Manzanar National Historic Site was established in 1992 to tell the stories of the relocation of Japanese Americans during World War II, as well as the centuries-long occupation of the area by Owens Valley Paiute, turn-of-the-century cattle ranching homesteads, and the Manzanar fruit orchard community of the early 1900s.

Future Projects: • “Adaptive restoration” of the historic auditorium to the new Interpretive Center is nearly complete! The center will include 8,000 square feet of exhibits, two small movie theaters, a bookstore, and park offices. The auditorium was originally constructed by internees in 1944 and utilized for high school and community gatherings such as dances, movies, recreational games, meetings and funerals.

• During the summer months, Manzanar employs local students in a Youth Conservation Crew (YCC) to remove debris from the historic orchards and clear historic foundations and ponds. Volunteer groups from Los Angeles and the Owens Valley also assist with important restoration efforts. Contact the park if you’d like information on volunteer opportunities.

• Other projects to be completed in the future include additional archeological surveys and the reconstruction, restoration or stabilization of two barracks, one guard tower, and internee-built gardens and ponds. Wayside exhibit panels will be developed for key outdoor locations for “then and now” views and interpretation of the site. The National Park Service also plans to develop a shared curatorial facility with the Eastern California Museum in Independence.

• Manzanar National Historic Site is working with interested individuals to develop a “Friends of Manzanar” group to collaborate with the National Park Service in completing important and exciting projects related to the preservation and management of the site. Contact the park for more information on how you can become involved.

Recent endeavors: • Design and development of interpretive exhibits and the 20-minute introductory film is nearly complete. The exhibits will focus on Manzanar War Relocation Center, and highlight earlier eras of the site’s history.

• In Spring 2003, a dozen volunteers entered data for a digital version of the War Relocation Authority’s Manzanar roster. The database, scheduled for completion later this year, will include 27 fields of information on the 11,061 Japanese Americans who were interned at Manzanar.

• In August, the auto tour road was improved with an environmentally friendly dust palliative. 80,000 gallons of a glue-like mixture were applied to the road. The historic entrance road past the sentry posts was repaved in October 2003. These projects minimize dust and ruts, while retaining the historic character of the roads.

• A “virtual tour” of Manzanar is available on the Manzanar National Historic Site website. The tour features forty-two 360-degree “Quick Time” images that allow web visitors to explore the Manzanar of today. Go to www.nps.gov/manz/virtualtour/tour. • A former mess hall was evaluated and found to retain sufficient historic integrity to be moved to the site in December, 2002. This mess hall is the first building of a “Demonstration Block” called for in Manzanar National Historic Site’s General Management Plan, approved in 1996. The National Park Service will pursue future funding to make the building safe and accessible for visitors.

• In 2003, nearly 50,000 people visited Manzanar National Historic Site.

For more information on these and other projects, visit our website at www.nps.gov/manz. Please address inquiries to: Superintendent, Manzanar National Historic Site, P.O. Box 426, Independence, CA 93526. Tel. 760-878-2932 or 760-878-2194. E-mail: manz_superintendent@nps.gov.
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