Highly recommend taking the time and extra side trip to visit the museum to honor Japanese Americans who were forced into the camps. Topaz is one of 10 interment camps during WWII (there is a display of all 10 interments plus other detention facilities set up in the US). We got lucky when we showed up because a Weber University group was there so the tour had lots of people. Enhanced the experience tenfold. Our family went to honor many people but especially during Veterans weekend to honor the 'Go for Broke' 100th Infantry/442nd battalion of Japanese Americans who fought and saved lives during WWII. There was a very generous tribute to them in the museum. The museum is in town and the old interment camp (Topaz Mountain- not on a mountain) which housed the Japanese is about 20min drive away. Tours of the camp are given also. Or go after the museum to experience the desolate place for yourself. Free admission, great little gift shop with books, cards and other items. Books written by camp survivors. Loads of personal belongings donated by the survivors and people continue to send items to share. My pic does not even scratch the surface of what there is to see. There is a virtual tour online also Yes, it's bit off the beaten track (wasn't that the point in 1941) but the area has grown some since WWII. It was chosen because it was remote but also was on the train tracks with a direct line from LA to SLC. On your way out, grab a little origami crane for peace and remembrance. We plan on visiting again!! read more

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The museum and staff were very interesting! It was unbelievable what happened to these American people. There were 2 short videos, and several rooms with art and clothes, and items from the barracks. It was great. Everyone should visit. read more

Highly recommend. Important history for everyone, regardless of age or belief. Humanity. Strength. Resilience. Kindness. Peace. Dedication.... Lessons My father was interned at Topaz, Utah. Prior to visiting, I emailed the museum and Jane Beckwith arranged to take us to the actual site where we could see where his block was. Jane herself is a legend. Because of her efforts with her English class at Delta high school, this museum was born. She is the driving force behind this museum inception and is kind, hard working, dedicated, compassionate and strong. And determined! Can only imagine what she's faced in a small town to erect this museum. We owe a debt of gratitude to her. Check this place out yourself. It's free! There's videos, interactive displays, artifacts. Highly recommend! Arigato! read more

Very impressive museum. It was free and definitely worth the stop. Interesting exhibits. read more

Topaz Museum - Museums Near Me - Delta, Utah

05/16/22 - On our way back to Salt Lake City from Zion National Park we made a point of going to Topaz Museum. Topaz is a museum dedicated to the Japanese Americans that were placed in the Topaz internment camp during World War II. Topaz is one of 10 camps that were used for internment camps. There were 10,000 Japanese Americans in this camp. My aunt & her family were here in one of the many barrack type structures on the site. I was able to find her & her family in one of the binders on a table in the front reception. Many of my relatives were in one of the 10 camps For me personally I have known of these camps but this was the first time I was able to actually go to one and see the documentation of their life in Topaz. Excellent museum that documents the life of the Japanese Americans in this camp in Topaz Utah. All told there were 10 internment camps that housed 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. Being a third generation/Sansei Japanese American I have been aware of these camps my whole life but this was the first time I have actually seen the conditions that my ancestors were forced to live in. Under executive order 9066 signed by President Franklin D Roosevelt in February 1942 people of Japanese descent were required to report to these detention camps. Inside the museum there is a registry of the 10,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned there. I found my aunt & her family that were in Topaz during the war. My mom, her siblings & parents were in Posten AZ. This was the largest camp w/over 17,000 prisoners My dads brothers were in Minidoka ID while my dad served in the 442 the most highly decorated unit composed of mostly second generation or Nisei Japanese Americans. The 442nd Regiment has been recognized as the most highly decorated unit in American history. They earned more than 18,000 awards, including 9,500 Purple Hearts, 5,200 Bronze Star Medals, 588 Silver Stars, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, 7 Distinguished Unit Citations, and one Congressional Medal of Honor. Go Figure while the Japanese Americans fight for their country the rest are in internment camps. read more

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Wow, my visit to the Topaz Museum was a last minute decision and I am forever grateful I decided to stop. It is free, but they do accept donations which I highly suggest. There were two men working that day and they made it an experience and a tour. First you sit in the theatre and watch two 7-min long short films that are incredibly moving and give you a real look into what life was like for the prisoners at the camp. Then, you go out to learn more. It is not just a self guided experience... I had a 1:1 tour guide the whole time. He walked me through the exhibit giving me a wealth of history and also answered all of the questions I had. He was so knowledgeable and knew all of the answers to my questions. It was surreal going into one of the old buildings they preserved. This experience gave me a clear picture of a terrible historic event that is breezed over in school. read more

We drove by this place and quickly turned around and came inside. What a surprise. This is an amazing, well organized museum. I was impressed with the short movies. We learned that there are only two home movies in the Library of Congress; one is the home movie made inside Topaz Camp. Can you guess what the second home movie is ... the JFK assassination. We got lucky and tagged along on a road field trip to Topaz. Wow! Scott Bassett was a great tour guide. We could've spent all day at this informative museum. Everyone should know and understand the history of the Japanese Internment Camps. read more

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Incredible. Everyone passing through Delta needs to stop here. Gorgeous museum featuring an important time in American history.

