Camp Douglas offers a rare look inside a World War II prisoner of war camp in Wyoming.

During World War II, Douglas was home to Wyoming’s primary prisoner of war camp. Built to hold captured soldiers from the frontlines of the war, Camp Douglas housed Italian and German prisoners as well as U.S. Army personnel from 1943 to 1946.

The camp covered more than one square mile and included approximately 180 buildings. At its peak, it held up to 2,000 Italian prisoners, 3,000 German prisoners, and 500 Army personnel, making the camp larger than the town of Douglas at the time.

Today, visitors can still see the old Officers Club and view artifacts that help tell the stories of those who worked at or were imprisoned at the site. The building is especially known for its elaborate murals and artwork depicting scenes of life in the American West.

Podcast Worth a Listen

In 1943, several thousand prisoners of war from Germany and Italy were taken across the United States to the small farming and ranching town of Douglas, Wyoming. This podcast episode shares oral histories from people who remembered the camp and what they learned about those held inside.