The 12-hectare park occupies the former Nakajima district, a densely built neighbourhood that stood almost directly below the hypocenter and was obliterated in seconds. The park's monuments are laid out along a deliberate axis: the Cenotaph for the Victims (a curved stone arch sheltering the register of the dead), the Flame of Peace burning in a pool, and the A-Bomb Dome framed in the distance.
Also in the park: the Children's Peace Monument with its bronze Sadako Sasaki holding a golden crane, surrounded by glass cases stuffed with millions of origami cranes sent by schoolchildren from across the world. The park is free to enter and open at all hours. The Peace Bell near the west entrance can be rung by visitors.