Minidoka National Historic Site

10/01/2026

That's a wrap on the 2026 season at Minidoka National Historic Site!

Thank you to everyone who visited, volunteered, partnered, learned, reflected, and shared stories with us this summer.

As the visitor center closes for the fall and winter season, here’s a look back at some of the highlights from 2026:

In May, six incredible Northwest Youth Corps interns joined the Minidoka team, supporting visitor center operations, facilities management, and cultural resources.

Throughout the summer, new bookstore products made their debut, along with a special design created in partnership with our Visual Information Specialist and Friends of Minidoka to celebrate Minidoka National Historic Site’s 25th anniversary.

In July, nearly 300 descendants, survivors, and friends gathered for the annual Minidoka Pilgrimage for a powerful weekend of remembrance, connection, and reflection.

And! All summer long, interpretive programs held with Friends of Minidoka offered new opportunities to learn about Minidoka’s history including new displays highlighting Arthur and Edith Kleinkopf and their influence on education at camp.

Most of all, thank you to every visitor, volunteer, partner, descendant, survivor, and community member who helped make the 2026 season meaningful and memorable.

We look forward to welcoming you back when the visitor center reopens in May 2027!

For more information about visiting Minidoka when the visitor center is closed, visit https://www.nps.gov/miin/index.htm

09/18/2026

WWII Across America's National Parks: Minidoka National Historic Site

During World War II, approximately 13,000 people of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated at the “Minidoka War Relocation Center,” located in the southern Idaho desert. It was one of ten War Relocation Authority (WRA) camps and operated from August 1942 to October 1945.

Minidoka incarcerees from Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and other locations demonstrated their loyalty to their country while enduring their time at Minidoka in different ways. Many Nisei (second generation Japanese Americans) volunteered to serve in the U.S. military to defend freedoms and rights of others overseas while their own and those of their families were denied at home, as they were incarcerated despite never being formally charged with a crime and without due process.

Of the ten WRA camps, Minidoka had the highest number of incarcerees volunteer to serve in the military. To acknowledge those who served, Minidoka incarcerees designed and built an Honor Roll at the entrance to the camp. Erected in October 1943, the original Honor Roll displayed only the names of men who served in combat roles. Nisei men served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and 100th Battalion, which included men of Japanese ancestry from Hawaii as well as those incarcerated at WRA camps including Minidoka, Tule Lake, Manzanar, Poston, Gila River, Heart Mountain, Topaz, Jerome, Rohwer, and Amache National Historic Site.

Over the years, the Honor Roll has been updated to better reflect the magnitude of incarcerees’ military service. Today, it includes the names of men and women who served in both combat and non-combat roles in units such as the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), Military Intelligence Service (MIS), and Nurse Cadet Corps.

Sisters Emiko and Rose Tanada were among the first Japanese American women to enlist in the WAC in January 1945 at the ages of 24 and 21 respectively. They left their parents and three younger siblings in Block 30, Barrack 10, Room B at Minidoka behind when they left the camp in July 1944 to start jobs in Chicago, Illinois as some incarcerees were permitted to do. Their military service would take them from Chicago, Illinois, to Fort Snelling, Minnesota; Fort Des Moines, Iowa; and Wakeman General Hospital at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. In May 1945, Rose was able to travel to Minidoka and visit her family for eight days before returning to duty at the Woodrow Wilson General Hospital in Staunton, Virginia.

Other stories of Nisei soldiers include Private First Class Kiyoshi Muranaga from Amache National Historic Site.

Photo Credits:
1: Elementary students and teachers holding small flags at Minidoka War Relocation Center. Wing Luke Museum, Hatate Collection.
2: Historic Map of Minidoka. Densho.org.
3: Minidoka under construction. Densho.org, Friends of Minidoka War Relocation Authority Collection.
4: Original Honor Roll in 1943 near the military police entrance and administrative area. Densho.org, Friends of Minidoka War Relocation Authority Collection.
5: WAC stands in front of Honor Roll in 1944-1945. Densho.org, Friends of Minidoka War Relocation Authority Collection.
6: Edith Kodama, Mary Nakamura, Emi Ichida (Tanada), Rose Tanada, Ft. Snelling Minnesota. Japanese American Museum of Oregon, Rose and Mike Michigami Collection.
7: Portraits of Emiko Tanada and Rose Tanada. Courtesy of Donna Foster and Michigami Family.
8: 80 WAC in front of detachment hall at Ft. Snelling, MN. Edith (Kodama) Divelbiss, Barbara (Misama) Fukunaga, B. Shizuye Furuhashi, Matsuko (Kido) Harada, Yuye (Furutani) Herman, Harriet Hirakama, Haruka (Sugi) Hurt, Emiko (Tanada) Ichida, Kathy Iseri, Chito Isunaga, Funai (Seguma) Ito, Florence (Kaneshiro) Kahapes, Hideko Kanda, Sue (Ogata) Kato, Frances (Iritani) Kawano, Ruth (Hanashiro) Kirby, Martha (Kawamura) Kishi, Rhonda Knudtsen (married name unknown), Unayo Kojima, Alice Kono, Frannie Meyer, Rose (Tanada) Michigami, Mickey Minata, Aiko (Ura) Mori, Atsuko (Mori) Moriuchi, Mary Nakamura (married name unknown), Terry Nakanishi, Marjorie (Hada) Nakayama, H. Elaine Oda, Kay Ogura, Blanche M. (Sakata) Runem, Kisa (Noguchi) Sasaki, Marian (Lieppert) Schuegel, Alice Shimayama (married name unknown), S. Bea Shikina, Linda (Tanaka) Stapleton, Millie Tamashiro, K. Tanaka, Sue (Shinagawa) Tanguey, Irene Tanigaki, Dr. Tamie Tsuchiyama, T. Uetake, Iris Watanabe, Bertha (Chin) Wong, Hisako Yamash*ta, Miwako Yamamoto. Minnesota Historical Society.
9: 80 WAC in front of detachment hall at Ft. Snelling, MN with their names listed in alphabetical order. Minnesota Historical Society.
10: WAC parade at Ft. Snelling. Minnesota Historical Society.



