Manzanar National Historic Site: Directions, Things to See, and More (2022)
Our first visit to Manzanar came in 2017 while on our way home from Southern California. We researched attractions along 395 and we were surprised to find Manzanar as neither of us have ever heard of it.
We only had a few hours to spend but that was all it took for Manzanar to take hold of us. When I was younger, I visited the Museum of Tolerance in L.A and it had a huge impact on me. Manzanar had the same affect.
If you’ve been wanting to visit Manzanar or have never heard of it, keep reading to find out how you can visit this highly historical and important place. Let’s get into it!
Visitor Information
Getting to Manzanar
Manzanar is located in the small California town of Independence nestled between the equally small towns of Lone Pine and Big Pine. The mighty Sierra Nevada mountains provide a beautiful backdrop to what was once an active relocation camp.
Northbound
For simplicity sake, we’ll use Los Angeles as the example.
From Los Angeles, you are roughly 220-miles, or 3.5-hours, away from Manzanar.
Work your way from L.A to Highway 395 North.
You’ll know you’re close once you reach the town of Lone Pine.
From Lone Pine, you’re about 10-minutes away from the turn-out.
Southbound
For southbound, we’ll use Reno.
From there, you’re about 252-miles, or 4.5-hours, from Manzanar.
Find your way from Reno to Highway 395 South and keep to it.
When you reach the town of Big Pine, you’re around 30-minutes away from the turn-out.
Things to See at Manzanar
Manzanar Visitor Center
The first thing you’ll see upon driving in is the same as the thousands of Japanese Americans that were once held here; the Sentry Post. Here, Military Police once stood guard checking vehicles coming in and out.
After securing your parking spot, your first stop should be the Visitor Center. We reccomend this because it’s packed with informative exhibits, a 22-minute park film, information desk, and a bookstore.
Hours for the visitor center are as follows:
Monday: 11am - 4pm
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: Closed
Friday: 11am - 4pm
Saturday: 11am - 4pm
Sunday: 11am - 4pm
If you arrive on a day or time that the Visitor Center is closed, you can still access the remainder of the park.
Fair warning, you may find some of the exhibits offensive. The one below in particular. However, it does give you a sense of how badly Japanese Americans were treated after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and during the war.
Honestly, we were ignorant to it. We didn’t understand the extent of it all and until we discovered Manzanar, we had no idea our country utilized camps like this. It was difficult for us to grasp.
Manzanar was the first of 10 of these camps and at its peak held more than 10,000 Japanese Americans, mostly from the Los Angeles area. The photo above gives you an idea of its original size.
The entire property was 6200 acres with the developed portion covering 540 acres. The residential area alone was around one square mile and was made up of 36 blocks of 20-foot by 100-foot apartment style barracks, housing up to 8 people each.
The barracks had partitions with no ceiling, providing little privacy. To make matters worse, both the latrines and showers were communal, providing no partitions or stalls. Many who were interned here have said the lack of privacy was one of the worst parts about it.
Block 14 & Barracks
In the back of the exhibit hall you’ll find a giant mural with the names of each person interned. Behind that, there’s an exit leading you to the next feature of the site; Block 14.
Block 14 consists of a mess hall, latrine, four barrack buildings (reconstructed in 2015), and a recreation area. The barrack exhibits describe the arrival process, loyalty questionnaire, the Block Manager’s Office, and the School.
The latrine is where you can see the rows of toilets and communal showers, giving you a sense of the camp’s harsh realities.
The mess hall was originally built in 1942 and was moved to Manzanar from Bishop Air Base in 2002. It’s nearly identical to the 36 mess halls that, between 1942 and 1945, served over 28 million meals.
The exhibits in Block 14 are open daily from 7:30am - 3pm (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas). The remainder of the site is open from dusk until dawn.
Cemetery Monument
After exploring the visitor center and block 14, we were running low on time. Neither of us expected to have this much to do. However, there was one more thing we wanted to check out before we left; the Cemetery Monument.
The monument was erected in 1943 by the people of Manzanar to honor the dead. The cemetery and monument were built just outside of the camp’s boundary and the three letters on the front of the monument translate to, “soul consoling tower”.
You’re more than welcome to enter the cemetery and photograph the monument, but keep in mind that this is an active cemetery with burials on site.
More than 145 Japanese Americans died while incarcerated here. Many were cremated and sent home for burial elsewhere, but 15 were ultimately buried here.
After the camp’s closure in 1945, some families would have the bodies removed and brought home. In 1999 National Park Service Archeologists confirmed the remains of five people still entombed here.
Manzanar Annual Pilgrimage
Every year on the last Saturday of April, an event called, “The Manzanar Pilgrimage”, is held. It began in 1969 when a small group of people wanted to bring awareness to the injustices that took place here and has now morphed into an event that welcomes people by the thousands.
It is held at the cemetery and features speeches by local tribe members, the NPS, politicians, and community activists. Dance and music performances are also featured throughout the event. Buddhist Priests and Christian Ministers attend to honor the bodies that remain.
We had the honor of attending the 49th annual event in 2018 and were moved by it. Being able to hear from the Daughter of someone incarcerated here gave me chills as she described her Mother’s struggle and plight. If you ever get a chance, we highly recommend attending.
Additional Information
Manzanar is FREE to visit! Again, free. No entry fee, parking fee, etc. As always, you could stop by the bookstore to make a purchase, donation, or both!
Be mindful of visitor center hours. The site itself is open from sunrise to sunset but the visitor center is only open from 11am-4pm and closed completely on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and most holidays.
Limited resources available. There are bathrooms in the visitor center but other things such as food and gas are limited to the surrounding towns of Lone Pine and Independence. Be sure to fill your tank before visiting.
Be respectful of the site. This site is highly historical and as such, is fully protected. Please don’t destroy or remove anything from the site. Also, you may come across families visiting their deceased loved ones at the cemetery. Be sure to give them space.
No EV charging stations. There are no charging stations at the site itself. However, there is a Tesla Supercharger 10-minutes away in Lone Pine.
No Drone use. As is the case with most NPS properties, Drone use is strictly prohibited.
Conclusion
Our visits to Manzanar were fantastic and we have no doubt you would love it as well, especially if you’re into history. Be sure to drop us a comment and let us know if you plan to visit Manzanar for yourself!
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Thank you for reading and safe travels!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October 2020 has recently been updated for comprehensiveness and accuracy.