Giant Forest Museum

Amazing museum with great explanation of Sequoia trees and how they grow. Gift shop is pretty weak not much to inventory. But several trails around this museum with amazing trails and meadows. Very easy with little elevation. We even saw a bear foraging right next to the near within a couple minutes of museum one morning.

Amazing visit. We took the Visalia Shuttle to the museum and utilized the free bus system in the park to get around. The staff & volunteers are very knowledgeable and friendly. The museum is not huge but it is packed with a lot of information and history. It's Free. Great clean bathrooms as well.

It’s a great starting point for all ages, with interactive displays and knowledgeable park rangers ready to answer questions. Outside, the Sentinel Tree stands tall as a perfect photo spot, and the Big Trees Trail—an easy, scenic loop—begins nearby, offering a close-up experience with the giant trees. The museum is compact, so you won’t need more than 30–45 minutes inside, making it ideal for a quick educational stop before heading deeper into the forest. Free entry and shuttle accessibility in summer make it even more convenient. Highlights: – Family-friendly and educational – Beautiful architecture and setting – Direct access to trails and sequoias Though not a large facility, it adds meaningful context to your visit and is well worth the short stop. A must-visit intro to the towering giants of Sequoia.

Small but perfectly formed museum teaching you everything you should know about the giant trees that surround the building. There's also a shop and ranger help desk in the same space. The museum is surrounded with great trails, so plan on spending a good amount of time here.

Very informative museum and definitely appreciated the advice from the Rangers and National Park staff. Be sure to share your plans with them and they'll provide such useful information. They let me know there was a shuttle to take me to both the Sherman Tree and Moro Rock, so I didn't have to worry about parking separately at those two sites. As well, they gave me advice for my planned hikes in both Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Museum and small gift shop area were also appreciated. Very cool to see the panorama of the multiple Sequoia Groves.

4 stars because of the magnificent Sentinel tree just outside of the museum. The museum itself has ageing displays which are good enough to find out about Sequoia and how they are real resistant trees and will only burn out in the biggest of the biggest fires. The gift shop is not worth a stop, it's really small. Oh yes, the rangers there are really helpful.

My son wanted to see the big trees and we took a vacation to see Sequoia National Park. It was a beautiful choice. And ready to go back with my daughter.

We visited on a Monday it was busy. The rangers and staff were nice and helpful. The museum is full of information and fun for all ages.