A stark wooden guard tower alerts drivers to one of the darkest chapters in US history, which unfolded on a barren and windy sweep of land some 5 miles south of Independence. Little remains of the infamous war concentration camp, a dusty square mile where more than 10,000 people of Japanese ancestry were corralled during WWII following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The camp’s lone remaining building, the former high-school auditorium, houses a superb interpretive center.
A visit here is one of the historical highlights of the state and should not be missed. Watch the 20-minute documentary, then explore the thought-provoking exhibits chronicling the stories of the families that languished here but were still able to build a vibrant community. Afterwards, take a self-guided 3.2-mile driving tour around the grounds, which includes a re-created mess hall and barracks, vestiges of buildings and gardens, as well as the haunting camp cemetery.
