The visitor facility is a focal point of the National Historic Landmark District at the Bandelier National Monument in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which was a part of the Works Progress Administration during the 1930s, spent seven years building the collection of buildings that constituted the original visitor center facilities at the Bandelier site. Civilian Conservation Corp Camp number 815 opened in Frijoles Canyon in November of 1933, and in 1934 the men began construction.

Architect Lyle Bennett, an affiliate of the National Park Service, specifically designed the buildings to reflect the surrounding history and landscape, such as ancient structures and mesas. The CCC built thirty-one stone structures in all, classified as Pueblo Revival Style. The men also built furniture and light fixtures in a Southwestern style, enhancing the original visitor facilities.

The National Park Service renovated the visitor facilities during 2009 and 2010, focusing on the main exhibit space, in order to make it more accessible and educational for guests. During this renovation, designers emphasized maintaining historic character within the structure. They replaced many original features such as windows and cabinets, and removed historically inaccurate modifications including walls and floor coverings. The Park Service also modified exhibits in order to showcase more of the museum’s collection.

Affiliated Pueblos participated in renovation discussions and gave input for the new, updated visitor center exhibits. Their participation produced improved exhibits with a richer array of Pueblo perspectives, histories, and language. The collection of buildings that make up the visitor facilities at Bandelier are the largest CCC collection owned by the National Park Service. In addition to the museum, the visitor center shows the park movie at regular intervals.