Near Independence in Inyo County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
A Community's Living Room
Manzanar National Historic Site
In just five months, internee carpenters transformed standard government blueprints into a community auditorium for more than 5,000 people still confined here in June 1944.
With a stage, locker rooms, and projection booth, the 14,000 sq. ft. building changed the way Manzanar gathered. Concerts, lectures, Japanese American cultural activities and physical education classes filled its calendar---and often its 1,280-seat capacity. Tickets for dances, talent shows, and movie nights were 5 cents for children, 25 cents for adults, 50 cents for camp staff and “everyone else.”
Erected by National Park Service-United States Department of the Interior.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Civil Rights • War, World II.
Location. 36° 43.672′ N, 118° 8.866′ W. Marker is near Independence, California, in Inyo County. Memorial is on Manzanar Reward Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5001 Highway 395 (Entrance to the Site), Independence CA 93526, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Manzanar (within shouting distance of this marker); Manzanar Baseball Field (approx. 0.2 miles away); Icon of Confinement (approx. 0.2 miles away); Weaving for the War (approx. 0.4 miles away); Legacy (approx. 0.8 miles away); Sacred Space (approx. 0.8 miles away); Alabama Gates (approx. 4.4 miles away); Kearsarge Station (approx. 5.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Independence.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 15, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 1, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 656 times since then and 16 times this year. Last updated on August 31, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. Photos: 1. submitted on June 15, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 2. submitted on December 1, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 3. submitted on June 15, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 4, 5. submitted on December 1, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.