Before you visit
Just so you know, we observe the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and the week between Christmas and New Year’s. The Visitor Center will also be closed to the public on Election Day.
Hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 am until 4:30 pm, and Friday, 8:30 am until 3:30 pm.
History of the building
Restructured from the former Marion County Children’s Shelter, the Marion County Visitor Center has a rich history. Standing tall since 1941, the original building was one of the state’s Works Progress Administration’s (WPA) final projects. When the historic site was in the pathway for the construction of the Gateway Connector, the efforts to preserve it began.
The building wasn’t sound enough to be moved in its entirety, but with the help of the Federal Highway Administration, the carved stone of the exterior was used. The structure was pulled apart, chiseling out each piece, stone by stone, and re-built to welcome visitors to Marion County. Even the footbridge was part of the original landscape.
Construction was complete in fall 2011 and the offices of the Convention & Visitors Bureau of Marion County and Marion County Parks & Recreation Commission moved in on February 4, 2012.
We know, that’s a lot of work. But being proud of Marion’s heritage is at the heart of our mission, and we were glad that a little piece of history from this place we hold so dear is preserved.
