Information Center
The Information Center will close April 26, 2013, for building renovation.
We look forward to seeing you when the Yates Federal Building reopens.
The historical Yates Federal Building, built in 1878 for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, houses the USDA Forest Service Headquarters. The "big red brick building" is across from the National Mall on the corner of 14th Street and Independence Avenue. The largest nearby landmark is the Washington Monument.
Smokey's Office
Rudy Wendelin's famous painting, Smokey's Fan Mail,
inspired Smokey's office setting. The animatronic bear's eyes move
back and forth as he reads his fan mail, and greets his visitors
with a friendly reminder: "Only you..."
The Lodge
Learn about the history of the Forest
Service with our five open-captioned videos. Links to these video
segments will be available soon. Modeled after a 1920s rustic lodge,
and fashioned out of pine, the lodge features hand-painted rugs.
Original Forest Service artifacts from the first half of the century
are tucked away in glass-enclosed cabinets.
Rotating Displays
The Information Center rotates displays covering topics that deal with current Forest Service issues. Featured displays have covered a wide range of topics including wildfires, pollinators, wildflowers and Forest Service history. These displays are located across from Smokey’s Office as you enter the Center.
Photo Wall
Almost 40 illuminated photos spotlight
three themes of multiple-use: Resources, wilderness, and recreation.
This full-color collection reveals the beauty of the National Forests
and Grasslands to the public. The Forest Service celebrated its centennial in 2005. There are many eye-catching photos in the Information Center that remind us of the many opportunities within National Forests and Grasslands..
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