Veterans Memorial Building Celebrating 100th Anniversary

DANVILLE, CA — The San Ramon Valley community is throwing a blowout birthday party for the Veterans Memorial Building of San Ramon Valley, which is turning 100 years old.

On Sunday, the community is invited to a free, 1920s-themed celebration of a beloved local building. The event will feature vintage 1920s cars, arcade games, and swing dance performances, as well as live jazz music from the San Ramon Valley Pep Band, 191st Army Band of the Wild West, and Monte Vista Jazz Combo. There will also be a vintage UH-1 Huey Helicopter, and indoor museum displays telling the story of the hall and its early days. Kids will enjoy a scavenger hunt, art activities, and food from local restaurants.

The museum was built in 1925 to honor veterans of the recently-fought World War I. The original Memorial Hall building cost $18,000, and was initially open to all “patriotic, civic, and welfare associations” like the Boy Scouts and Red Cross, according to a report in Danville Today news. It also featured a library until 1961, an office for the Chamber of Commerce, a Justice of the Peace court, a County Supervisors office, and even a space for plays and parties. The hall was also often used for weekly dances, and over the years has hosted numerous parties, weddings, banquets, and senior activities.

In 2012, the hall was renovated and expanded to its current location adjacent to the Danville Senior Center.

The celebration will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building on 400 Hartz Avenue. Free parking is available in all downtown municipal parking lots and on surrounding streets. East Prospect Avenue will be closed between Front Street and Hartz Avenue.