Through photographs, artifacts, oral histories, and interactive exhibits, visitors to the Interpretive Center experience life at Heart Mountain through the eyes of those Japanese and Japanese Americans who were confined here during WWII. The Interpretive Center provides an overview of the wartime relocation of Japanese Americans, including the background history of anti-Asian prejudice in America and the factors leading to their enforced relocation and confinement. Special emphasis is given to the experience of incarceration, the diverse personal responses of Japanese Americans to their imprisonment, constitutional issues, violations of civil liberties and civil rights, and the broader issues of race and social justice in the U.S.
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Step inside history with Heart Mountain AR: An Augmented Reality Experience
Learn about the different areas of our National Historic Landmark site at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center:
This original Heart Mountain barrack was returned to the site and is currently being restored, enabling visitors to experience what life was like for incarcerees.
Staffed by Japanese American doctors and a primarily white group of nurses, the hospital satisfied nearly all of the camp’s medical needs, including the delivery of 556 babies. Visitors can explore the hospital grounds
The root cellar is the only surviving camp structure built entirely by Japanese Americans. It tells the story of the extensive and innovative agriculture program at Heart Mountain.
The honor roll and memorial park lists the men and women from the Heart Mountain site who served in the military during World War II.
There are several areas to explore on the Heart Mountain site, including a trail to the replica guard tower and the Setsuko Saito Higuchi Interpretive Trail which points out surviving features of the camp.
This victory garden is modeled after the small vegetable plots incarcerees grew near their barracks and in other open spaces around the camp.
- 2012 Interior Exhibit Award (National Association of Interpretation)
- 2012 Excellence in Exhibition Award for Eloquent Presentation of Topic (Alliance of American Museums)
- 2012 Harriett “Liz” Byrd Award (Wyoming Education Association)
- 2014 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence