The newest attraction at Mammoth Mountain for the 2006/07 winter
season will be the state-of-the-art Top of the Sierra Interpretive
Center designed to educate visitors about the surrounding area
and the dynamic nature of the Eastern Sierra. The center will
feature five interactive displays with facts about local geology,
hydrology and the volcanic history of Mammoth Mountain, the
Long Valley Caldera and more. Skiers and snowboarders have enjoyed
rides to the top of Mammoth for years. With the addition of
the Top of the Sierra Interpretive Center, Mammoth’s summit
will truly be a destination for all types of people in all seasons.
Over six years of research and project planning, plus more
than $1 million, have been invested for the initial opening
of the Top of the Sierra Interpretive Center. Content for the
center was envisioned with input from a coalition of involved
community members including representatives from U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS), U.S. Forest Service, Paiute Tribal Council and
local environmental organizations.
"I’m personally very excited to see this project
come to life. We couldn’t have done it without the help
of many professionals who are experts in geology, hydrology
and the history of the area," said Pam Murphy, Senior Vice
President at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. "We are not only
creating a fun and interesting destination for our guests from
out of town to visit, but we are also giving the community a
place to learn about their surroundings."
The Top of the Sierra Interpretive Center will mainly be housed
in an existing structure on the lower floor of Panorama Lookout
Station, which is the top unloading point of the Panorama Gondola.
Through window-lined walls, guests will get a bird’s-eye,
180-degree view of peaks, valleys, rivers, volcanoes and rock
formations left behind from glaciers along with explanations
of what they are looking at.
"The Top of the Sierra Interpretative Center will provide
a spectacular platform for visitors to gain insight into the
broad spectrum of natural processes that have shaped and continue
to shape the majesty of the Eastern Sierra," said David
Hill, Scientist in Charge of the Long Valley Observatory for
the USGS. I commend Mammoth Mountain Ski Area for its enlightened
foresight in developing this facility."
A food court offering hot soups, sandwiches, soft drinks and
snacks will be located at the Interpretive Center. Seating for
70 people will be available in the upstairs and downstairs areas
of Panorama Lookout Station. The area will also be available
for private receptions.
Mammoth awarded the project, including design and implementation
of the center’s interactive displays and hands-on learning
tools to S2 Associates, Inc., based out of Napa, Cal. S2 specializes
in the design of science, children’s, history and corporate
museum exhibitions. S2 has a proven track record in professional
exhibit designs including the Innovation Gallery at the San
Jose Tech Museum of Innovation, the “What’s Going
On”? exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California, and
the Intel Museum in Santa Clara, Ca.
The Top of the Sierra Interpretive Center Opens March 17!
