Dublin Camp Parks Military History Center Open

The new History Center – which was developed and will be operated jointly by the City of Dublin and Parks Reserve Forces Training Area – portrays Camp Parks’ history in Dublin, from its establishment as an important West Coast Navy facility during World War II to present day use by the U.S. Army Reserve. It includes permanent exhibits on the Navy Seabees who first called the base home, life here during World War II, and Camp Parks’ historically important role in integrating women and minorities in the military. The facility will also include a changing display, featuring new content twice a year. The first temporary display features a look at military head coverings since World War II.
The History Center will be open daily, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., for self-guided tours. The Center will also host occasional special programs on military history. Admission is free. The City will coordinate historic programs, create and install temporary displays, care for the artifacts, and train and oversee volunteer docents.

Volunteers play a key role in the preservation of Camp Parks’ history. In 1995, volunteer Tommie Simpson and others took over the operation of a small on-base history center and collected artifacts. In 2009, when the Army announced it would close the on-base history center and put all artifacts in storage, volunteers successfully convinced the Army to permanently loan the artifacts to the City of Dublin and lobbied for a publicly-accessible History Center. A formal committee, made up of community members and City and Army staff, was convened to develop a plan for this new History Center. Some of those original Camp Parks History Center volunteers and their children and grandchildren are expected to attend the opening of the new facility.

The History Center is located at the rear of the Camp Parks Visitor Center, Building 275, just inside the Camp Parks Main Gate before the guard shack on Camp Parks Boulevard at Dougherty Road. Parking at the Dublin Camp Parks Military History Center is limited. The facility is located just a short distance from the Iron Horse Trail, so visitors may wish to walk or cycle to the History Center.