Manzanar National Historic Site - Independence, California
Posted by: 
Touchstone
N 36° 43.687 W 118° 08.834
11S E 397559 N 4065325
Operating between 1943-1945, the Manzanar War Relocation Camp was home to over 10,000 Americans of Japanese descent.
Waymark Code: WM74Q1
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 09/01/2009
Views: 16
The National Park Service is entrusted with preserving what is left of the Manzanar Camp, which sits in the shadow of Mount Williams in the Owens Valley. Many of the Camps internees, were relocated from their homes in the Los Angeles area after President Roosevelt authorized the War Department to declare the Western United States as a potential War Zone.
The nearby Visitors Center gives and excellent interpretation of the events that led to the formation of this and other Relocation Camps across the United States.
An Auto Tour takes one of the Camps dirt roads around the perimeter of the camp, which gives a glimpse of the hardships the Camps residents endured during their confinement. Described as blazing hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter, one unstoppable element that persisted on a daily basis was "the wind....always the wind", as one Camp resident described.
There is no fee for visiting this Park, and the Visitors Center/Gift Shop also has numerous books to buy that offer first hand accounts of life in the camp.
Street address:
6 mi. S of Independence on CA 395, Independence
Independence, CA USA
95283
County / Borough / Parish: Inyo
Year listed: 1976
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Asian, Military, Social History
Periods of significance: 1925-1949
Historic function: Event
Current function: Although stated as "Vacant - Not in Use" it is now a National Historic Site operated by the NPS
Privately owned?: no
Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2009 To: 12/31/2009
Hours of operation: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.