Temporary Port Chicago Visitor Center
Address: 4202 Alhambra Ave, Martinez, CA 94553
On July 17, 1944, two ammunition ships loading at Port Chicago exploded, killing 320 men, most of them Black sailors assigned to load munitions without proper training; the mutiny trial that followed, when 50 survivors refused to resume loading, helped force the desegregation of the U.S. Navy. The memorial stands on an active military base near Concord, California.
Join the reserved guided tour to the waterfront memorial and visitor center exhibits. For a challenge, study the full story of the disaster and the Port Chicago 50 at the exhibit before your visit, then walk the memorial with that history in mind.
Coordinates: 37.99234, -122.13090