About Petrified Forest Museum Association, INC
Develop, improve, promote, and increase opportunities for the public by advancing education, experience, and enjoyment.
Often in a park area, you will find an educational, park-themed bookstore inhabiting a portion of the parks visitor center, or located nearby. Park staff may even handle the sales of these materials as part of your experience within such a visitor center.
While such a bookstore may enhance the interpretive program in a park, it also falls outside of the National Park Services mission, duties, or visitor expectations though the overlap of goals and the cooperative efforts tends to blur the distinction and provide an oftentimes seamless appearance. Working with the park, a cooperating association provides the educational materials for this enhanced opportunity.
Cooperating Associations and their operation within our national parks is congressionally approved. Each association is a non-profit, non-government corporation that is an independent entity separate from the park.