Idaho’s National Historic Site where more than 9,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II will hold a grand opening of its newly renovated visitor center.
The Minidoka National Historic Site, located at 1428 Hunt Rd. in Jerome, will open the doors of the visitor center from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22.
The visitor center includes a bookstore, a theater showing a new park film, a new exhibit on the history of the Japanese American incarceration, and an exhibit on first-generation pioneers, titled “The Issei: A Legacy of Courage.”
Formerly, the site’s visitor center was housed in Warehouse No. 5, which was also the site’s auto repair shop.
The historic site contains an original guard tower, barracks and mess hall buildings from the days when Japanese Americans were incarcerated during the war.
The visitor center’s regular winter hours after its grand opening are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit: https://www.nps.gov/miin/index.htm