor Center at Hill’s Studio
4.6
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Historic Wawona Covered Bridge
4.7
(26)
Wilderness Permit Station
5.0
(1)
Wawona Meadow Loop Trailhead
4.4
(29)
Wawona Hotel Dining Room
3.9
(192)
We drove up to Yosemite from LA, and our first stop inside the park was the Yosemite History Center & Market — the perfect place to stretch our legs and soak in a bit of local history.
The charming covered bridge was a highlight, offering a picture-perfect walk with river access just below. We even spotted a few people cooling off and splashing in the water. Our children especially enjoyed watching the horses and mules in the corrals nearby — a fun surprise that added to the experience.
Unfortunately, one of the historic buildings was closed due to vandalism prior to our visit, but the rest of the area still gave us a great glimpse into Yosemite’s past and we would continue to see names of historical figures that would continue to come up during our next few days in the park.
Practical tip: There are outhouse-style restrooms here, making it a convenient quick stop before heading deeper...
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The Pioneer Yosemite History Centre (free entry) is located in Wawona. This is an outdoor museum featuring a collection of historic pioneer buildings, structures, wagons and agricultural equipment, providing visitors a glimpse into the daily lives and dealings of the late 19th century.
The area includes a handful of cabins, studio, jail and office buildings constructed of wooden logs as well as the historic Wawona Covered Bridge. Most of the buildings were situated in various locations around Yosemite but relocated to provide an educational experience for visitors to Yosemite NP.
We enjoyed spending 20 minutes or so browsing around the Pioneer Yosemite History Centre and would gladly revisit during future trips to the national park.
Note: There are two small bathroom units outside the Pioneer Yosemite History Center next to the...
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Apparently the park service disassembled, transported, and reassembled several structures built by various pioneers, artists, etc. around Yosemite over the years. The result is a neat collection of historical pioneer architecture, much of which is attached to cool stories and interesting people.
Of particular note was the covered bridge and it's absolutely intense construction. They don't build things like that anymore, and...
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