Heart Mountain Interpretive Center
Heart Mountain Interpretive Center
5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The Heart Mountain Interpretive Center is located at the site of a former World War II Japanese American Relocation Camp. Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese Americans on the West Coast were rounded up and confined in 10 camps around the country. One of these was located at Heart Mountain, and approximately 14,000 Japanese Americans were wrongly incarcerated here. The camp today features a museum, gallery, walking tour, original Relocation Camp structures and a World War II Memorial. The museum features interactive exhibits for visitors of all ages showing how Japanese Americans coped with unjust confinement and how the story of Japanese American imprisonment affects our lives today. A 14-minute introductory film plays several times each hour.
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- Amber HSt. Petersburg, Florida61 contributionsHuge eye-opener. Great for families.This was an eye-opening adventure! Great hands on experiences, especially for our family with teens and a toddler. The movie was is a wonderful overview, very inspiring to hear stories from survivors. We also enjoyed the fact that there is an interactive museum that is indoors and then a small 30 minute walk for outdoor exhibits. We would definitely recommend touring this museum.Visited May 2023Traveled with familyWritten May 30, 2023
- Traveller68845Seward, Nebraska127 contributionsHumblingExtremely thought provoking that we as a nation could have done this to many of our citizens. The center is a work in progress, but the exhibits are very informative and beg for a return visit in the future. The Native American's presentation of the area and the heritage of the Crow tribes.Visited July 2023Written July 23, 2023
- techgmuChester, Virginia450 contributionsJust incredibleThis is an amazing place to visit. My partner is half Japanese, so we were really excited to stumble on this place. We spent HOURS in there, as the story and history is amazing. We had NO IDEA that these places existed. We were here for the a national Parks, but spent a day doing this instead. I highly recommend this.Visited May 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten August 6, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
299 reviews
Excellent
270
Very good
25
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4
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Julia X
Seattle, WA33 contributions
Aug 2020
This is a very well done museum that covers a sad and shameful piece of American history in a sensitive and fair manner. Great staff. They are enacting great protocols for social distancing and masking...unlike much of Wyoming,
Written August 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jayco26foot
Birmingham, AL64 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Excellent exhibit in many ways , but takes a very long time to read everything presented. Unable to concentrate on reading the different parts of the exhibit due to noise from conversations coming from the entry area.
We were very disappointed that the barrack tour was not given the day we went. We called the day before spoke to a employee just to confirm a tour would be given on Labor Day specifically. The employee said it would be given on the holiday. Our frustration was that we drove over four hours to see it.
Suggestions:
1 Make it an audio exhibit
2) Number the various exhibits so you can view in a logical order.
3) Address the noise issue.
4) Update the answering service recording to be accurate. It gave inaccurate information.
We were very disappointed that the barrack tour was not given the day we went. We called the day before spoke to a employee just to confirm a tour would be given on Labor Day specifically. The employee said it would be given on the holiday. Our frustration was that we drove over four hours to see it.
Suggestions:
1 Make it an audio exhibit
2) Number the various exhibits so you can view in a logical order.
3) Address the noise issue.
4) Update the answering service recording to be accurate. It gave inaccurate information.
Written September 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amber H
St. Petersburg, FL61 contributions
May 2023 • Family
This was an eye-opening adventure! Great hands on experiences, especially for our family with teens and a toddler. The movie was is a wonderful overview, very inspiring to hear stories from survivors. We also enjoyed the fact that there is an interactive museum that is indoors and then a small 30 minute walk for outdoor exhibits. We would definitely recommend touring this museum.
Written May 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane G
Tehachapi, CA33 contributions
Jun 2020 • Couples
This museum is kept up well and offers a lot of good information. It is priced well for what you get. My one real complaint issue with this place was that the posted hours did not match the advertised hours and we had less than an hour to race through the place. Staff was unapologetic about it to us and the other 2 groups that arrived near closing. The other two groups expressed surprise at the shortened hours two and got the same treatment. We were told that the shortened hours were due to COViD, and offered no explanation beyond that. If we had the full time and I wasn’t rushed I probably would have spent another 20 minutes going through the exhibits. I had to pick and choose a focus due to being rushed. I noticed the restrooms were cleaned and closed up before they closed too. I am unsure if you were allowed to get close or explore the out buildings up the road, the weeds were pretty high , so my guess is no. I would say budget about an hour and a half if you are the type to read most of the information in exhibits. This is worth the stop, but if showing up later perhaps call and check the hours.
Written June 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveller68845
Seward, NE127 contributions
Jul 2023
Extremely thought provoking that we as a nation could have done this to many of our citizens. The center is a work in progress, but the exhibits are very informative and beg for a return visit in the future. The Native American's presentation of the area and the heritage of the Crow tribes.
