The park’s museum collection houses over 40 vehicles, both horse-drawn and motorized. Currently, the majority reside in off-site storage, and were recently treated under our cyclical cleaning program. Visitors are encouraged to come see two of our historic vehicles on display in the Heritage and Research Center; a 1974 Vespa Model 125 Primavera Scooter and a 1964 Cushman Model 765 Eagle Motor scooter.
In the early days of the park, people arrived by train and would ride up and through the park on stagecoaches. The crossover between horse-drawn vehicles and automobiles was short, as the horses would get spooked by vehicles. This safety concern led to a ban on horse-drawn vehicles in 1917. Motorized vehicles were welcomed, and allowed both employees and visitors to get around more difficult terrain or areas where horses and coaches couldn’t go.
Although they were used in the park earlier, it was around the 1950s that smaller vehicles such as motorcycles and scooters gained popularity. They were incredibly useful in traveling short distances quickly, like campground to campground or underdeveloped areas unfit for cars.
These scooters are on display at the Heritage and Research Center as part of the museum’s new in-person exhibit, Yellowstone National Park: Travel Through Time. Visitors are also welcome to explore the transportation exhibit virtually.
This exhibit was developed by Yellowstone National Park staff and made possible by the generous support of the Jane Lerner Fund of Yellowstone Forever, Yellowstone National Park’s official non-profit partner.