A Walk Back Through Time

Liberty Station served as the Naval Training Center (NTC) from 1923 to 1997, where 1.75 million Navy recruits and 1 million A and C school sailors were trained during its 70 years of operation. Today, Liberty Station has been transformed into a 361-acre, historic all-in-one hub featuring shopping, dining, art, entertainment, and history and is a center for commerce, education, and the arts.

Learn the role Franklin D. Roosevelt took in helping establish NTC. Relive the days when the likes of Bob Hope, Tommy Dorsey, and Nat King Cole took the stage at Luce Auditorium. And discover how the Navy shaped the growth of San Diego as a city.

Official Media Partner
CBS News 8 San Diego

Official Centennial Sponsor
USAA

Official Sponsor
California Bank of Commerce

Begin Walking Tour

Sellers Plaza and Gate One

The oldest part of historic NTC, the anchor and main gate create a memorable landmark for all visitors and recruits alike.

Sail Ho Golf Course

Every base needs a golf course! The Sail Ho Golf Course was built during the earliest days of the base. NTC’s first lieutenant, G.T. Campbell, thought that the recreational aspects of golf would benefit enlisted personnel and officers alike.

Women first arrived in the navy as WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). The building that provided housing for U.S. Navy WAVES now serves as Sparkcycle as part of the adaptive reuse project of Liberty Station.

Commissary and Mess Hall, Building 1

Let’s go shopping! The Commissary/Mess Hall, built in 1922, was one the first buildings constructed at NTC.

The most important rule at the enlisted club: No officers allowed! Built in 1941, the enlisted club encouraged sailors to be themselves, kick back, and have fun.

Step up to these three-inch, 50-caliber dual-purpose guns. These weapons fired a fixed round that combined the 13-pound shell…

The 52 Boats Memorial

In the 1920s, Ingram Plaza was where recruits from the farms and towns of American adjusted to Navy life…

Over the decades, Building 210 has served as a gymnasium, basketball facility, and fitness center. Surprise, it also had an underground swimming pool.

Command Center, Building 200

Welcome to the nerve center of the base: the Command Center. Built in 1941, the Command Center overlooks Preble Field.

Luce Auditorium, Building 35

When the Luce Auditorium opened in 1942, sailors and their dates crowded the theater to listen to famous big bands…

North Chapel, Building 208

The only white building at the Naval Training Center, the North Chapel was a picturesque setting for the weddings of officers…

Buildings 27, 28, 29 & 30

Life was pretty busy around Buildings 27, 28, 29, and 30 when they first opened as part of a massive expansion of the base in 1932. These four buildings were…

For the first eight to twelve weeks of training, a recruit learned how to be a sailor in basic training, known as boot camp.

Hold your kids back! While the USS Recruit looks like the world’s greatest piece of playground equipment, it’s not.

Stay in the Liberty Station loop. Join the email list.