Sugarlands Visitor Center will remain open to the public as it receives much needed renovations Jan. 7 to March 31, 2013.

The renovations will improve the layout of the main lobby and visitor contact area to better serve the 850,000 thousand visitors that come through the visitor center annually.

The new visitor contact area will create a sense of arrival and enhance visitor orientation as visitors are provided park information and directed to interactive exhibits that introduce them to park resources.

Along with lighting system improvements, the new visitor information desk and exhibits will be laid out to have more open space allowing for better circulation and overall accessibility.

New interactive exhibits in the lobby will focus attention on natural resource challenges like air ...