News Release

Craters of the Moon National Historic District Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Circa 1955 to 1961 of the visitor center and the lawn that used grow in front of the building.

NPS Photo

News Release Date: October 5, 2022

Contact: Visitor center, [phone]

The Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve Mission 66 Historic District was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its preservation of iconic Mission 66 architecture. It is the only representation of the National Park Service (NPS) Mission 66 period in Idaho.

The Historic District includes the Robert W. Limbert Visitor Center, Lava Flow Campground, Loop Road, park housing, utility building, and two older log buildings built in the 1930s.

The listing of the Mission 66 Historic District acknowledges the park’s significance as part of the larger NPS Mission 66 initiative as well as the park’s contribution to the overarching NPS mission of preserving the Nation’s natural and cultural heritage for current and future generations. The design of the loop road, campground, and concentrated arrangement of buildings on the landscape are characteristic elements of Mission 66.

Up until the mid-1950s, Craters of the Moon received little attention due to the lack of services and accessible roads. The Mission 66 program was adopted in 1956 to increase the availability of visitor services in national parks by the park service’s 50th birthday in 1966. It enabled the park service to build a visitor center, park road, and other amenities at Craters of the Moon to allow a greater number of visitors to see more of this incredible place.

The listing on the national register comes just two years before Craters of the Moon turns 100 years old in 2024.

More photos of the historic district can be found on Craters of the Moon's Flickr page.