Giant Forest Museum

Plenty of parking on both sides of the street and the museum itself is pretty cool. There's restrooms here as well. And a short hike to amazing views, especially if you're passing by around sunset and don't wanna miss it. There's a very short hike to see an amazing sunset

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.

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.

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.

Trees that take your breath away. Ignore the tourists, ponder the 2000 year old magnificent beings, thank your higher power that you were privileged to witness them before human beings annihilate the few remaining trees. These creatures are more than a tourist attraction...people NEED trees, trees don't need people at all. So please act accordingly.

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.

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.

Giant Forest Museum is located around 45 minutes drive from Foothills Visitor Center. You can see the huge Sentinel Tree in front of the museum, this is just an average tree compared to the rest of the trees in the Giant Forest. This museum is well-maintained with lot of useful information about the sequoia trees. There are Big Trees Trailhead and opposite the museum, Beetle Rock - easy trail.

The Sequoia National Park entrance fee is at $35 dollar per car for 7 days. Love these giant trees. But sadly pets are not allowed on hiking trails. Which is a bit od?... so we had to leave early and a waste of money. They do have really nice trails with steping stairs and tree guides; which is very educational. There is a parking lot but it does get pretty pack up there. So plan ahead. There is a bathroom by the the museum. Well kept and pretty clean.

Loved this compact museum inside Sequoia National Park. Great exhibits that help the sequoia ecosystem come alive. Highly recommended for all ages! Pretty big parking lot and some big groups were basically tailgating in the rear. We enjoyed a leisurely pace here as we arrived here on the way back from seeing the main attraction, the General Sherman tree.

An EXCELLENT pit stop in the national park for environmental education, ranger info, souvenirs, a clean bathroom, passport stamps, and entrance to several trails including Moro rock (if during summer you can just drive your car up to the staircase, but it's closed in winter). There's tons of parking across the street and the bathrooms are decent - even had working hand dryers when I was there lol! I was glad I stopped in because the first visitor center I'd passed was closed for the season, and the foothills visitor center was at the very end of my drive on the way out of the park (and closed by the time I passed it), so this museum served as the visitor center for me (which it easily can).

Solid museum exploring the importance of conservation and the biology of the forest itself there is a souvenir area and museums area with a ranger stationed inside. The museum is free to visit after you pay to enter the park. See my photos for the museum hours and for a map of the Giant Forest trails. That map isn't provided but it is available for viewing I also have a photo of the free park shuttle routes.

Great visit for the Giant Tree Trail. Would def recommend as a starting point. The trail is paved which made it very easy to navigate save for a few spots that still had some snow accumulated.

If you're visiting Sequoia National Park on a holiday or a weekend skip the visitor center and head straight here. You can get the same information about the park at the Giant Forest Museum that you would at the visitor center, plus this area has a large parking lot near by that does fill up by 10am during weekends and holidays The shuttles that take you around the 4 main stops of the park is next to the museum as well so if you get a spot in the parking lot it's much easier to get from place to place. The museum has a pretty big gift shop inside, the Sentinel tree is right there, and if you want to beat the crowds to Moro rock you can hike up the mile & a half to get to the start of the trail or just wait there for shuttle 2. The parking area right across from the museum also has a good overlook ish area where you can snap some good pictures with the mountains in the background.

Really cute museum located within Sequoia National Park! It's small but informative and it's also free which is always a plus. Inside the museum, you'll find lots of really neat exhibits that showcase some of the most popular Sequoias in the park! There are also information snippets and a nice little replica of the Giant Forest. They even have a fake "walk through" tree where you can walk inside and watch videos about the Sequoia habitat. The museum also acts as a gift shop and they have several different souvenirs for purchase. I picked up a couple of items while I was here. The employees are really nice and are also willing to answer questions relating to the trails nearby. The museum is near the start of a few of the most popular trails within the park including the Big Trees Trail. There's also a beautiful Sequoia Giant right outside of the museum where people like to pose for pictures. There are two parking lots; one right next to the museum and one across the street from the museum. Both are great places to park if you're planning to hike throughout the park. Get here early as the parking tends to fill up quickly. All in all, it's a nice little museum to check out if you have some time to kill at Sequoia National Park.

Very nice especially during the summer heard it's nice in the winter with the snow but haven't gone due to needing chains on my vehicle

Great place to start your day before a hike. Many trails branch off here, including 2.5 miles to General Sherman. Pack your lunch and know the roads leading up here are pretty windy if you are afraid of cliffs.

Great place to see how tall a Sentinel Tree is. The floor has markings that match the height of a Sentinel Tree. Remember to use the camera phone on Panorama in order to capture the entire Tree.

I really enjoyed this somewhat small museum in Tulare called the Giant Forest Museum. As the name implies, it provides you with a historical & ecological glimpse of Giant Sequoias. There are several unique displays: a large wheel that you can spin too see if your "tree seed" survives. We were 0-7. What does that tell you about the lives of seeds? Also, I liked seeing the height of these magnificent Giant Sequoias compared to the likes of the Statue of Liberty, the Titanic, & other trees including Coast Redwoods & Sugar Pines, etc. If you read quickly as my husband & I do (not to mention with two squirmy toddlers), then you will greatly appreciate your visit here. Parking is free. Entry is free (aside from the $20 fee per vehicle for 7 days into the Park). The staff members are extremely nice & knowledgeable. A small gift shop is inside. Relatively easy walking trails are nearby. Bring water especially if it's like it was today... Mid 90s on September 21, 2015. Review #399 Yelp challenge 80/100

This museum is free and very educational and hands-on. The gift shop was smaller than the Lodge Marketplace but had a lot of souvenirs. Right outside is where the Hotel-Sequoia shuttle will drop off guests and do pick-ups in the afternoon to return back to the hotel stops in Three Rivers and Visalia. In front of the museum is The Sentinel, one of the largest sequoias in the park.

