{"id":"nps-aleu","slug":"aleutian-islands-world-war-ii-national-historic-area","name":"Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area","designation":"National Historic Area","category":"historic-site","categoryLabel":"Historic Site and Historical Park","agency":{"code":"NPS","name":"National Park Service","department":"U.S. Department of the Interior","url":"https://www.nps.gov"},"managedBy":[{"code":"NPS","name":"National Park Service","department":"U.S. Department of the Interior","url":"https://www.nps.gov","unitCode":"ALEU","designation":"National Historic Area","sourceId":"nps-aleu"}],"states":["AK"],"stateNames":["Alaska"],"location":{"lat":53.9143,"lon":-166.5197},"bbox":null,"acres":null,"firstProtected":null,"established":null,"administrations":[],"designationHistory":[],"summary":"The remote Aleutian Islands, home to the Unangax̂ (Aleut) people for over 8,000 years, became a fiercely contested Pacific battleground in World War II. Some Unangax̂ were taken from their homelands as Japanese prisoners of war while the others were evacuated from the islands by the government. Both groups suffered greatly during the war, and some would never return to their villages.","summarySource":"National Park Service","guide":{},"trConnection":null,"trConnections":[],"trTypes":[],"links":{"official":"https://www.nps.gov/aleu/index.htm","social":{},"recreationGov":null,"alltrails":null,"alltrailsExplore":null,"recreationGovSearch":"https://www.recreation.gov/search?q=Aleutian%20Islands%20World%20War%20II%20National%20Historic%20Area","directions":"http://www.nps.gov/aleu/planyourvisit/directions.htm"},"images":[{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C7BC1AE-1DD8-B71B-0BF60FDE7A21822B.jpg","title":"A homeland changed","alt":"Group of people around a Russian cross in tall grass","caption":"In September 2009, Nick Lekanoff, Sr., former Makushin resident, traveled with his daughter and other descendants of Makushin on the Tiglax to visit the village site, which had been left behind in the evacuation of 1942 and never permanently resettled.","credit":"NPS Photo","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C7BC517-1DD8-B71B-0BD7C869F63B3276.jpg","title":"Evacuation and internment","alt":"People crowd at the railing of a ship","caption":"Pribilof villagers, here lining the railing of the USAT Delarof on the day of their departure (June 15, 1942), were evacuated with only a few hours notice and no idea of their ultimate destination.","credit":"Photograph courtesy National Archives","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C7BC7CF-1DD8-B71B-0B73637962E06C74.jpg","title":"The battle for Attu Island","alt":"Six men with guns carry a person on a stretcher in a valley.","caption":"U.S. wounded are gathered from the battlefield on Attu Island.  The battle on Attu, lasting nearly 20 days, was the second most deadly in the Pacific Theater.","credit":"Photo courtesy National Archives","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C7BC97B-1DD8-B71B-0B9A70C0C0988F0E.jpg","title":"Cultural collision","alt":"A uniformed man holds up a broken Russian cross","caption":"The Aleutian campaign brought together Russian, Native Alaskan, Japanese, and Euroamerican cultures. During the war 7 historic churches were damaged or destroyed. Villages were unrecognizable or burned to the ground and personal belonging lost or stolen.","credit":"Photo courtesy National Archives","source":"NPS"}],"activities":["Guided Tours","Self-Guided Tours - Walking","Self-Guided Tours - Auto","Junior Ranger Program","Wildlife Watching","Birdwatching","Museum Exhibits"],"topics":["Archeology","Aviation","Colonization and Settlement","Forts","Incarceration","Maritime","Coastal Defenses","Maritime - Military","Ships and Shipwrecks","Military","US Army","US Navy","US Marines","US Coast Guard","US Air Force (Army Air Corps)","Indigenous and Native Warrior","Battlefields","Monuments and Memorials","Native American Heritage","Religion and Spirituality","Tragic Events","Forced Marches","Massacres","Wars and Conflicts","World War II","Arctic","Tundra","Coasts, Islands and Atolls","Mountains","Scenic Views"],"fees":[],"passes":[],"hours":[{"name":"Summer Hours","description":"","standardHours":{"wednesday":"8:00AM - 5:00PM","monday":"8:00AM - 5:00PM","thursday":"8:00AM - 5:00PM","sunday":"8:00AM - 5:00PM","tuesday":"8:00AM - 5:00PM","friday":"8:00AM - 5:00PM","saturday":"8:00AM - 5:00PM"},"exceptions":[]}],"directions":"The park is located on Amaknak Island in the Aleutian Island chain. The island is located 800 miles west of Anchorage. The island can be reached by ferry or by commercial or charter air flights from Anchorage. If you choose to fly, the Aleutian World War II Visitor Center is conveniently located next to the Unalaska airport.","weatherInfo":"The Aleutian Islands are known for unpredictable and stormy weather. Rain, fog, and wind are common. Dress warmly and carry rain gear even in summer. Summer temperatures range from 45 to 65 degrees F.","contacts":{"phone":"907-581-9944","email":"anch_web_mail@nps.gov"},"visitorCenters":[{"name":"Aleutian World War II National Historic Area Visitor Center","description":"The visitor center for Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area is located on Amaknak Island, a nearby island easily accessible from the major town of Unalaska.","url":"https://www.nps.gov/aleu/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm","lat":53.895804,"lon":-166.54079}],"campgrounds":[],"thingsToDo":[],"nearby":[{"slug":"alaska-maritime-national-wildlife-refuge","km":182}],"hasBoundary":false,"boundarySource":null,"sources":[{"name":"NPS Data API","url":"https://developer.nps.gov/api/v1/parks?parkCode=aleu"}],"editorialStatus":"draft","synced":"2026-11-09T02:12:45.601Z","alerts":[],"url":"https://directory.labs.trlibrary.com/sites/aleutian-islands-world-war-ii-national-historic-area/","boundaryUrl":null}