Original Structure
Heart Mountain Barrack
A complete, full-length barrack built at the “Heart Mountain Relocation Center” during World War II has come “home” to the National Historic Landmark site. With a tremendous response from individual donors and organizations, the barrack has been rescued from demolition near Shell, Wyoming—about 80 miles from Heart Mountain. Scroll down for the history of this building, ways to support the project, and guided film walk-throughs of the barrack.
History of the Heart Mountain Barrack
After being moved from Heart Mountain, it was one of several barracks that the city of Greybull, WY used for veteran’s housing. It endured another move to the ISU geology field station in Shell, WY, in 1958.
Because it had been cut into three sections during these two previous moves, the building had to be moved back to Heart Mountain in three pieces to ensure its structural integrity. To maintain historical accuracy at the Heart Mountain site, the barrack has returned to where there once stood five barracks as part of the Military Police complex.
It will now remain a fixture of the landscape that can speak not only to the Japanese American confinement during World War II but the extended Big Horn Basin history.
Barracks Films
The Heart Mountain camp did not just vanish when the Japanese Americans left. Former Executive Director Dakota Russell explores the story of what happened to the Heart Mountain barracks in the years after the camp closed.
Filmed in 2021
The Heart Mountain confinement site had approximately 450 residential barracks. Former VISTA Museum Educator Genesis Ranel introduces the original barrack recently returned to the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, as well as barrack life.
Filmed in 2021
Correction from the film: The barrack was sold to the town of Greybull, WY, and then moved to Shell, WY, to house students from Iowa State University.
