Veterans Memorial Park was originally called Exposition Park between 1938 and 1949.  The original plans called for Exposition Park to be "Studio Park," and a "180 foot tower, beautifully lighted, and with fountains playing on the outside." It was the largest park in Culver City, until the city acquired Culver City Park. The park was later renamed, in conjunction with the building of its multiple facilities.  

Veterans Memorial Building

           The Veterans Memorial Building was constructed via a $650,000 bond, and the original plans called for it to be a "recreational building with a stage, restaurant, film museum, playroom, and large gymnasium."  The Veterans Memorial Building cornerstone was laid in 1950, and the building included a 122 foot tower, and a Rotunda Room that was meant to be the museum. The grandeur of the building makes it the center-piece of the park, and a major landmark for the city.  Its tower was said to serve as a lookout point where guests could see over the walls of the nearby MGM. However, the buildings relationship to Civil Defense is evident only through its most overlooked element.

          There are no records when, but sometime after its official opening, a Civil Defense siren was added to the Veterans Memorial Building.  Although not located on the top of its prominent tower, the siren is clearly visible from the street and sits on top of one of its upper platforms. The siren, which would have been activated in the case of an impending nuclear bombing in or around Culver City, would have been heard for miles.  Without much confirmation, siren enthusiasts seem to disagree as to whether the siren is an ACA Allertor 125 or Mobil Directo model siren.  A matching siren was also installed on Warner Drive, and another at Braddock Dr. & Sawtelle Blvd, but the second is actually just outside the city boundary. As a fairly central location, not far from downtown, and near the Armory and old Courthouse buildings, the siren would have alerted all of Culver CIty against an enemy attack.
Picture
Siren on top of Veterans Memorial Building. Courtesy of Alan Michelson.
4117 Overland Ave.
Culver City, CA

The Wende Museum (Armory Building)

        Founded in 2002, The Wende Museum is an historical archive, art museum, and
educational institution. It is the only organization of its kind in the United States. The
Museum specializes in Eastern European and Soviet artifacts and brings to these wide-
ranging collections, museological advances, new archival models, and contemporary art
interventions to support emerging fields of academic study in visual and cultural history
as well as to teach future museum professionals and encourage public access. The Wende
uses its collection of more than 100,000 unique objects of everyday life as a starting point to explore the Cold War and its enduring consequences. We remain committed to
programming objectivity, encouraging new and divergent perspectives, and promoting
dialog on complex contemporary topics. The Wende Museum has cultivated a worldwide
audience through its powerful and engaging programs, publications, strategic
partnerships, and online presence.

       The Museum is currently undergoing our own Wende, the German word for
“transformation” and “change,” that is commonly used to describe the reunification of
Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Museum acquired the decommissioned
United States Armory on nearly an acre of land in Culver City that is in poetic alignment
with our mission. Built in 1949, the site was vacated by the National Guard in March
2012. The 75-year lease, with renewable rights, from the City of Culver City presents an
opportunity for the Museum to activate a derelict building and become the western
anchor of a cultural and arts sector along Culver Boulevard in a city with a thriving arts
and culture scene.

       The Wende’s move to the Armory in fall 2017 will be the culmination of more than a
decade of intense activity and represents the ultimate legacy of the peaceful resolution of
the Cold War. The newly refurbished former National Guard Armory in Culver City
will more than double our current space. The Museum’s new headquarters will make it
possible for current and future generations to engage in remembering and investigating
the past, reevaluate historical interpretations, and make assessments within the context of our present time. The new facility will empower the Wende Museum to provide more
effective access to scholars, students, journalists, artists, authors, filmmakers, partner
organizations and the general public.
10808 Culver Boulevard
Culver City, CA
Lugo Cerra, Julie. Culver City Chronicles. Charleston: The History Press. 2013.
"Culver City Timeline: A Work in Progress". Culver City Historical Society.