Aleutian World War II National Historic Area Visitor Center

Whether or not you’re a World War II scholar, the story of the Aleutian Islands’ role in the second great war is fascinating. The military buildup, the battles, the removal and eventual return of Aleut residents. It’s all detailed at the Aleutian World War II Visitor’s Center, located in an historic Aerology Operations Building that has been renovated to its original 1940s-style façade.

The Visitor Center, owned and operated by the local Ounalashka Corporation, opened in 2002, marking the 60th anniversary of the Japanese bombing of Dutch Harbor. Stroll through the exhibits on the first floor, take in an old war film in the screening room, and venture upstairs to the radio room, which features old teletype machines and other equipment of the era. Look out the windows on the 360-degree view that hasn’t changed much since the 1940s, when service men would monitor weather from this building to provide critical information to Navy pilots and ship captains.

Be sure to get your National Park Passport stamped by the Aleutian World War II Visitor Center before you leave. (It’s one of the most remote National Park Historic Sites, so this stamp is rare indeed.)