The Far View Visitor Center, located at milepost 15 on the park road, is now closed to the public. All visitors should stop at the new Visitor and Research Center as they enter the park to obtain park information and purchase tickets for the ranger-guided tours.

Ranger-guided tours of Cliff Palace begin on April 7, with tours offered hourly from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On April 21, Balcony House opens to the public for four tours daily, offered at 9:30 a.m., 12 noon, 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Student-oriented tours of Balcony House for school groups are available by reservation: call 970-529-5079 for information. Wetherill Mesa and Long House open for the season on Friday, May 24, 2013; tour tickets are required for Long House. Spruce Tree House is open daily with no tour ticket required. For more information, please visit: www.nps.gov/meve or contact the park directly at 970-529-4465.

The new Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center (VRC) has received the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, the Council’s highest rating for sustainable buildings. The 23,620 sf VRC consists of two components: a 16,256 sf research and collection facility and a 7,364 sf visitor information center. The VRC houses the park’s collection of over 3 million artifacts as well as its archives. It also offers an orientation to the park for visitors, has a tour ticket sales area, an exhibit area and a bookstore run by the Mesa Verde Museum Association. The visitor information center was completed in November 2012 and opened to the public in December 2012. A grand opening celebration is planned for May 23, 2013.

"Mesa Verde National Park is proud to have obtained this rating which is in keeping with the mission of the National Park Service (NPS) to preserve and protect," said Cliff Spencer, Park Superintendent. It also answers the NPS Call to Action, an initiative to prepare the NPS for a second century of stewardships and engagement.

This project addresses the "Going Green" action item by reducing the Mesa Verde National Park carbon footprint through the use of renewable energy sources, and action item "Out with the Old" by installing interpretive media that offers interactive experiences and are accessible to all members of the public.

Many stakeholders and partners came together to create this high-performance sustainable building that demonstrates the use of energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, recycling, and environmentally preferable materials. The on-site renewable energy systems are capable of providing 95 percent of the building energy requirements. The building includes many sustainability features such as improved building envelope, reduced lighting power requirements, advanced lighting controls, high-efficiency HVAC system, and on-site renewable energy systems (i.e.: solar water heating, hydroelectric power from a micro-hydro turbine, and photovoltaics). Together with the other integrated sustainable features, LEED Platinum certification was achieved for the VRC.

This $14.3 million construction project was funded through NPS Line Item Construction Funds and managed by the Denver Service Center, the NPS centralized office for planning, design and construction services. The Mesa Verde Foundation, the park's friends group, donated 37.5 acres of land for the building site.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized green building certification system that provides a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance approaches. The Green Building Council is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit committed to achieving a sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.