American
Memorial Park
American Memorial Park is approximately 133 acres and is located on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. The park is an affiliated area managed by the National Park Service. Entrance to American Memorial Park is free.
Park Sites
American Memorial Park honors the sacrifices of American military personnel and island residents involved in the World War II Marianas Campaign. In 1944, thousands lost their lives fighting over the strategic island of Saipan. The park is now a “living memorial” and place of remembrance that offers diverse cultural, natural, and recreational opportunities. To remember, honor, and understand the history and the events that took place during the Marianas Campaign, visit these sites at American Memorial Park:
Visitor Center
The visitor center houses multilingual audio-visual displays combined with artifacts and exhibits, enabling visitors to walk through time. Visitors learn about pre-war life in the Northern Mariana Islands under Japanese control and the epic story of the battle for the Marianas during World War II through the end of the Pacific War. The visitor center includes a 115-seat theater where the park’s signature film, “An Island Called Saipan”, is shown in multiple languages – English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Russian.
The Pacific Historic Parks bookstore is also located in the visitor center at American Memorial Park and is the only bookstore in the Northern Mariana Islands with a collection of World War II titles. Children’s books, toys, souvenirs and unique gift items are also available and all proceeds from bookstore sales go to supporting interpretive and educational programs.
The Visitor Center is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The Visitor Center is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
Court of Honor and Flag Circle
The Court of Honor and Flag Circle is a memorial to the American military personnel who died during the Battles of Saipan, Tinian, and the Philippine Sea. In honor of their sacrifices, the names of over 5,000 servicemen are inscribed on the memorial plaques. The American Flag is proudly flown in the center of the Flag Circle, surrounded by the flags of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard – the armed services divisions that participated in the campaign.
Marianas Memorial
The Marianas Memorial honors the indigenous people who perished as a result of the war. During World War II, the people of the Northern Marianas found themselves caught in the middle of a war, not of their making. Like many civilians throughout the Pacific, they became victims of war. The names and ages of over 900 Chamorros and Carolinians who lost their lives as a result of the war can be found at this memorial, inscribed in granite panels.
Saipan American Memorial
The Saipan American Memorial was erected by the American Battle Monuments Commission to honor the 24,000 American marines and soldiers who were killed and wounded during the Marianas Campaign of World War II from June 15, 1944 – August 11, 1944. The memorial is a 12-foot rectangular obelisk of rose granite and a 20-foot carillon tower.
American Battle Monuments Commission: Saipan Memorial
Grounds
The park grounds are open year-round and provide cultural, natural, historical, and recreational opportunities for visitors. The park does not include WWII battlefield sites, but does contain pre-war and WWII era structures, such as Japanese pillboxes, fuel storage tanks, and bunkers.
Within the park boundaries is Micro Beach, a white sandy beach area which is a significant site to the Carolinian people as it is the place where the first settlers landed when they migrated to Saipan and where elders taught traditional navigational skills and burial rituals to their children.
The park grounds also include an outdoor amphitheater, pathways, tennis courts and the Smiling Cove Marina – all widely used by the community. Within the park is a 30-acre wetland and mangrove forest that contains rare flora and fauna, and the entire park grounds are an important migratory bird site. Visitors to the park can enjoy swimming, picnicking, fishing, bird-watching, watersports, tennis, jogging, bicycling and more.