Early registration for the July 23-25 Heart Mountain Pilgrimage, which will feature a performance of David Ono’s Defining Courage, will open to the public on March 1.
The 2026 Heart Mountain Pilgrimage invites visitors to join a powerful and timely exploration of American identity as the nation marks its 250th anniversary. Focused on the voices and experiences of Heart Mountain survivors and descendants, this year’s pilgrimage asks the question: What does it mean to be an American?
General registration starts April 1. Interested attendees can learn more and register here.
Along with Defining Courage, visitors will be able to view two new exhibits: We the People: Exploring American Identity and The Patriotism of Protest: Draft Resistance Behind Barbed Wire. We the People invites visitors to explore how American identity was challenged, preserved, and reimagined at Heart Mountain, revealing a powerful story of culture and belonging that expands our understanding of the American experience.
The Patriotism of Protest follows the story of how the government came to draft Japanese Americans who were confined behind barbed wire because of presumed disloyalty, and how the Japanese Americans attempted to stand up not only for themselves, but for the very principles on which the United States was founded.
As part of the Smithsonian Affiliate program, Making History Making Change, Heart Mountain is excited to host a talk by Dr. Damion Thomas the Curator of Sport at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Visitors can take guided tours of our restored root cellar and original barracks, see the iconic chimney and hospital grounds and listen to a variety of speakers. There will be additional programming and workshops announced.