Minidoka National Historic Site

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!

04/17/2026

It’s almost time! The Minidoka National Historic Site visitor center will open Friday, May 1st for the summer season. The visitor center will be open from May 1 – Sept. 27, 2026, Fridays – Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with ranger guided tours at 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Please arrive around 10:30 a.m. if you’re interested in signing up for a ranger guided tour as they are first come, first served.

Weather conditions at Minidoka can vary from extremely windy to hot and sunny. Please dress appropriately in layers, comfortable closed-toe walking shoes, and hats. Please also bring water, a bottle filling station and water fountains are located by the restrooms. Restrooms are accessible only while the visitor center is open.
Also:
Rattlesnakes and other wildlife may be present on or near trails.
Pets are not allowed on any park trails.
Help protect this important historic site by staying on trails and practicing Leave No Trace principles. Take only pictures, leave only footprints!

For more information visit nps.gov/miin.

04/09/2026

Saturday, April 25th will be our third annual volunteer day with Friends of Minidoka! Join us for a morning of beautifying the site in preparation for our summer season. For registration and more information, please go to minidoka.org. We hope to see you here!

We'd love your help getting Minidoka National Historic Site ready for the summer season! Come join us as we assist National Park staff with both weeding, cleaning, and general prep work before opening day on May 1st. Snacks and lunch will be provided. RSVP for the event: https://www.minidoka.org/event-details/volunteer-day-at-minidoka

🗓️: April 25 from 9:30am - 12:30pm
📍: Minidoka National Historic Site (1428 Hunt Road Jerome, ID)

02/23/2026

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument invites members of the public to learn more about the history of horses and Chinese communities in Idaho by participating in special programs that the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument will host and by visiting the park in 2026, which is the “Year of the Fire Horse” in the zodiac calendar used in many Asian cultures!

The Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, located between Boise and Twin Falls, preserves hundreds of species of three- to four-million-year-old plant and animal fossils, including the world’s largest assemblage of “Hagerman Horse” (Equus simplicidens) fossils. While the Hagerman Horse is native to North America, the genus Equus spread to Asia, and fossils similar to the Hagerman Horse have been found in China. Historic remnants of Chinese communities centered around gold mining and railroad industry work in the 1800s are still present in the area near the park.

The Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument will host one special in-person or virtual Year of the Fire Horse program each month, from February through September. A program schedule and additional details are available on the park website and in the attached flyer. Members of the public are also encouraged to visit the park, which is still an active site where paleontologists continue to conduct research and discover new fossils. Visitor information is available on the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument website at https://www.nps.gov/hafo/index.htm

02/19/2026

On the Day of Remembrance, we commemorate Feb. 19, 1942, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the removal and incarceration of people of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast during World War II.

More than 120,000 individuals were affected, including approximately 13,000 who were incarcerated at Minidoka War Relocation Center between 1942 and 1945. Many lost homes, businesses, and livelihoods. Nearly 1,000 from Minidoka served in the U.S. Army.

Established in 2001, Minidoka National Historic Site preserves this history and shares the stories of those who experienced it.

“This is not just a Japanese American story, but an American story with implications for the world.” — Dr. Frank Kitamoto, Minidoka survivor

02/05/2026

Minidoka National Historic Site is recruiting for summer 2026 interns! This paid opportunity through Northwest Youth Corps is geared towards future park rangers, maintenance workers, historians, teachers, and community leaders!

We are recruiting for positions in the Archeology, Facilities Management, and Interpretation/Education fields – for additional information and details, please click on the link for the position you’re interested in. Be sure to submit your application by 2/28 for first consideration!

Archaeology Technician Internships: https://nwyouthcorps.workbrightats.com/jobs/1276952

Maintenance and Facilities Management Internships: https://nwyouthcorps.workbrightats.com/jobs/1276065

Interpretation, Education, and Facilities Management Internships: https://nwyouthcorps.workbrightats.com/jobs/1276050

01/06/2026

On January 17th, 2001, the Minidoka National Historic Site (then called the Minidoka Internment National Monument) was established through a presidential proclamation as the 385th unit of the national park system. To commemorate Minidoka National Historic Site's 25th anniversary, Friends of Minidoka and NPS will be at the Egyptian Theater in Boise on Jan 17, 2026, for a night of Healing and Remembrance.

10/14/2025

82 years ago, the Minidoka Honor Roll was erected, dedicating a space to honor those who served from Minidoka in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Originally a single panel, the Honor Roll displayed 414 names of young men serving in the armed forces from Hunt Camp. A handful of incarcerees played key roles in seeing this project to the end. Head carpenter Yutaka Akiyoshi, artists Kamekichi Tokita and Kenjiro Nomura, and garden designer, Fujitaro Kubota.

Today, the Honor Roll has three panels to not only honor the men who served but also the women and people in non-combat positions. Staff at Southern Idaho parks have also started a new project to replant around the Honor Roll and bring it back to its former glory. For more information on the Honor Roll please visit: https://www.nps.gov/miin/learn/historyculture/minidokas-honor-roll.htm