Full announcement from the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation:
GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN, NC – The Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the non-profit organization that owns and operates the Grandfather Mountain travel attraction, is inviting all of its friends to invest in a membership to its new “Bridge Club” as a way to express their support for the work of the Stewardship Foundation. Beginning January 1, 2014, the membership cards will replace the annual passes sold at the attraction in the past.
“The Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation exists to preserve Grandfather Mountain in its present state and to insure that the experience of this mountain that we enjoy today will be available for our children and grandchildren to experience in the future,” said Stewardship Foundation Board Secretary Catherine Morton. “Every day visitors tell us that they share our desire to keep Grandfather Mountain the way it is today and we hope that by offering these memberships our supporters will recognize that we consider them vital partners in our mission to preserve the Grandfather Mountain experience.”
The benefits of membership in the new Grandfather Mountain “Bridge Club” include unlimited free admission to Grandfather Mountain for 365 days from the date of joining or renewal, a10% discount at Grandfather Mountain gift shops, restaurant and fudge shop, discounts on behind-the-scenes tours, guided hikes and the family campout, discounts at Biltmore Estate, Tweetsie Railroad, Chimney Rock Park, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad and Mast General Store, complimentary coffee or tea at Mildred’s Grill, a subscription to the quarterly Members E-newsletter and the monthly E-Scape newsletter, and invitations to special member programs.
Bridge Club memberships are available at $30 for an individual child, $70 for an individual adult, and $215 for a group of six (member + 5 guests traveling in the same vehicle). Group memberships will be issued with two member names so that either member may present the card, whether traveling alone or as a couple. Memberships are non-transferrable and include the 6.75% NC Admission Tax.
Anyone who purchased an annual pass in 2013 who would like to upgrade to the benefits associated with the membership is invited to pay the difference between the 2013 annual pass purchase price and the corresponding membership fee. The upgrade will entitle the 2013 pass holder to discounts at the gift shops, restaurant, fudge shop, and on guided hikes and behind the scenes tours, as well as invitations to member only events.
All proceeds from ticket and souvenir sales are reinvested into caring for and presenting Grandfather Mountain in a manner that helps visitors connect with nature in new and rewarding ways. Similarly, revenues from the sale of memberships in the Bridge Club will be used to maintain and enhance Grandfather Mountain’s guest experience.
Memberships can be purchased on the web at grandfathermountain.org, over the phone by calling 828-733-4337, or in person by going inside the entrance gatehouse on your next visit.
The Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation established to preserve Grandfather Mountain, operate the nature park sustainably in the public interest, provide an exceptional experience for guests, and inspire them to be good stewards of the earth’s resources.
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