The 1967 building was designed and constructed as part of the National Park Service’s Mission 66 program, of which the park "visitor center" was the central planning and design element.  The Administration Building is one of the four most significant and successful examples of the new building type.

Built in 1913, from a design by J.R. Anderson, its eighty-foot tower and theatrical detailing make the theater one of this tourist community’s most prominent commercial structures.

The Ute and other indigenous groups most likely traveled along North Inlet.  In 1868, an audacious mountaineering party perhaps followed the trace of a prehistoric North Inlet Trail.  It is generally believed that Major Wesley Powell and a small group of students and associates–the first group on record to successfully climb Longs Peak–approached their objective by tramping up the drainage of the North Inlet. 

The Ute and other indigenous groups most likely traveled along North Inlet.  In 1868, an audacious mountaineering party perhaps followed the trace of a prehistoric North Inlet Trail.  It is generally believed that Major Wesley Powell and a small group of students and associates–the first group on record to successfully climb Longs Peak–approached their objective by tramping up the drainage of the North Inlet. 

Located on the grounds of the Estes Park Center of the YMCA of the Rockies, the 1921 building is associated with Dr. John Timothy Stone, a well-known Presbyterian theologian, minister, evangelist, and administrator.

Constructed in 1923, the log building sits on a foundation of uncoursed rubblestone.  The lodge served as the central building of a summer resort until it was converted to a museum in 1931. 

Mills’ 1885 homestead cabin is a one-room log structure chinked with concrete.  A conservationist and tour guide, Mills is considered to be the father of Rocky Mountain National Park.  The cabin now operates as a museum exhibiting memorabilia associated with Enos Mills.

The ranch, its beginnings dating to 1884, reflects the evolution of Estes Park area cattle ranching, progressing from large operations covering thousands of acres of private and public lands to more diversified businesses accommodating tourists seeking a western experience.  

Established in 1873 by Alexander and Clara MacGregor, three generations operated this cattle ranch for nearly one hundred years.  Since 1973, it has operated as a living history museum restored to its 1900 appearance.

Lost Lake gained popularity with tourists in the 1910s.  Guests at Sprague’s Resort enjoyed guided horseback trips up to the lake.  Hotels, railroads, and other tourist industry businesses acknowledged and promoted the charms of the Lost Lake area.  Initial construction of the trail began in 1911, several years before the formal establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park.