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Marta Becket’s Amargosa Opera House And Hotel – Death Valley Junction

Marta Becket-s Amargosa Opera House And Hotel at Death Valley Junction

Visiting Marta Becket’s Amargosa Opera House And Hotel at Death Valley Junction, California near Death Valley National Park and Amargosa Hotel & Cafe.

Amargosa Opera House & Death Valley Junction

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Amargosa Opera House Death Valley

Amargosa Opera House Death Valley Junction
Amargosa Opera House Death Valley Junction

The Amargosa Opera House and Hotel is a historic building featuring the famous Amargosa opera house, hotel and cafe.

Amargosa Opera House & Hotel is located at the Death Valley Junction, in California’s Inyo County East of Death Valley National Park.

Marta Becket

Marta Becket Amargosa Opera House & Hotel
Marta Becket

The artist Marta Becket brought the Amargosa Opera House to life with her stage dance and mime shows.

From the late 1960s until her last show in 2012 she ran the show which was attended by many national and international tourists traveling through the area of Death Valley Junction.

Amargosa Opera House plaque
Amargosa Opera House

Death Valley Junction, California

Lonely Death Valley Junction in California
Lonely Death Valley Junction in California

Death Valley Junction is an unincorporated tiny community in Inyo County in the Mojave Desert in California. However, the Nevada state line is only about 5 miles away.

Death Valley Junction, CA

The Death Valley Junction, also known as Amargosa, is located in the Amargosa Valley east of Death Valley National Park

Home to the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel there is not much else at Death Valley Junction. It’s quite a deserted town and the middle of nowhere and has definitely a “lost places” charm to it.

Death Valley Junction Historic District

The Death Valley Junction Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places and Marta Becket established a non-profit to preserve the quirky historic property around the Amergosa opera and hotel.

Death Valley Junction plaque
Death Valley Junction plaque

Death Valley Junction Population

Does anyone live in death valley? Yes, but only a handful of people. The population of Death Valley Junction is less than 4 inhabitants.

Death Valley Junction Gas Station

There is no gas station at Death Valley Junction, so plan ahead and fill up your tank inside the national park or in nearby historic town Shoshone. The drive between Shoshone and Death Valley Junction is about half an hour.

Amargosa Hotel & Cafe is the only Death Valley Junction restaurant
Amargosa Hotel & Cafe, the only Death Valley Junction restaurant

Death Valley Junction Restaurants

Other than the Amargosa Cafe there are no restaurants in Death Valley Junction. The Amargosa Cafe is also not open all the time. They have seasonal opening hours and are only open over the weekend from Friday to Monday. When we visited it was closed, unfortunately.

Death Valley Junction Weather

Just like in Death Vally National Park, the weather in Death Valley Junction is very, very hot and dry during the summer. At the peak of the summer, it can get scorching hot at Death Valley Junction. It only cools down a little bit at night.

In winter, the temperatures are milder during the day. Since Death Valley Junction is located in the California desert, temperatures can also get very low, especially during the night. The temperature can go down to the freezing point. The air is also very dry during winter.

Amargosa Hotel, Death Valley Junction

Amargosa Hotel Death Valley Junction
Amargosa Hotel Death Valley Junction

Amargosa Opera House and Hotel is a historic building featuring a low-key quirky hotel near Death Valley National Park.

The historic hotel was built between 1923 and 1925 and was originally part of the Pacific Coast Borax Company‘s town center that was established for their mining activities.

When mining ended in the area in 1928, the Amargosa Hotel was remodeled and opened to the public. Later on, it was purchased by Marta Becket.

Amargosa Opera House And Hotel

Amargosa Opera House Hotel and Marta Becket Memorial
Amargosa Opera House Hotel and Marta Becket Memorial

The Amargosa Hotel is a U-shaped Adobe-style building reflecting Spanish colonial architecture.

Death Valley Junction Hotel Amargosa
Death Valley Junction Hotel Amargosa

Death Valley Junction Hotel

The historic Amargosa Hotel is the only hotel in Death Valley Junction, California.

Historic Amargosa Hotel in Death Valley Junction
Historic Amargosa Hotel in Death Valley Junction

Amargosa Opera House Hotel Rooms

Amargosa Opera House Hotel rooms
Amargosa Opera House Hotel rooms

The Amargosa Hotel has 16 very simple rooms. It’s a good place to stay the night on your way to Death Valley National Park.

The hotel and rooms are not luxurious at all. Think of it as more like a hostel with private rooms. However, the hotel meets the basic needs you want for spending the night. Not more, not less.

After all, this is part of the unique experience of the Amargosa Junction.

Check rates for Amargosa Hotel here.

Amargosa Opera House Cafe

Amargosa Opera House Cafe at Death Valley Junction in California
Amargosa Opera House Cafe at Death Valley Junction

Next to the hotel and opera house, there is a small cafe, the Amargosa Cafe, that serves small dishes along with hot and cold beverages.

When you visit, keep in mind the Amargosa Cafe has seasonal opening hours. It is also only open over the weekend from Friday to Monday.

Amargosa Opera House & Hotel

Death Valley Junction California

If you are visiting Death Valley National Park, make a stop at Death Valley Junction and the Amargosa Opera House.

Even if it’s just for a little sneak peek, you won’t regret checking out this quirky place in the California desert that Marta Becket put so much love into it. And if you are lucky the Amargosa Cafe is open and you can get a refreshing drink to beat the desert heat.

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