Grand Canyon Visitor Center
The Basics
Between the visitor center’s IMAX Theater experience and its many interactive exhibits, you could spend all day at the Grand Canyon without ever leaving the visitor center. But, when you are ready to explore the canyon itself, take advantage of the resources at the National Geographic Visitor Center to plan a self-guided trip or join a guided tour of the canyon.
You can opt for a Jeep tour that starts out with an IMAX movie before heading to the East Rim of the canyon. Or, if you are visiting the canyon from Las Vegas, book a bus tour that includes a stop at the National Geographic Visitor Center and the chance to watch the IMAX movie before you enter the park.
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Things to Know Before You Go
The National Geographic Visitor Center is great for anyone who wants to learn about the history, geology, and culture of the area.
The on-site Explorers Cafe serves pizza, rice bowls, sandwiches, and more.
Purchase your park pass at the visitor center and skip the park entrance line.
The National Geographic Store sells souvenirs and essentials for your trip.
The visitor center and IMAX Theater are wheelchair accessible.
How to Get There
The visitor center is less than 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the park’s South Rim entrance on State Route 64. The center can be reached by car, bus, or on a tour from Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Flagstaff. The nearby Grand Canyon National Park Airport is serviced by private and charter flights and is where many flightseeing tours land.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
The National Geographic Visitor Center is open year-round with reduced winter hours. From March through October it is open early morning to late evening and November through February it has somewhat reduced hours. The IMAX movie showtimes also vary by season, playing every hour from 8:30am to 8:30pm in summer and 9:30am to 6:30pm in winter.
The IMAX Theater at the National Geographic Visitor Center
The 6-story-high screen and 12,000 watts of surround sound at the IMAX Theater brings to life the majesty of the Grand Canyon on screen. The 34-minute “Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets” takes viewers through the experiences of early explorers, the canyon’s history and evolution, and reveals larger-than-life visuals via IMAX technology. The theater seats nearly 500, and the film plays every hour on the half hour.