Hosting ‘The Wall That Heals’ provides an opportunity to honor and remember all those who served and sacrificed in the Vietnam War and educate visitors on the continuing impact of the Vietnam War on America.”

Jim Knotts | Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund CEO

IF YOU GO

What: “The Wall That Heals” Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica

When: Thursday, April 9 through Sunday, April 12

Where: Mark Coronado Park, 15960 N. Bullard Ave.

Admission: Free

Information: thewallthatheals2026.surpriseaz.gov

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial will be displayed in Surprise this spring.

“The Wall That Heals,” along with its Mobile Education Center, can be viewed from Thursday, April 9 through Sunday, April 12 at Mark Coronado Park, 15960 N. Bullard Ave.

The free exhibit will be open 24 hours a day until 2 p.m. April 12 and is free for the public to experience.

“The Wall That Heals” honors the more than three million Americans who served in the Vietnam War and bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who gave their lives in service to the country.

“Hosting ‘The Wall That Heals’ is deeply meaningful to our community,” Surprise Mayor Kevin Sartor said. “It allows us to honor the bravery of those who never returned home and to create a place of connection, remembrance and healing for all who visit.”

“The Wall That Heals” travels the country in a 53-foot trailer that transforms into a mobile education center, featuring exhibits that tell the story of the Vietnam War, the creation of the memorial and how that era shaped the way the nation honors its veterans.

“Hosting ‘The Wall That Heals’ provides an opportunity to honor and remember all those who served and sacrificed in the Vietnam War and educate visitors on the continuing impact of the Vietnam War on America,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF.

The three-quarter-scale wall stretches 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. Visitors can walk along the rising panels toward the apex, mirroring the design of the memorial in Washington, D.C., and may also make name rubbings of individual service members.

The mobile education center includes digital photo exhibits honoring service members from the local area whose names appear on the wall, as well as those recognized through VVMF’s In Memory program for veterans who returned home and later died.

Additional displays share historical timelines, personal artifacts left at the wall, educational videos,and stories that place the war and its legacy in a broader cultural context.

Since its debut in 1996, “The Wall That Heals” has visited more than 800 communities across the U.S., as well as Ireland and Canada. It is the only traveling exhibit connected to the Washington, D.C,. memorial and features the largest mobile wall replica in the country.

For information about The Wall That Heals, visit thewallthatheals.org. For Surprise’s contribution, visit thewallthatheals2026.surpriseaz.gov.