Jump to content
American Road Magazine
Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

Amargosa Hotel and Opera House, Death Valley Jct. CA


mga707
 Share

Recommended Posts

Just returned from a week-long trip through four of California's iconic National Parks (Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, and Death Valley) and the Mojave National Preserve.  One of the highlights of the week was spending two nights at the wonderful Amargosa Hotel and Opera House in the near-ghost town of Death Valley Junction, resident population 3 in winter, 1 in summer.  Others commute from Amargosa Valley or Pahrump NV.  The history of this town, which was originally a rail junction and is still a road junction (CA state routes 190 and 127), is too long to go into here but is fascinating, if one wishes to look it up.  The name of dancer/actress/artist Marta Becket figures prominently in the town's history and why there is still a functioning opera house in a town that for all intents and purposes has ceased to exist.  Highly recommend the hotel to anyone planning to visit the Death Valley area.  Enjoy some photos of the hotel and surrounding structures:

 

DSCN2602.thumb.jpg.e37f795e7bd2943b30098953401d479f.jpgFormer garage and gas station across the highway from the hotel.

DSCN2607.thumb.jpg.6913fcd7e6e156c9cae3b9bf4cb53981.jpgThe hotel and opera house at sunrise.DSCN2612.thumb.jpg.870781642af703cd7e80be47a7188ef3.jpgDSCN2609.thumb.jpg.0e6d5670e3e458b4372c8d6f29db7a86.jpgDSCN2645.thumb.jpg.757aee03605596a64e615de072eda103.jpgDSCN2649.thumb.jpg.feaa417a1ec72b34f8673fbc5bfcf5e6.jpgDSCN2651.thumb.jpg.971b568b96cb28cef7f08ce3bb786a25.jpgDSCN2650.thumb.jpg.3056b10c27a20d334aafa441fdc886a3.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, roadhound said:

Thanks mga707. Of the half dozen or so times that I have been to Death Valley I have always approached from the west side and never made it as far east as Death Valley Junction.  Looks like it is worth checking out.

Rick

It definitely is!  And from an old roads perspective, the drive south from DV Jct. to the 'big town' of Shoshone (pop. 31 per the town sign) is also interesting, as one has the abandoned railroad track bed on the left (east) side of CA 127 and and recurring bits of the old, narrower road alignment to the right.  If lucky one might see wild mustangs!DSCN2699.thumb.jpg.ee272c320f2e9c6cb2faec7e542601bc.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MGA707,

 

Love it!!!  And great photos,

I recall stopping (not staying) there maybe 10-15 years ago. Maybe I have some images in the “archives.” I think the woman was still putting on her one woman shows. What a shame we didn’t stay, but maybe it was not even open. But the place is unmistakable.

Are the peacocks still around?

 

Dave

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

DV1.jpg%20MGA707,

I looked through the archives and found these photos from 2007, 11 years ago. I put them into a panoramas where that helps.

I remember reading about the woman who danced there, Marta Becket. I think there was one of her performances the day we passed by. A lost opportunity!!! She was a spry 82 in 2007, and passed away at 92 last year.

DV2.jpg

Dave

Keep the Show on the Road!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, Dave!  Did not see any peacocks.  Just one resident dog and two resident cats.  No ghost cats, although there is supposedly one 'haunting' the hotel, along with an adult male ghost and a juvenile female ghost.  I slept like a log, but my travel companion did not!  After I got home i learned that the Amargosa is supposedly one of the 'most haunted' hotels in the Us, for what that's worth.  I'm not sure how long it has been since the Hotel re-opened, but I hope the owners can make a success of it.  They were nearly full the two nights we were there, with many foreign tourists.  About half of the building has not been renovated, as the 18 rooms open all have private baths and the closed-off rooms do not.  Our tour of the Opera House ($5 donation) was well worth it.  It is amazing inside, and we were treated to a two-song piano concert by a concert pianist who happened to be visiting that day.  He used to play for Marta there when she did her shows, which ended in 2012.  I would love to revisit in the future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...