Grangeville Visitor Center
Stop by the Grangeville Visitor Center to discover local attractions, scenic drives, outdoor recreation opportunities, and the rich history of North Central Idaho.
The Grangeville Visitor Center is located in Eimers-Soltman Park at the junction of U.S. Highway 95 and North Pine Street.
Seasonal Hours:
Summer Schedule (May through August)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Winter operating hours vary throughout the season.
The Visitor Center is staffed entirely by local volunteers. Occasionally, a volunteer may not be available to open the center during scheduled hours. We apologize for any inconvenience. Maps and brochures are available in the information rack outside the front entrance, and we appreciate your understanding.
About Our Visitor Center
The Grangeville Visitor Center is your gateway to North Central Idaho. Visitors can find information about local attractions, outdoor recreation, lodging, dining, events, regional history, and scenic drives throughout the area.
Visitors will find a variety of informational books, brochures, maps, and travel resources to help plan their stay in North Central Idaho. Free crayons and coloring sheets are available for children, and souvenirs commemorating your visit to beautiful Idaho are available for purchase.
Relax in the friendly atmosphere of the Visitor Center while exploring displays that showcase the talent and craftsmanship of local artists and artisans, including:
These exhibits celebrate the creativity, heritage, and traditions that continue to make the Grangeville area unique.
The Visitor Center offers more than maps and travel information. Visitors can also explore exhibits highlighting local history, regional culture, and one of Grangeville's most fascinating stories, the discovery of Columbian mammoth remains at nearby Tolo Lake.
Grangeville's Mammoth Discovery
View an actual mammoth humerus bone on display, discovered and excavated from nearby Tolo Lake in September 1994. After visiting the exhibit inside the Visitor Center, take a stroll through Eimers-Soltman Park to view the complete life-sized mammoth skeleton replica. Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy Eimers-Soltman Park while exploring the exhibit. Potable water is available outside, and clean restrooms are available inside the Visitor Center during regular operating hours.
The Discovery
On September 2, 1994, Rich Gribble and Gerald Smith discovered large bones buried in the mud of Tolo Lake after the lake had been drained and deepened to improve wildlife habitat. Following calls to local experts and archaeologists, the site quickly became a center of activity for both professional researchers and volunteer diggers during the fall of 1994 and the following summer.
The Mammoths of Tolo Lake
Mammoths are close relatives of the modern Asian elephant, although only distantly related to the African elephant. To date, the only species positively identified at Tolo Lake is the Columbian mammoth, a massive animal that once roamed the cool to subtropical environments of North America.
Tolo Lake has served as a gathering place for animals for thousands of years and for humans for at least 11,000 years. According to the Mammoth Replica Committee, the remains of more than 200 Columbian mammoths were discovered at the site. These prehistoric animals became extinct approximately 10,000 to 15,000 years ago. Researchers believe many of the mammoths may have come to the lake area near the end of their lives.
Following the excavation, Tolo Lake was refilled in 1996 and stocked with fish. Today it remains a popular destination for anglers, wildlife enthusiasts, and visitors exploring the region.
The Legacy
The area remains part of the ancestral homeland of the Nez Perce people, who knew the lake as Te-Pal-e-wam. Following the Nez Perce War of 1877, the lake was renamed in honor of a courageous Nez Perce woman named Tolo, remembered for helping settlers who had become her friends.
To commemorate the discovery, the Grangeville Chamber of Commerce assumed responsibility for the project and the Mammoth Replica Committee began fundraising efforts shortly after the remains were uncovered. Eimers-Soltman Park, adjacent to the Grangeville Visitor Center on U.S. Highway 95, was selected as the location for the exhibit. Today, the mammoth display stands as one of Grangeville's most unique attractions and a reminder of the area's remarkable prehistoric past.
The Grangeville Visitor Center is located in Eimers-Soltman Park at the junction of U.S. Highway 95 and North Pine Street.
Seasonal Hours:
Summer Schedule (May through August)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Winter operating hours vary throughout the season.
The Visitor Center is staffed entirely by local volunteers. Occasionally, a volunteer may not be available to open the center during scheduled hours. We apologize for any inconvenience. Maps and brochures are available in the information rack outside the front entrance, and we appreciate your understanding.
About Our Visitor Center
The Grangeville Visitor Center is your gateway to North Central Idaho. Visitors can find information about local attractions, outdoor recreation, lodging, dining, events, regional history, and scenic drives throughout the area.
Visitors will find a variety of informational books, brochures, maps, and travel resources to help plan their stay in North Central Idaho. Free crayons and coloring sheets are available for children, and souvenirs commemorating your visit to beautiful Idaho are available for purchase.
Relax in the friendly atmosphere of the Visitor Center while exploring displays that showcase the talent and craftsmanship of local artists and artisans, including:
- Wood carvings by Angus Kennedy
- Rawhide braiding by Horace Henderson
- Leather art by Ray Holes
- Silver engraving by C.H. "Bill" Ketcham
These exhibits celebrate the creativity, heritage, and traditions that continue to make the Grangeville area unique.
The Visitor Center offers more than maps and travel information. Visitors can also explore exhibits highlighting local history, regional culture, and one of Grangeville's most fascinating stories, the discovery of Columbian mammoth remains at nearby Tolo Lake.
Grangeville's Mammoth Discovery
View an actual mammoth humerus bone on display, discovered and excavated from nearby Tolo Lake in September 1994. After visiting the exhibit inside the Visitor Center, take a stroll through Eimers-Soltman Park to view the complete life-sized mammoth skeleton replica. Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy Eimers-Soltman Park while exploring the exhibit. Potable water is available outside, and clean restrooms are available inside the Visitor Center during regular operating hours.
The Discovery
On September 2, 1994, Rich Gribble and Gerald Smith discovered large bones buried in the mud of Tolo Lake after the lake had been drained and deepened to improve wildlife habitat. Following calls to local experts and archaeologists, the site quickly became a center of activity for both professional researchers and volunteer diggers during the fall of 1994 and the following summer.
The Mammoths of Tolo Lake
Mammoths are close relatives of the modern Asian elephant, although only distantly related to the African elephant. To date, the only species positively identified at Tolo Lake is the Columbian mammoth, a massive animal that once roamed the cool to subtropical environments of North America.
Tolo Lake has served as a gathering place for animals for thousands of years and for humans for at least 11,000 years. According to the Mammoth Replica Committee, the remains of more than 200 Columbian mammoths were discovered at the site. These prehistoric animals became extinct approximately 10,000 to 15,000 years ago. Researchers believe many of the mammoths may have come to the lake area near the end of their lives.
Following the excavation, Tolo Lake was refilled in 1996 and stocked with fish. Today it remains a popular destination for anglers, wildlife enthusiasts, and visitors exploring the region.
The Legacy
The area remains part of the ancestral homeland of the Nez Perce people, who knew the lake as Te-Pal-e-wam. Following the Nez Perce War of 1877, the lake was renamed in honor of a courageous Nez Perce woman named Tolo, remembered for helping settlers who had become her friends.
To commemorate the discovery, the Grangeville Chamber of Commerce assumed responsibility for the project and the Mammoth Replica Committee began fundraising efforts shortly after the remains were uncovered. Eimers-Soltman Park, adjacent to the Grangeville Visitor Center on U.S. Highway 95, was selected as the location for the exhibit. Today, the mammoth display stands as one of Grangeville's most unique attractions and a reminder of the area's remarkable prehistoric past.