Sequoia and Kings Canyon have a variety of visitor centers, nature centers, and information and wilderness permit stations. Not all are open year-round.
They are listed below in the order in which you would encounter them as you go from south to north on the Generals Highway (the main park road).

IN SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK:

Foothills Visitor Center
Open daily. Call for hours of operation.

Phone: 1-559-565-3135

Location: On the Generals Highway (main park road) 1 mile (1.6km) from Sequoia Park entrance at Highway 198. In the foothills oaks & chaparral; elevation 1500 feet (457m).

Exhibits: Focus here is on the Sierran foothills, the most biologically diverse area of these parks!

Services: Crystal Cave tour tickets sold until 3:45pm (summer only); tickets are NOT sold at the cave. Books, maps, educational materials for sale. Local wilderness permits issued. Bear canisters for sale or rent. Accessible restrooms. Pay phone. First aid.

Giant Forest Museum
Open daily. Call for hours of operation.

Phone: 1-559-565-4480

Location: Housed in the historic market building, in the Giant Forest sequoia grove at 6500 feet (1980m) elevation. It is 16 miles (26km) from Sequoia Park's entrance at Highway 198.

Exhibits: Wonderful exhibits offer an in-depth look at the incredible giant sequoias of Giant Forest, and what we have learned about how to protect them.

Services: Books, maps, & educational items are sold here. Fully-accessible restrooms and trails are available here. Pay phone. First aid. During the summer the museum is a stop for the new park shuttle.

Beetle Rock Family Nature Center (in Giant Forest) 
Open during the summer. Fun for all ages. Call for hours of operation and programs. Phone: 1-559-565-4480

Location: Across from the Giant Forest Museum at 6500 feet (1980m) elevation.

Lodgepole Visitor Center
Open early spring through late fall.
May be open weekends in winter. Call for hours of operation. During the summer the visitor center is a stop for the new park shuttle.

Phone: 1-559-565-4436

Location: On Lodgepole Road, just off the Generals Highway 21 miles (34km) from the Sequoia Park entrance on Highway 198, 2 miles (3km) north of the General Sherman Tree. In the conifer zone; elevation 6700 feet (2040m).

Exhibits: Here you can explore the natural and human history of the southern Sierra Nevada. Movie - Bears of the Sierra.

Services: Crystal Cave tour tickets sold until 3:30pm (tickets not sold at cave). Books, maps, & educational materials for sale. Local wilderness permits issued. Bear canisters for sale or rent. Accessible restrooms. Pay phone. First aid.

Mineral King Ranger Station 
Location: Not on the Generals Highway, but on the Mineral King Road, 24 miles up this narrow, winding road from Highway 198 in Three Rivers (no RVs, buses, or trailers, please). The road closes from October 31 to late May.

Open late May - early September.
Call for hours of operation.
When the station is not open,
wilderness permits are available on the porch.

Phone: 1-559-565-3768

Exhibits: This small station houses some exhibits on Mineral King's human & natural history.

Services: Books, maps, & educational items are sold. Bear canisters. Local wilderness permits. Pay phone in nearby campground. First aid.

IN KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK:

Kings Canyon Visitor Center (in Grant Grove)
Open daily. Call for hours of operation.

Phone: 1-559-565-4307

Location: In Grant Grove Village, three miles (5km) east from the Big Stump park entrance on Highway 180. In the conifer zone; elevation 6500 feet (1980m).

Exhibits: New exhibits focus on the Kings Canyon, the High Sierra and the giant sequoia (English/Spanish text). New 15-minute movie on Kings Canyon National Park (English and Spanish subtitles available).

Services: Books, maps, & educational materials for sale. Local wilderness permits issued. Accessible restrooms. Pay phone. First aid.

Cedar Grove Visitor Center (in the Kings Canyon itself)
Open late June through early September.
Call for hours of operation.

Phone: 1-559-565-3793

Location: In Cedar Grove Village next to Sentinel Campground, on the floor of the Kings Canyon. Elevation 4600 feet (1410m).
The road into the canyon closes mid-November to mid-April.

Services: Books, maps, & educational items are sold here. Accessible restrooms nearby. Pay phone. First aid.

Road's End Wilderness Permit Station (in the Kings Canyon) Local wilderness permits self-issue through late May, then permits issued daily 7am - 4pm. Maps, bear canister rentals.

Location: East of Cedar Grove Village 6 miles at the end of the road.