Project Links
Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation
Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program » Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation » Document List
After purchasing fifty acres of original relocation camp land in 2001, the Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation (HMWF) decided to invoke the "Power of Place" with the construction of an Interpretive Learning Center (ILC). Every year, HMWF administers over 2,500 guided tours of the site to educational groups and visitors. The site receives between 7-10,000 visitors every year and is projected to grow with the completion of the ILC. As part of this project, the ILC will provide education on Japanese American internment history by emphasizing constitutional issues, civil liberties, diversity, and ethnic understanding. With nearly Phase I of construction completed, the HMWF will receive $292,253 in funding to support Phase II of development. Phase I of the project included construction of 7,000 square feet of the ILC complex, installation of the power line, and construction of the road base for the main parking lot. Phase II will expand the facility and address issues of limited exhibit space. The grant award will fund construction of the Phase II shell, the completion of the remaining civil construction and the exterior site infrastructure associated with the parking lot lighting and landscaping. Once finished, the ILC will span 11,000 square feet and serve as a powerful on-site location for educating visitors on the importance of never again denying civil liberties by connecting them to the experiences of Heart Mountain internees. The ILC project will be part of an entire complex that houses a Memorial Garden, a restored Military Honor Roll and flagpole, an eight-station interpretive walking trail, a KIA plaque dedicated to those killed in service, and four original camp buildings.