nps.gov/miin
nps.gov/amch
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/worldwarii/visit.htm

07/26/2026

As July comes to a close, we would like to highlight the 2026 Minidoka Pilgrimage that took place Friday, July 10 – Sunday, July 12. Through the combined care and thoughtful planning of the Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee, Friends of Minidoka, and the National Park Service (NPS), the annual Pilgrimage offered a healing experience to 240 survivors, descendants, families, and friends.

As we celebrate our 25th anniversary as a National Park unit, we are mindful of the dedicated work done before us to preserve this history for future generations and committed to continuing those efforts. Guided by the NPS mission to educate and inspire this and future generations, the annual Pilgrimage provides an opportunity to learn about the trauma incarcerees endured and recognize the importance of Issei (first generation Japanese immigrants) phrases such as “Kodomo no tame ni,” for the sake of the children, and “Ni do to nai you ni,” let it not happen again.

We sincerely thank each and every one of our community members who journeyed to the Minidoka National Historic Site to participate in the Pilgrimage this year. Okagesame de, we are because of you.

07/17/2026

07/17/2026

07/17/2026

06/29/2026

Minidoka National Historic Site will be hosting the annual Pilgrimage July 10 through 12. While rangers take care of the 300 Pilgrims visiting the site, the Visitor Center will remain open for normal hours. However, the Saturday public ranger guided tour will be held at 1 pm instead of 11 am. During this time, please plan accordingly. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this important weekend.

Visitor Center schedule for Pilgrimage Weekend July 10 - 12, 2026:
Friday 7/10 – Visitor Center open 10 am – 5 pm.
Saturday 7/11 – Visitor Center open 10 am – 5 pm. Ranger guided tour at 1 pm.
Sunday 7/12 – Visitor Center open 10 am – 5 pm. Ranger guided tour at regular time, 11 am.

05/20/2026

May is an important month at Minidoka National Historic Site. On May 1, we opened our visitor center for the season and began observing Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

This month offers an opportunity to honor the diverse histories, cultures, and communities of AANHPI people in Idaho and across the United States. It also invites reflection on the experiences of the approximately 13,000 people of Japanese ancestry who were unjustly incarcerated at Minidoka during World War II. Despite forced removal and confinement, many demonstrated resilience, building community, sustaining families, and contributing their labor in southern Idaho and beyond.

AANHPI people have played a profoundly important role in American and Idaho history. Here at Minidoka, many incarcerees helped transform the high desert of southern Idaho into arable, productive farmland. They worked at farm labor camps in Kooskia, Rupert, Shelly, and Paul and helped to build the Anderson Ranch Dam. The contributions of Minidoka incarcerees were vital to the development of Idaho’s agriculture industry, which remains a top sector of the state’s economy.

We invite you to explore the stories preserved at Minidoka and throughout the National Park System, representing people with roots in India, China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Hawaiʻi, Samoa, Tonga, and many other nations and Pacific communities. Learn more at Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (U.S. National Park Service).

05/01/2026

Today is the day! The Minidoka National Historic Site visitor center opens for the summer season at 10 am. The visitor center is open May 1 - September 27, 2026, Fridays - Sundays, from 10 am - 5 pm. With ranger guided tours at 11 am on Saturdays and Sundays.

04/24/2026

The southern Idaho parks Integrated Resource team has planted native, water-wise basin big sagebrush and rubber rabbitbrush in the parking islands at the visitor center to stabilize the soil and help prevent invasion of non-native plants. Native species have a better chance of success in this dry, arid landscape and provide valuable habitat for the creatures who call this place home. You can help us protect park resources by staying on designated trails and sidewalks!