A 5,347-acre Mojave Desert base that trained 44,000 pilots before BRAC closure in 1992; the abandoned hospital complex draws investigators who report disembodied voices and a child apparition photographed in a doorway.
18374 Air Base Rd, Adelanto, CA 92301
Research updated June 2026
Age
18+
Cost
Free
Active airport property; some areas publicly accessible. Abandoned sections are not authorized for entry — exterior/perimeter viewing only.
Access
Limited Access
Flat Mojave Desert terrain with cracked pavement, broken glass, and unstable structures in abandoned areas
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1941 · Trained over 44,000 military pilots during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam · Named after WWI fighter ace Brigadier General Harold Huston George · EPA Superfund designation for fuel and solvent contamination · One of the largest abandoned military complexes in Southern California
The base began as Victorville Army Air Field following a groundbreaking on July 12, 1941, six months before the United States entered World War II. The 2,200-acre initial footprint expanded to 5,347 acres as demand for pilot and bombardier training surged. Operations ceased in October 1945 and the facility was placed on standby.
When the Korean War began in 1950, the base was reactivated and renamed George Air Force Base in honor of Brigadier General Harold Huston George, a World War I fighter ace killed in a 1942 plane crash in Australia. Through the Cold War, George hosted multiple tactical fighter wings and trained pilots from allied NATO nations in aircraft ranging from F-86 Sabres to F-4 Phantoms and eventually F-16 Fighting Falcons.
In 1988 the Base Realignment and Closure Commission identified George for closure. The final military operations ended in December 1992. The Environmental Protection Agency subsequently listed portions of the former base as a Superfund site due to fuel and solvent contamination from decades of aviation operations.
Today the Southern California Logistics Airport occupies the operational runway and terminal infrastructure. Several hundred structures built during the base's half-century of operation—barracks, administrative buildings, the hospital complex, a school, and entire residential neighborhoods—remain abandoned on the property. The abandoned housing sections have been used for film and television productions. The California Air National Guard operates a drone reconnaissance unit at the site.
Sources
The abandoned hospital at George AFB has become the focal point of paranormal interest at the site. Multiple independent investigation groups have documented similar experiences: footsteps on broken glass when no one else is visible, banging from adjacent rooms, rocks thrown from unseen sources, and voices in empty hallways.
One photograph shared by an investigator named Isabel (@isa_x_robles) and subsequently spread across social media shows what is described as a childlike figure partially visible in a doorway, the floor covered in glass from broken windows. The image has not been independently authenticated. The SoCalSpiritSeekers group reported their recording phone froze completely while inside the hospital building, along with doors opening and cabinets moving.
The child laughter and childlike figure sightings have been independently reported by at least two different groups visiting the hospital, which is the building element most consistently cited across accounts. The broader base grounds draw a range of urban explorers; access to the decommissioned structures is not officially authorized.
Media Appearances
The Southern California Logistics Airport occupies the former George AFB site. Portions of the historic base infrastructure are visible from public roads. The abandoned hospital and residential areas are not authorized for entry.
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