We wanted to visit the visitor center next-door but they did not have much information. We noticed the museum was open so we decided to go check it out. I am glad we did! The museum is free which is nice, but they do have a box that encourages donations. The sweet lady working the counter told us some stories and walked us through some of the exhibits. We were kind of rushed because the museum closed within a half hour of arriving. The lady was super nice and told us not to hurry however we didn't wanna keep her too long. I always like to learn history and this one is a tough one to understand of how the American Government would lock up Japanese people in concentration camps out of fear. This museum has a lot of exhibits and a lot of good information to read about. You get to know some of the people and how it affected them from being ripped out of their homes not knowing where they are going and living a life out in the deserts of Utah. I only took pictures of some of the art that they did out there to pass time. These are seashells or seeds that they would make into these amazing artwork. There are stories of them making amazing furniture and many other things out of scraps of wood. There are some video presentations and other things as well. Even if you are not in the area, a days drive out here would be worth it. read more

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Really, we were just looking for a decent stop on a 100+ degree day driving through town and whoooaaa was Topaz an unexpected and wonderful find. The docents are well informed and the space is beautiful. The displays manage to capture the shameful tragedy of the very existence of the Japanese internment camps while also celebrating the many ways the prisoners managed to create community and do whatever they could to thrive in a harsh landscape while wrongly detained. So many of the survivors were Californians and I wish we had such a resource close to home for my kiddo to revisit when she's old enough to more deeply understand the harder reality of our country's and really humanity's complex history. read more

A must see! A very comprehensive exhibit. Two videos explain this time in history and the people that were interned in Topaz. There is wonderful art created by the residents on display also. Thank you, Scott for sharing your knowledge with us. read more

Visited the museum today with my cousin. An inspiring exhibition of Japanese American artists who were unjustly interned at the Topaz Relocation Camp during WWII. If you ever find yourself in proximity to Delta, Utah, be sure to visit the museum to see this collection. It is a poignant display of resilience, national loyalty, and all the emotions that accompany the experience of the Japanese Americans during that horrible time. There is also a replica of the barracks a family would have stayed in. Very humbling, and yet, very inspiring at the same time. Definitely worth the 2 hour drive down. read more

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OK Nate, you reminded me I hadn't been here when I saw you posted this. We went down shortly thereafter. We came to Topaz back in the late 70's and there just wasn't anything around except for the few remnants out at the site. This is a wonderful facility. They were running an exhibit of paintings made by people who lived here during the War. The facility rivaled many fine galleries and the exhibit was well curated with plenty of background material on the artists. Unfortunately, it is not a permanent exhibit. I assume that anything coming will be great too. This is a really powerful place showing the level of man's inhumanity to man a nation that prided itself on being a melting pot could inflict on those who were different and understood. We also went out to the actual camp location. It has not changed, or been improved, over the last 40 years. The message is still powerful, however. We also took the tour around town to see how some of the original buildings were used by the locals. read more

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This was SO worth the drive into Delta! We got there less than an hour before closing but the museum staff member gave us a personal tour of the exhibits and answered all our questions past museum hours. The museum is extremely well curated and I think everyone would benefit from visiting. read more

A newish looking building, tons of information from nice lady(didn't get her name) and incredible amount of personal and official items and articles. Great visit to museum, we did not make it out to the actual camp site as it was remote and no tangible buildings left. Definitely worth a visit. read more

Interesting and informative guide was so helpful and kind. Everyone needs to visit this place-at least once.

Just such a great museum experience. I loved the introductory videos. The layout of the museum really tells the story in a cohesive way as you move along from display to display. I especially loved the vinyl books that you could leaf through - particularly the daily log of the elementary children. I felt like I was there with them. It was great to then travel out to the Topaz site. Such a day of learning about this important and difficult event during WW2. Kudos to the people of Delta for putting this museum together. read more

Well organized and detailed information about the life of Japanese Americans in Topaz during World War II. The arts created in the camp are really impressive. read more