Barstow in San Bernardino County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

The Beacon Hotel

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 29, 2025

1. The Beacon Hotel Marker

Inscription. The Beacon Hotel (or Tavern) was built behind a retired aviation beacon which advertised a Richfield gas station. The building, with 50 rooms, was built soon after the stock market crash in 1929. At that time it was the largest hotel between Los Angeles and Albuquerque. The grand opening was a week long party that started on June 27, 1930.

The swanky rooms had a writing desk, a radio with country-wide stations and their own bathrooms! Cost: three to six dollars.

F. Scott Fitzgerald, Norma Talmadge, Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable, the Pittsburgh Pirates and many other big stars stayed at the hotel.

The cactus garden was a big attraction and was the site of many weddings and parties.

In 1970 it was dismantled. The furnishings, appliances and even the books were sold. Many items can still be found in local homes and museums.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical date for this entry is June 27, 1930.

Location. 34° 53.934′ N, 117° 1.193′ W. Marker is in Barstow, California, in San Bernardino County. It is at the intersection of North 7th Avenue and East Main Street (Business Interstate 15), on the right when traveling north on North 7th Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 703 E Main St, Barstow CA 92311, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles,

in the Mojave Desert,

in the Peninsular Ranges,

and specifically in the Transverse Ranges.

It is also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers.

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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Marine Corps Logistic Base (a few steps from this marker); Barstow Route 66 (within shouting distance of this marker); Prohibition & Bootlegging in the High Desert (within shouting distance of this marker); New Rebuilt City (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Old National Trails Hwy (about 500 feet away); The Harvey House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Waterman Junction Becomes Barstow (approx. 0.2 miles away); Christiansen Memorial Plaza (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Barstow.

Also see . . . Lighting the Up the Coast – The Beacon Tavern and the “Richfield Lane of lights”. The desert community of Barstow was selected to be the site of the very first Beacon Tavern. From the standpoint of the investors, it was an ideal choice, being at the time a major transportation hub for rail, aviation and automobile traffic. Located on a prominent site on Main Street near the new Barstow airport and the confluence of three major highways, Route 66, 91 and 466, the $180,000 fifty-room structure was opened, appropriately enough, with a big fiesta on the evening of June 27, 1930. (Steve Vaught, Paradise Leased blog, March 16, 2011) (Submitted on November 12, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

The Beacon Hotel Mural and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 29, 2025

2. The Beacon Hotel Mural and Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 12, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 117 times since then and 83 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 12, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.