Manzanar National Historic Site

Address:Independence, California
Tel: (760) 878-2932

Visit one of ten camps at which Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were interned during World War II. Located at the foot of the majestic Sierra Nevada in eastern California's Owens Valley, Manzanar has been identified as the best preserved of these historically important camps.

Visitors to Manzanar National Historic Site can begin their day by watching the award winning 22 minute film, "Remembering Manzanar," every half hour, for critical background on this moving site. There are excellent exhibits here which span a century of history, with a focus on the World War II relocation and internment of Japanese Americans from the west coast. There is also a large scale model of the Manzanar War Relocation Center crafted by former internees, as well as historic photographs and audiovisual programs that highlight the camp experience. The 3.2 mile auto tour will take visitors past the camp auditorium, sentry posts, ruins of the administrative complex, rock gardens, portions of the water system, and the camp cemetery. A large graphic honors the names of over 10,000 Japanese Americans who spent all or part of World War II at Manzanar. Those interested in nature activities are invited to bike the main tour road or explore the entire site on foot. You can also visit the gardens in block 22, the chicken ranch, and the orchards at Manzanar.

To get to Manzanar National Historic Site from Los Angeles, take the Golden State Freeway/I-5 north (towards Sacramento) to the CA-14 north (toward Lancaster/Palmdale). Stay on CA-14 for 118 miles until you get to US-395 north. In 80 more miles, you'll get to Manzanar, located just 9 miles north of Lone Pine, California.