The store that housed Verkamp's Curios for about a century on the South Rim has been converted into a book store, a center for visitors, and a starting point for Grand Canyon hikes, the National Park Service said Monday.

The building is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is named for one of the early entrepreneurs at the Grand Canyon, John G. Verkamp, who first sold curios to tourists out of a tent near the Bright Angel Trail in 1898 before building a shop and home.

The store, run by three generations of Verkamps, closed in September 2008 after declining to participate in a bidding process to keep doing business at the park.

Visitor center displays highlights what it's like to live at the Grand Canyon, the family's history, and other historical topics, such as Native American traditions and the Canyon.

Grand Canyon was created on Feb. 26, 1919, by President Woodrow Wilson.

Verkamps will be having a celebration at 1:30 on Feb. 26 in celebration of 90 years as a national park.

The Verkamp's Visitor Center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering two ranger programs, a hike leaving at 10 a.m. daily and a history talk at 11 a.m.