Colorado’s Amache National Historic Site is Officially The Nation’s Newest National Park

Amache National Historic Site became the country’s newest national park on Thursday.

Located in Granada, a town in southeastern Colorado, the site teaches visitors about Japanese American incarceration during World War II. 

Between 1942 and 1945, more than 10,000 people of Japanese heritage were unjustly incarcerated at the site, also known as Granada Relocation Center. The majority were U.S. citizens. 

Read on to learn about the history of Amache National Historic Site, what to expect when visiting, and about other national historic sites that preserve Japanese American history.

Designating Amache National Historic Site as a National Park

The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. It was further designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006.

President Biden signed the Amache National Historic Site Act in March 2022. The act allowed the National Park Service to work with the Town of Granada and other organizations to acquire land and establish the national historic site. 

Then, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland officially established the Amache National Historic Site on February 15, 2024. 

In a Department of the Interior press release, Haaland said, “As a nation, we must face the wrongs of our past in order to build a more just and equitable future. The Interior Department has the tremendous honor of stewarding America’s public lands and natural and cultural resources to tell a complete and honest story of our nation’s history.” 

She continued, “Today’s establishment of the Amache National Historic Site will help preserve and honor this important and painful chapter in our nation’s story for future generations.” 

Haaland visited the site two years ago to commemorate the 80th Day of Remembrance. The day marks when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the order allowing the U.S. Army to remove civilians from West Coast military zones and detain them. 

The Amache National Historic Site was established just days before the Day of Remembrance, which is observed on February 19th every year.

What to Expect When Visiting Amache National Historic Site

Amache National Historic Site is one of several Colorado national parks. It’s open from sunrise to sunset and is free to visit. 

It features a cemetery, a monument, and building foundations, plus reconstructed and rehabilitated buildings. Those structures include a barrack, a guard tower, a water tank, and a recreation hall. 

There are interpretive signs and an audio tour directs visitors to 11 points around the park. Amache Preservation Society student volunteers also give interpretive tours. 

An online directory by the University of Denver helps those with a personal connection to Amache National Historic Site to locate family barracks. It’s best to print out or save a screenshot of the barracks since cell phone service may be unavailable at the site. 

The park is located about 3 ½ hours from Denver, set in the Arkansas River Valley and on the High Plains. There are no restrooms, nor is there running water. The town of Granada is roughly two miles away. 

Granada is also home to the Amache Museum. It has more information on the Amache National Historic Site and those formerly incarcerated there. You can call the Amache Preservation Society to arrange a visit to the museum.

Other National Park Sites That Preserve Japanese American History During WWII

Amache National Historic Site was one of ten Japanese American incarceration sites established during World War II. Others are also preserved by the National Park Service, including Manzanar National Historic Site in California and Minidoka National Historic Site in Idaho. 

In total, the National Park Service maintains twelve sites that tell the stories of Japanese Americans during this period in history. 

Cover Photo: US Department of the Interior / Beth Schneider