The Heart Mountain Relocation Center was used as an incarceration area for Japanese Americans who were excluded from the West Coast during the World War II. This was possible through the Executive Order 9066 signed by then the US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was named after the nearby Heart Mountain, and was one of the 10 internment camps built for the same purpose.

The whole area was relatively desolate and was known to be one of the harshest environments for many of the Japanese-Americans who were forced to live here. It was designated as part of the National Historic Landmark in 2006. It is open to the public with walking as well as private group tours.