Amargosa Opera House and Hotel, Historic opera house and hotel in Death Valley Junction, US
The Amargosa Opera House and Hotel is a theatre building with an attached hotel in Death Valley Junction, Inyo County, California. The property forms a U shape around a courtyard and connects the performance hall, guest rooms, and arched passages into a single adobe complex.
The Pacific Coast Borax Company built the property in 1925 as a recreation facility for mine workers in a remote desert settlement. By the 1960s the building stood empty until it was revived as a performance hall and saw regular shows through 2012.
A former dancer transformed the hall into a stage and painted audience figures on ceilings and walls that look down from the balconies every night. These painted spectators still fill the room today and give every visit a very particular theatrical feeling.
The location in the middle of the desert requires a drive on narrow roads, so plan water and fuel in advance. Guided visits run at fixed times and give access to the stage area and room sections that otherwise stay closed.
A magazine sent a team into the desert in 1970 and found a performer playing alone to rows of empty chairs. This discovery made the place known worldwide and brought audiences from many countries to the remote valley.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
