Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial

National Memorial · California

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Port Chicago Memorial
Photo: NPS Photo

Current alerts (0)

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Hours

Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial

Standard hours: Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial
Every dayAll Day

Coming up:

  • Nov 26: Thanksgiving (closed)

The Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial is located on Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO) and is an active base. Due to its location, tours are only available with reservations on a ranger-guided tour. Public access to the memorial is through a two-week advance reservation process and only on Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays. Allow for 1.5 hours beginning at 12:30 PM. No access Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and during Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO) operations.

Visitor centers

Temporary Port Chicago Visitor Center

Temporary Port Chicago Visitor Center

Standard hours: Temporary Port Chicago Visitor Center
Every dayAll Day

The park does not have an official visitor center. We currently pick up guests with reservations, at the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, CA.

Visitor center page on nps.gov: Temporary Port Chicago Visitor Center

About this park

On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion jolted the San Francisco East Bay area, shattering windows and lighting up the night sky. At Port Chicago Naval Magazine, 320 men were killed instantly when two ships loading ammunition for Pacific troops exploded, resulting in the worst home front disaster of WWII. The aftermath illuminated the issues of segregation and racial inequality in the military.