Manzanar National Historic Site

"This is a hidden gym. Definitely worth stopping and taking a look at. From the park ranger that greeted us as we entered. To the self-guided tour. This was a phenomenal experience. I highly recommend for anyone to stop stretch your legs and take a look around. The entry-fee. Is FREE."

"We visited on a very windy day in summer. You could hear the voices of everyone who was forced to live there in the wind. The museum is well-organized and comprehensive. Clean bathrooms. Well worth stopping here."

"There is a lot of history here. Sad to read some of the facts and see how we treated Japanese people. It was a really well kept museum though. My family and I briefly stopped here on the way home on a road trip so I didn't see everything but it blew my mind to imagine 10,000 people in the little barracks. Worth the stop even for just a bit"

"Sad and moving to be in the actual barracks, mess hall, and classroom, to pay respects at the cemetery, to feel the shame of bigotry that persists. The historical context available in the original community building is balanced and deep and essential. The ranger and volunteer there during our visit were welcoming and informative."

"I've heard and seen of Manzanar on documentaries for years and have been wanting to come and see for myself. Well we finally made it and to me it was well worth the time to stop and visit even in 107 degrees. The historical value of showing how fear and racism could envelop a country, because of the color of their skin or shape of their eyes was a tragedy. Being there, reading their stories, seeing their pictures, looking at all the names of the individuals that were interned there was sad. I actually got choked up to know that our own government did this to this to their own citizens. They had to get rid of all their possessions and take only what they could carry on their backs... sad. Being able to tour and walk a little(because of the heat) of the camp doesn't do justice because there isn't much standing except replicas of a few buildings. But after seeing documentaries, visiting the visitor center, reading and listening to their stories gives you an idea what it felt like to be there. We walked a little, sat at some benches and just imagined what they must've gone thru, truth is we couldn't, it had an eerie sound when the breeze blew. We want to go back when it's cooler and walk the compound, yes it looks huge but that's with no buildings so you could only imagine what it looked like with the many buildings and over 10,000 people. If you haven't been there I suggest you do go, it really does give you a perspective of what fear does to people, especially in today's environment."