Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial
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.
About under an hour from San Francisco, 1.5 hours from Sacramento and 2 hours from San Jose by car.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial | Daily · All Day |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | All Day |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Years Day | Closed |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and April the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Temporary Port Chicago Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Important: The Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial shuttle picks up visitors with reservations at the John Muir National Historic Site. Please know that all visitors for the memorial must have a reservation in order to visit the Port Chicago Naval Magazine Memorial.
No campgrounds, no webcams or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Things to do
- Port Chicago Memorial Tour1-2 Hours
The Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial is on an active military base and requires advance reservations. Please contact the park for more information.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
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Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for California's national parks
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Activities
Weather & climate
The Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial is on a base and sits on the waterfront. There is no shelter at the memorial, aside from the shuttle. It can be windy and cold during any season. Many people prefer to at least bring a light jacket during the summer, or coat during the other seasons.
Questions people ask
Does Port Chicago Naval Magazine charge an entrance fee?
No. Port Chicago Naval Magazine is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Is Port Chicago Naval Magazine open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Port Chicago Naval Magazine?
782 recreation visits in 2025, number 383 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Port Chicago Naval Magazine?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE and AT&T 4G LTE. No reported coverage for T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Port Chicago Naval Magazine established?
1992.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Port Chicago Naval Magazine?
The Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial is on a base and sits on the waterfront. There is no shelter at the memorial, aside from the shuttle.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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