The Yuma Proving Ground Heritage Center and Museum depicts the history of Yuma Proving Ground. The Museum tells the history chronologically from 1942 to 9-11. As the visitor goes through the museum they will begin with the Desert Training Center moving on to the Yuma Test Branch, Camp Seeley, the Yuma Test Station, and Yuma Proving Ground. Across from the Yuma Test Station is a room which tells the history of the Liberation of the Concentration Camps, and the American Army Units that liberated those camps. The Tests of the 50's and 60's is located at the end of the center hallway. Down the hall from the 50's and 60's is a room on Munitions,the room is in Tribute to the Victims of 9-11. As the visitor leaves the Museum the hallway and last room was established in Commemoration and Recognition of the Vietnam Veteran.

The U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground Heritage Center has been established to depict the military history of Yuma Proving Ground from its inception in 1942 as Camp Laguna to Yuma Test Branch, Yuma Test Station and the present day Yuma Proving Ground with its role in the development of the "21st Century Soldier." The purpose of the Heritage Center is to identify, collect, research and preserve historically significant properties and maintain them as usable resources for scholars and other interested individuals. The Heritage Center will instill and maintain visitor interest, further community relations and enhance esprit de corps among YPG's military and civilian workforce. It will also provide educational services to include programs, classes, audiovisuals, exhibits, and publications for the military and civilian populations.

In 1942, MG George Patton was directed to find a training area for the U.S. Army. He established the Desert Training Center (DTC) with his headquarters at Camp Young. The DTC would stretch from about Pomona California to the Colorado and from Yuma, Arizona to Searchlight, Nevada. There were numerous camps established, Young, Coxcomb, Rice, Pilot Knob, Granite, and Camp Essex which replaced Camp Clipper which was washed away by flash flood. In 1943 MG Walton Walker was directed to expand the training area into Arizona. The expansion added Camps Laguna, Hyder and Horn. Camp Bouse was not added because it had a different mission. The expansion into Arizona created the California-Arizona Maneuver Area.(CAMA) By the war's end the CAMA stretched from about Pomona California to the outskirts of Phoenix. Approximately 250 miles by 350 miles. During the period 1942 to 1944 about 1 million men received there training in the South West.