Friends of Minidoka is recruiting volunteers to help prepare the Minidoka National Historic Site for its seasonal opening on May 1.
The volunteer day is scheduled for April 25 at 9:30 a.m. in Hunt, Idaho. Participants will assist site staff with indoor and outdoor tasks to ready the visitor center and grounds for public access.
What Volunteers Will Do
Volunteers will handle a range of preparation chores at the historic site. Both indoor cleaning tasks and outdoor maintenance work are on the agenda. The organization will provide snacks and lunch for participants.
The Minidoka National Historic Site preserves the location of one of ten camps where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II. The site includes reconstructed structures, including a guard tower built by Boise State University engineering students, as all original towers were destroyed after the war ended.
How to Participate
Those interested in volunteering can RSVP through the Friends of Minidoka organization. The volunteer effort represents an annual tradition of community support for maintaining and operating the historic site.
The site opens to visitors each spring and closes during winter months. This year’s May 1 opening will mark the beginning of the 2026 visitor season.
About the Historic Site
Minidoka National Historic Site stands as a reminder of the forced relocation and detention of American citizens and legal residents of Japanese ancestry during the Second World War. The site serves educational purposes, helping visitors understand this chapter of American history.
The location in Hunt draws visitors from across the country, including participants in the annual Minidoka Pilgrimage, which brings together former detainees, their descendants, and others seeking to honor those affected by the wartime incarceration policy.
What Comes Next
The volunteer day on April 25 will prepare the facility for public visitors starting May 1. Friends of Minidoka continues to accept volunteer sign-ups ahead of the work day. The organization relies on community support to maintain the site and support National Park Service operations at the location.