Amargosa Opera House and Hotel, CA

Overview: During the years 1923-1925, the Pacific Coast Borax Company constructed a company town consisting of a U-shaped complex of Mexican Colonial style buildings of adobe to house the company offices, store, dormitory, a twenty three room hotel, dining room, lobby, and employees' headquarters. A recreation hall/theater was built at the northeast end of the complex and was used as a community center for dances, church services, movies, funerals, and town meetings. At the time it was known as Corkhill Hall. The architect who designed the town of Death Valley Junction, CA was Alexander Hamilton McCulloch.

From New York City to Death Valley Junction in the Spring of 1967.....and a tiny theater nobody wanted. Now for many years, the proud owner of the "Amargosa Opera House and Hotel", Marta Becket studied piano and art in New York on a scholarship at the age of nine, developing as an artist and pianist. Marta gave her first performance in the Amargosa Opera House theater on February 10th, 1968. On that rainy night, she danced for an audience of twelve adults, children and grandchildren. From that day on the doors of the Amargosa Opera House opened without fail at 7:45 pm and the curtain parted promptly at 8:15 pm every Friday, Saturday, and Monday night for many years.

Working in the Opera House cleaning up after a rainstorm, Marta had a flash of inspiration. She would paint an entire audience on the walls of the theater. It took four years to complete the murals on the walls. Then Marta started work on the ceiling, which took another two years and was completed in 1974.

On December 10th, 1981, the town of Death Valley Junction was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Located 7 miles south of the Nevada State Line and 29 miles east of Death Valley National Park entrance near Furnace Creek, CA, the Death Valley Junction- "Amargosa Opera House and Hotel" is a must visit if planning a trip to DVNP.

2018-07-14 HAZ_Hikebot