Nothing is as amazing as sequoia national park. I know, I know, people will be yelling right now but in my mind the age and the feeling you get from being in and around the primordial forest is like nothing else I have found. The museum lets you really admire the time it takes and the value to the world these trees are. Jesus walked the earth when some of the trees where already hundreds of years old. It's a must see and a great stop for anyone who loves history, life, wilderness and fun. Remember OUTSIDE IS FREE. ;)

When you visit Sequioa don't miss to stop by at the Giant Forest Museum. Not only you get amazed by the exhibits but also those gigantic trees waiting outside. Clean restrooms are accessible and parking is just nearby. There is also shaded spot where you go for picnic.

The Giant Forest Museum is an outdoor museum with various trails. It covers about 3 square miles of giant Sequoia trees. This is probably one of the largest groves of Sequoias in the country, if not in the world. It is an excellent destination for nature-lovers. There is a Visitor Center in the midst of this gigantic forest museum where you can get information about the Sequoia trees and buy souvenirs. It will probably take you 2-3 hours to explore the various trails. We encountered a juvenile bear while walking through one of the trails. Be acquainted on what to do when you encounter a bear. Don't run or they may run after you. There's lots of parking. Be sure to bring an extra battery for your camera. There are lots of scenic spots.

3/31/19' very helpful staff within the museum, knowledge and somewhere to stop to game plan your trip into the many spots in Sequoia. Great view of the awesome big trees you will experience deeper into Sequoia. The pricing on souvenirs is a bit pricey but it is to be expected i suppose. Parking can be quite a pain with people circling around and people parking where they shouldn't because lack of space because of the crowds.

Gone in past great experience every time !! Was fun to go in and learn about everything in there the giant Tree is not to faraway very much enjoyable !!!!

Small but nicely laid out museum with a gift shop and some informational displays with interesting and fun facts about sequoia trees and the park. There's a small room that looks like the inside of a sequoia tree with a repeating video showing the forest recovering during a fire. Probably fun with the kids.

For a small museum we learned a lot about these giant trees in the 20 minutes we spent in this place. There are really some fascinating facts you can learn to supplement just staring up at these wonders of nature. The staff is super friendly and helpful. Worth a stop.

Museum is closed 6/30/21 but the shop is open! There are still informal posts along the trails and in front of the museum. Still worth going for sure!

Easy hikes, incredible views, so much wildlife, and some ridiculously huge trees. The little museum is fun and has some awesome displays and photos. Get there early in the day or parking is gone in an instant.

This is a small semi - interactive museums that teaches people about the Sequoia trees and why they are so unique. It was really empty when I went and everything seemed a little out dated. Granted, they are a start park and funds aren't exactly flowing at the moment, but some of the items need to be upgraded ( example: the video that is played... late 1980s?). If it is your first time to the park, I recommend this museum. You'll get some knowledge and then you'll appreciate the trees and the park a whole lot more. Also there are trails right by the museum.. so why not go?

Very small museum. But quite informative. Free tours with a ranger so definitely plan to take one. Good place to park to catch free NPS shuttles to other locations in the park. There is a small trail from the overflow lot, spectacular views and a good place to picnic.

Small-ish, not a lot to see here, but the staff is amazingly nice and funny. Worth a quick stop. Don't forget to take a picture in front of the Sentinel tree!

This is a little bitty free museum near the paved trails to the big trees. Worth stopping by for a little education, but this will not take you much time to visit.

This is a wonderful stop in the heart of the National Park. The employees are informative and interactive. I would say that the inside looks dated but it's a cabin in the middle of a park for heavens sake - so that's what its supposed to look like! Make sure to get a magnet with General Sherman on it :)

I expected the museum to be of somewhat average size, maybe take 20-30 minutes to peruse through, but it only took me about 5-10 minutes to read everything in its entirety. It is basically one large-ish room with a few, but interesting, exhibits. It is nice, roomy, and clean. There is a small gift shop, which mostly has books about the Giant Forest (they don't sell any food). There are bathrooms outside right next to the museum. It's nice to give you a perspective of how large the General Sherman really is, and this museum is on the way to General Sherman so it should be a quick stop on your way there. The two people working there were also very helpful and friendly, so if you need any questions answered this would be a great place to stop.

Take the Sequoia Shuttle* (sequoiashuttle.com or dial 559-565-3639; 559-565-3341) to Giant Forest Museum (1), or Lodgepole Visitor Center, Market, & Campground (2).  Take the tram @ no charge to see other parts of the park from (1) or (2).  Bring a refillable water bottle, and any light snacks.  (2) has restrooms & public showers, and it's the only place to buy foods and beverages, or camp supplies.  Few restrooms through out the park, make sure you use the restroom when you see one!  Highly recommend the Sequoia Shuttle, as parking gets full, and road can be difficult to navigate (narrow, steep, and winding).  Of course, shuttle have multiple pick up locations to and from the park - have patience - plan for at least half a day for this trip.   Lastly, NO cell reception at all! Which means, NO ig/fb/tumbler/twitter/g+/flicker.  Well, you get the idea...enjoy the park and respect the posted signs and rules.   *call 877-BUS-HIKE for reservation and pricing.