When the town of Amargosa was booming due to the Borax mining business, and its position at the terminus of the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad, about 350 people lived in the town. At the northeast end of the complex was a recreation hall used as a community center for dances, church services, movies, funerals and town meetings. The U-shaped complex of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture style adobe buildings included company offices, employees' headquarters, a dormitory and a 23-room hotel with a dining room, lobby and store. The theater was part of a company town designed by architect Alexander Hamilton McCulloch and constructed in 1923–25 by the Pacific Coast Borax Company. The Death Valley Junction Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places and is owned by the nonprofit established by Becket for the preservation of the property. Resident artist Marta Becket staged dance and mime shows there from the late 1960s until her final show in February 2012. Winter rains are common but depend on the year’s rainfall (weather is so changeable that predicting this can be difficult).Ĭomfortable temperatures usually occur from November through April.When Marta Becket rented and repaired Corkhill Hall in 1967, she changed the name to the Amargosa Opera House.Īmargosa Opera House and Hotel is a historic building and cultural center located in Death Valley Junction, in eastern Inyo County, California near Death Valley National Park. Night temperatures can get to below freezing and the air is extremely dry with humidity at 10% or less. Outside temperatures during the day range from 60˚F – 80˚F from November through March. Lean shoes up against the wall and shake shoes out before putting on. Do not leave clothing on the floor as this can be the perfect hiding place for scorpions and spiders. Insects, arachnids and reptiles abound during the hot months inside and outside. We are also the lowest point in the area so water heads in this direction from the surrounding mountains. Ground water is at approximately 9 feet making the area prone to flooding. Death Valley Junction is on a high water table. August through September is considered monsoon season and thunderstorms can appear suddenly and rain can be torrential. The air is dry with relative humidity at 20-30%. Outside temperatures during the day are typically 110˚F – 120˚F for four months of the year (June – October). In Room 22, a ballerina dances on a ball while acrobats perform as a special dedication to Red Skelton (a close friend of Marta's) who was a guest in this room on several occasions. Several of the hotel rooms are adorned with cherubs, peacock feathers and statues. A guitar rests upon a chair and the dusty remains of Marta's future vision of the town are painted in the lobby. The guest dining room is painted in trompe l'oeil style depicting a Spanish courtyard. The hotel's dining room included white glove service for guests.Īfter the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, Marta Becket painted murals throughout the hotel. The building was modern for its day and included central cooling and heating and skylights in all the bathrooms and throughout the building. When mining officially moved from the area in 1928, the Amargosa Hotel was remodeled and opened to the public. Built between 19, the rooms were originally used to accommodate visiting investors of the mining company. The Amargosa Hotel was originally part of the Pacific Coast Borax Company's civic town center.