While California is home to historic bases, air museums, and celebrated Navy ships, its military heritage also played out at lesser-known destinations around the state—and sometimes in surprising ways. Take a look at these under-the-radar spots and consider putting together an itinerary for your own military-themed road trip.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
94th Aero Squadron Restaurant, San Diego
You don’t expect to find a vine-covered, World War I–vintage French farmhouse in San Diego, but the 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant lets you step back in time thanks to its romantic architecture and big collection of aviation artifacts. The name honors the historic pursuit squadron that served on the Western Front, and the restaurant’s outdoor areas look out on the runway at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.
Top Gun Movie Locations, San Diego County
Yes, Tom Cruise was the star, but they couldn’t have made the Top Gun movies without San Diego County. Liberty Station served as the backdrop for important moments and the Kansas City Barbeque was the location for the memorable scene when Goose (Anthony Edwards) rips into “Great Balls of Fire” (the piano is still there). And Charlie’s (Kelly McGillis) 1887 Victorian cottage is now Oceanside’s High Pie bakery.
ORANGE COUNTY
Orange County Great Park, Irvine
Once the world’s most productive lima bean farm and a blimp base, Marine Corps Air Station El Toro entered a new era following its 1999 decommissioning. About 1,300 acres are being reinvented as the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. The jets are gone but you can take to the air in the Great Park Balloon, which rises 400 feet above the park. World War II–era buildings have been repurposed as the Palm Court Arts Complex, which hosts gallery shows and cultural events.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Queen Mary, Long Beach
The Queen Mary did its duty during World War II. Now docked in Long Beach, the luxury liner went from carrying royalty and Hollywood stars to ferrying servicemen to Europe—16,000 at a time. With its coat of camouflage paint, the Queen Mary earned the nickname “the Grey Ghost” and The Glory Days tour looks at the ship’s troopship era, while the Winston Churchill–themed exhibit Their Finest Hours displays a reproduction of the British Prime Minister’s war rooms bunker.
Fort MacArthur Museum, San Pedro
Fort MacArthur stood watch over Los Angeles Harbor for decades with its main armament of 14-inch rifles and 12-inch mortars before more powerful weaponry and new fortifications were added after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. The San Pedro Army post’s story is told at the Fort MacArthur Museum, where exhibits are displayed in Battery Osgood-Farley, a gun emplacement with massive concrete walls. High atop the coastal bluffs, the museum is a short walk from the Korean Bell of Friendship, 17-ton bell in an ornate pagoda-like structure.
Aero Theatre, Santa Monica
The Aero Theatre traces its name to Santa Monica’s era as a major aerospace center. Built in 1939 by Douglas Aircraft founder Donald W. Douglas for his employees, the theater, with its French Normandy architecture and Streamline Moderne marquee, ran 24 hours a day. That allowed workers on all shifts to catch a movie. The Aero is operated by the American Cinematheque, an organization dedicated to celebrating film as an art form. Nearby, the Museum of Flying displays several early Douglas aircraft, including the first plane to circumnavigate the globe.
Nike Missile Site LA 96C, Encino
One of 16 Cold War–era installations around Los Angeles that comprised a defense system to detect incoming Soviet air attacks, Nike Missile Site LA 96C sits high in the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking West Los Angeles. It operated from 1956–1968 as a radar facility and no missiles were actually deployed at this location in today’s San Vicente Mountain Park. Climb the original radar tower for a definitive view of Los Angeles.
CENTRAL COAST
Fort Ord National Monument and Fort Ord Dunes State Park, Marina
During its 77-year history, Fort Ord near Monterey served as an Army facility where as many as 1.5 million soldiers trained, including cavalry troops. Its 28,000 acres have remained largely undeveloped, and you can explore 86 miles of trails through the hills and oak woodlands at Fort Ord National Monument. Nearby Fort Ord Dunes State Park protects four miles of beach and has an interpretive display about the area’s military history.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
Legion of Honor, San Francisco
A tribute to the 3,600 Californians who perished during World War I, the Legion of Honor opened on Armistice Day in 1924. Its French Neoclassical design is a three-quarter scale version of the Palais de la Légion d’Honneur in Paris, the shrine to recipients of France’s highest order of merit. One of San Francisco’s leading art museums, the Legion of Honor houses the Book of Gold, which is displayed each November and inscribed with the names of California’s fallen World War I soldiers.
Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, Richmond
With her rolled-up sleeves and “We Can Do It!” exhortation, Rosie the Riveter symbolized the invaluable contributions women made to the World War II effort. Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park pays tribute to this icon of empowerment and the war’s home front women heroes. The monument’s visitor education center is in Richmond’s onetime Ford Motor assembly plant and self-guided tours to 20 nearby war-related sites are available on the official NPS App.
The Lodge at Cavallo Point, Sausalito
Army life has never been easy, but serving at Fort Baker had its benefits. Set along a bay in the Marin Headlands, the fort looked across to San Francisco, and its Colonial Revival buildings were designed with a higher level of comfort. The fort’s officers’ quarters have been restored and transformed into Cavallo Point—The Lodge at the Golden Gate, which perfectly blends period atmosphere and contemporary luxuries.
Fort Ross State Historic Site, Jenner
From 1812–1842, Russia established colonies in California and Fort Ross State Historic Park on the Sonoma County coast brings alive this mostly forgotten era in state history. Russia’s southernmost settlement in North America, Fort Ross was more trading post than military installation, but it did have cannon-fortified blockhouses for defense. The Rotchev House is the only original surviving building but much of Fort Ross has been reconstructed.
NORTH COAST
Fort Humboldt State Historic Park, Eureka
Overlooking Humboldt Bay near Eureka, Fort Humboldt was established in 1853 to contain violent conflicts after attacks by settlers against the Wiyot people, one of the region’s 14 Indigenous tribes. Ulysses S. Grant, the future Union Army commanding general and U.S. president, served here in 1854. Much of the fort has been reconstructed and the hospital, the only surviving original structure, houses a museum.
