Headquarters has long been the heart of the installation. In the 1940s, civilian visitors and military dignitaries arrived at the Sacramento Air Depot through Gate 2 at the end of a landscaped mall, and the formal space between the entry gate and Headquarters was specifically designed to impress visitors on their approach. The interior of Headquarters was also designed to convey the importance of the entire air depot, with Art Deco detailing in the stair railings, light fixtures, and interior doors, and a mosaic of the world with the Sacramento Air Depot marked by a star in the center of the lobby floor. McClellan Air Force Base continues to treat Headquarters as the heart of the historic district through careful preservation of the building’s character.