The Los Alamos Meeting and Visitor Bureau reports that a record number of 1,917 people visited the White Rock Visitor Center (WRVC) over the long Memorial Day Weekend.
The confirmed tally includes visitors that used the facility between Friday the 24th and Monday the 27th. The busiest days were Sunday and Monday. The visitor center welcomed 670 people on Sunday alone.
“It was an unbelievable experience” said Mike Lippiatt, Los Alamos Meeting and Bureau Manager, “there were times when we had 40 or more visitors in the center and at the same time there would be 20 or 30 at the shuttle waiting area”.
It was noted that by 11:45 a.m. on May 27th there were no parking spots available at the WRVC and that included the RV lot.
This new record shatters previous weekend records. In May 2012, the visitor center at its old location of at Rover Blvd welcomed 395 visitors — during the entire month.
The beginning of the Atomic City Transit summer schedule with service to Bandelier National Monument is a chief reason for the increase in visits. The shuttle service to Bandelier begins at the White Rock Visitor Center.
The Meeting & Visitor Bureau also reported visitors checked in to the center from as far away as Australia, Italy and South Korea.
“It’s hard to explain how fulfilling it is to visit with people from all corners of our country and the world. Amazing people with amazing stories and they all came through our town, county and attractions over the weekend” said Lippiatt.
The White Rock Visitor Center Complex opened on September 28, 2012 and has consistently out performed the previous visitor numbers from the Rover Blvd location. It is staffed by a team of paid employees and a growing number of volunteers who spend much of their time fielding questions and directing out-of-town visitors to key local attractions and local businesses.
The Los Alamos Meeting & Visitor Bureau is a program of the Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corporation (LACDC), a private, not-for-profit economic and community development organization serving Los Alamos since 1983. LACDC serves as the foundational organization for the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce, Los Alamos MainStreet, the Los Alamos Meeting & Visitors Bureau, Los Alamos Business Assistance Services and the Los Alamos Research Park.