Written July 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
themick73
Topeka, KS33 contributions
Aug 2021
This small museum is a somber reminder of a not-so-glorious time in America's past. It is definitely a good 1-2 hour activity, especially for those who like military or American history. Many (most/all?) of the exhibits are written from the first person perspective, which gives a lot of impact to the words and stories. The staff was friendly, masked and the place was clean.
Written August 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
97ozhappy
Alexandria, VA133 contributions
Aug 2021
I was really looking forward to seeing this example of one of America's worst decisions in WWII. Pure prejudice forced over 100,000 American citizens (men, women and even children) into internment/concentration camps just because of who they were. A huge blot on America's idea of justice and fair play. Even then many of the young men served and died in the military, their unit becoming one of the most decorated ones in WWII. The camp was torn down long ago (the military trying to hide the evidence?) and all that was left were a couple of out buildings. The center was full of great information explaining what happened and why, how it looked, how these people lived, worked, went to school. We were lucky to have a survivor talk to us about his personal experience which really brought it home. One of the best places I've seen in years.
Written September 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dell53
Denver, CO16 contributions
Jun 2020 • Couples
We found this educational center to be well worth our time. Beautifully presented in a thoughtful and non-biased way. So many Americans don’t know about this time in history and how awful the American Japanese were treated. I wish this museum was on the list of Cody museums. It’s a short drive. More people should experience this museum. So glad we went!
Written August 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Buzz & Tia
28 contributions
Oct 2022
Though the museum was closed for the season, we still walked around the sites, read all the information signage. So important to remember our history, even the not-so-great parts of it. Was especially moved by the memorial to those men and women who signed up and served in the U.S. Military even after being interred here!
Written October 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen B
Lilburn, GA53 contributions
Jul 2021
The Heart Mountain Interpretive Center should be on every US citizen's bucket list. We actually had a docent/speaker who was interred in the camp as a child. He spoke to us and answered questions for over an hour, and I could have listened to him for 4 hours. The museum was very informative and interactive. They now have an app for your phone for you to go and see the actual camp. Please, everyone go and see this site. It is one that I will never forget.
Written July 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
muttnut
Maryland71 contributions
Hi, we'll be traveling with our dog. Are parts of Heart Mountain dog friendly? I'm sure she's not allowed inside, but what about the grounds?
Buzz & Tia
28 contributions
I didn't see any signage to indicate pets were not allowed. I would note you should check with the place before visiting. Pretty sure the museum portion is closed for the season. We found many places were only open May-September
kkb333
Boston, MA9 contributions
How long should I expect to spend here?
Richard R
Westminster, CO921 contributions
Plan on spending 2 to 3 hours on site. We have visited Manzanar and without a doubt Heart Mountain gives you a much better understanding of what the American Citizens of Japanese descent had to endure being sent to internment camps in the interior of the United States during World War II. Do not miss driving up on the bluff to get a feeling of the desolation the internees faced when they first arrived at the camp.
jeanbJ6420YN
Poway, CA4 contributions
My father was interned at Heart Mountain. I wanted to go with my husband to the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center this summer during the pilgrimage (end of July). I would like more information about the best way to fly in from San Diego, CA. I would also like to take a trip to Yellowstone afterwards, and would like to find out the best way of getting there as well.
The closest airport to the center (13 miles) is the Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody, Wyoming. You can usually find a flight here with just a short layover in Denver or Salt Lake City.
The East Gate to Yellowstone National Park is approximately 50 miles west of Cody. It's a scenic drive, and you can either rent a car or charter a tour. The Cody Chamber of Commerce can be very helpful in planning your trip to Yellowstone, and I encourage you to get in touch with them.
We look forward to seeing you at the Pilgrimage!
ohiomama4
North Canton, OH9 contributions
We are planning an RV trip from Ohio to Yellowstone. This place wasn't even on our radar until we saw Alligenace last week at the theatre. How long should we allow to tour. There are 6 of us--2 parents and 4 kids ages 22-14.
We recommend giving yourself at least 90 minutes to visit the museum and grounds, but many guests stay for 2 hours or more. We look forward to your visit!
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Claim your listingHeart Mountain Interpretive Center - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Heart Mountain Interpretive Center
- Heart Mountain Interpretive Center is open:
- Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Hotels near Heart Mountain Interpretive Center:
- (1.41 mi) Heart Strings Ranch, Nestled on the Eastern flanks of Heart Mountain!
- (1.66 mi) Guest house with breath-taking views of Heart Mountain
- (2.03 mi) Your home away from home
- (2.61 mi) Big Quiet Camping
- (7.20 mi) Cody Trout Ranch Camp