Visitor Center & Block 14 Exhibits

Remember to leave everything as you find it.

Please do your part to protect Manzanar National Historic Site by not disturbing the natural landscape or collecting artifacts of any kind.

 

 

Visitor Center

 

Visitor Center Exhibits

NPS Photos

 

Stop at the visitor center to talk to a ranger at the desk, request a park brochure, ask about our Junior Ranger program, and stamp your passport. Operating hours can be found on our basic information page.

See the Park Film:

The visitor center theater shows the site's award winning 22-minute film, Remembering Manzanar, every half hour.

Through the use of rare historic footage and photographs, and personal recollections of a dozen people formerly incarcerated at Manzanar and others, Remembering Manzanar explores the experience of more than 10,000 Japanese Americans who were removed to a remote desert facility during World War II. Remembering Manzanar gives viewers a sense of the place and its past, and a glimpse into a time when American citizens were exiles because of their ancestry.

Remembering Manzanar can also be viewed on our YouTube channel.

Explore the Exhibits:

Extensive museum exhibits span a century of history, from 1885 to the present, with a focus on the World War II relocation and internment of Japanese Americans from the west coast. Exhibits include historic photographs and audiovisual programs, artifacts, and a scale model of Manzanar War Relocation Center crafted by people formerly incarcerated at Manzanar. A large graphic includes the names of over 10,000 Japanese Americans who spent all or part of World War II at Manzanar.

Visit the Bookstore:

Browse our bookstore to find a treasure to take home. Learn about our bookstore partner on the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association website.

 

Block 14

 

Mess hall, loyalty questionnaire exhibit, arrival exhibit, classroom exhibit

NPS Photos

 

Wondering what it would have been like to live at Manzanar? Explore the exhibits of Block 14 to find out. You can reach the mess hall, women’s latrine, and two barracks buildings of Block 14 by walking from the visitor center or you can make it a stop on your self-guided driving tour.

Mess Hall:

The US Army constructed this mess hall at Bishop Air Base in 1942. The National Park Service moved it to Manzanar in 2002 and eventually restored it. It is identical to the 36 mess halls that together produced over 28 million meals here from 1942 to 1945. Walk through the kitchen, sit at the picnic benches, and learn about the logistics and politics of food in Manzanar. Groups interested in using the indoor picnic area can email us for a reservation.

Women’s Latrine:

The women’s latrine was reconstructed in 2017. The communal shower and rows of toilets depict some of the harsh realities of living at Manzanar. Overcrowding led to long lines, unpleasant odors, and an extreme lack of privacy.

Barracks Buildings:

The two barracks buildings were built in 2015 with exhibits being added in the following years. The four barracks exhibits will tell you about arrival to Manzanar, the importance of the Block Manager's Office, the loyalty questionnaire, school at Manzanar, and more.