City of Tempe, AZ
02/23/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/23/2026 20:08
Tempe This Week Feb. 23, 2026
The only two remaining WWII barrack huts from Camp Papago Park were moved recently from a Tempe Public Works yard to another temporary site in hopes of full restoration and exhibition at Arizona Heritage Center, which is located in Tempe's Papago Park Preserve.
Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation, City of Tempe, Tempe Police Department, Vibrant Moving Solutions and others were vital to helping these huts arrive safely.
Camp Papago Park served as a WWII POW encampment with many of its inmates being captured German U-boat crews. The facility grabbed national headlines after several inmates escaped via tunnel in December of 1944. The escapees' plans were thwarted when they realized the Salt River was dry desert and not a floating river passageway to freedom. All were eventually recaptured. Read their story.
Working in conjunction with the Arizona Historical Society and Arizona National Guard Foundation, the Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation plans to rehabilitate and house the structures inside the Arizona Heritage Center as a unique inactive history experience for visitors. Those wishing to contribute can make tax-deductible donations through the Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation. Reach out to WWII Huts Heritage Project Chair Darlene Justus for details.
City of Tempe, AZ published this content on February 23, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 24, 2026 at 02:08 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]