Small but bright, informative, interesting museum on the Island. Lots of local history exhibits…read more They had a looping movie about local history done in a mix of newsreel and TV news styles fitting the era & topic presented. Cool. Surprised to learn about the Island's connection to Marilyn Monroe, Wrigley chewing gum, and the Chicago Cubs. The museum also was hosting several artists' exhibitions. Narsiso Martinez's artwork depicting California agricultural labourers was particularly impressive. Some of the works don't get shown to the public often. One of the museum's docents gave interesting background on the artist and the backstory for some of the art pieces. If on Santa Catalina Island, this museum is worth a visit.

Small museum on Avalon with a very informative history of Catalina Island. Admission prices can be…read morea bit much for what the museum is worth, but a good visit for your first time. Every time I take my kids to Catalina Island, we always visit here. Very calming atmosphere away from the busy streets of visitors. Not only that, but we take in good education about the island. There's some awesome artworks displayed throughout the museum. My favorite part of it all is the patio area. We love to sit there while relaxing next to beautiful plants. So quiet to reflect on the peaceful environment. There is also a gift shop where they sell all kinds of goods like jewelry, books, drinks, soaps, lotions, backpacks, and much more to take home as a memory. Good spot to check out on your next visit to Catalina Island.

Finally took the time and additional funds to see the inside of the Catalina Casino in Avalon…read moreCalifornia during a shore stop aboard the Quantum of the Sea from Los Angeles. It was a great stop, well worth the money and time. My wife and I have been to Avalon before and the outline of the Catalina Casino dominates the view from the harbor when looking North. I made the obvious mistake of thinking it was a place of gambling and didn't bother going, but later learned that during the 19th and early 20th century, the term 'casino' was used to mean 'a gathering place'. That was the goal of the original owner (William Wrigley, founder of the gum company that bears his name), when he built it in 1929, right during the times when 'talkies' started taking over the movie industry. A massive restoration occurred in 1994. It's walkable from where we got dropped off by the cruise port tender, so I bought two adult tickets online for $21.51 each, for the self-guided tour. There is also a guided tour available that takes a group back behind the stage. We got there right when it opened and the ticket taker already had our names to let us in. The first stop was the main theater on the ground floor, and as we entered it, I couldn't help by saying a long 'Wowwww'. There are 1164 original seats (reupholstered) and we sat in the very back row, admiring the theater and watching a bit of the silent movie that was playing. Cell reception did not work inside, and the free WiFi didn't work well in here either. A little while later, the guided tour came in, and we were able to listen to the guide explain the theater. Some fun facts: -- this was the first theater designed for 'talkies'. However, because it wasn't a sure thing that they would replace the old style silent movies, a Page Theatre Pipe Organ was also installed (which is now one of only three still in its original location...the others being in Indiana). It was broken for a while, but has recently been fixed. -- entire ceiling was covered in silver leaf. -- the acoustics are incredible. As the guided group talked in normal loudness near the orchestral pit in front, I could hear each conversation from the back, just as if the person was right next to me. -- the wall murals was designed by the same artist who did the mural at the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. -- architects responsible for the building of Radio City Music Hall in NYC, came for a visit to examine the acoustics, as it was that good. The guided tour ended up going backstage. We then took a winding ramp (there is no public elevator) up to the 2nd floor. Here there was one room where a TV show was on, explaining the history of the island. Another ramp took us to the top floor where the 20,000 square foot grand ballroom is. (The ramps reminded me of a ballparks, and later I learned that it was intentional: Wrigley had requested it based on something similar that he liked from his namesake ballpark). The ballroom has been beautifully restored, with wooden floors and a rotating chandelier. One can roller skate on the floor with rented skates, though nobody was doing it when we were there, thus the floor was empty. There is also a concession stand selling snacks. The height of the casino is equal to a 12-story building, and provides some really great views of Avalon, specifically the bay, from the Romance Promenade that surrounds the ballroom. My wife and I slowly circled it, admiring the views. We did notice the small cove where many snorkelers were admiring the plentiful orange-colored garibaldi. The entire stay lasted about 75 minutes which we felt was about the right amount of time. Would highly recommend if not been there before.

One of the coolest parts about visiting is learning the history-most people assume it used to be a…read moregambling casino because of the name, but it actually never was! It was built as a community gathering space, and the word "casino" just meant "social gathering place" in Italian back then. Getting to explore the building at your own pace is fantastic. The inside is beautiful, and I loved seeing the massive, classic ballroom and the old roller skating area. The absolute highlight, though, is stepping out onto the terrace. The views of Avalon Harbor and the ocean from up there are stunning, and it's easily one of the best photo ops on the entire island.

Our tour guide, Woolf, was absolutely amazing. We did the golf card night tour and she took us to…read moredifferent sites where we were able to experience very interesting things. The whole experience was very thrilling and I highly recommend doing this tour.

Tour was great! We enjoyed our time and will definitely be back when we go to Catalina. You must…read morecheck it out!

*Beautiful gardens with some very unique, and endemic flora- some only found on the island or…read moreendangered. * Awesome birding here *Main path to the memorial is a gradual incline and on relatively gravel/ sand even terrain... off shoot walking paths to meander thru the gardens as well. * To get to the top of the memorial, there are a lot of steps to climb. Worth the view from on top. * You can jump on the garden to sky trail (near the memorial)... it is described as a moderate to strenuous hike and aptly so: some switchbacks, elevation gain, rocky terrain... but the views... oh the views are lovely. Of note you can also catch this trail elsewhere- but it all depends on you and the distance and time you have. * Operated by the Catalina Island Conservatory * To get here: you can either walk here from Avalon... but it's quite a ways. The public transit COAST is available but we found it impossible to secure a ride (didn't help that a cruise ship had come in that day), rent a golf cart for the day, or the best / hassle free option was to pay a small fee (about 13 bucks a person) at the Conservancy and they shuttle back and forth. The only draw back is you need to schedule your trip ahead of time and if you are a person who does not like itineraries when you travel, this may put a dent... but definitely worth a visit. *Restrooms are located at the entrance

Definitely a place to visit when touring Avalon, Catalina Island. From the port, it's about a 15…read moreminute ride, 40 for walking. We downloaded the Ride Circuit app and it's a $2 fee per ride, which you can't really beat! The place also does student discounts, which is a nice touch. Walking through the first part was nice. Reading information on the little cards about the plants and taking different routes. We actually got to see a tiny fox! It is uphill, nothing too crazy, just bring some water. The memorial at the top of the hill is worth your time. It is a climb up the stairs, so be prepared. Once you get to the top and oversee the garden and have a view of the port, you'll for sure gasp in surprise of the view. Pretty cool seeing a structure preserved! If you take the left path when you get to the memorial, you'll come across a little area called Little Fox Hollow. I'd recommend visiting and walking through. For little ones, but you can make it fun as an adult too! On the right path, there is a hiking trail about a mile long. A lot steeper than when you start from the entrance to the memorial. We didn't get fully to the top due to exhaustion. It gives a higher view than the memorial structure. Overall, I'd definitely come back when I visit Avalon, Catalina Island!

We walked there from the boat dock and it was an enjoyable walk. Took approximately 1 hour because…read morewe made many stops along the way. The Nature Center is located towards the most distal part of the Island, so if you walk there, you will have the opportunity to do a lot of things such as sightseeing, playing at parks (if you have children), sitting down in the shade, seeing wild animals such as deer, birds, and squirrels. There are also at least three public bathrooms on the way and an interesting "Bird Park" that seemed to be closed. If you did not make any stops, you could walk to the Nature Center from the dock easily in 20-30mins. My 7 year old daughter easily made the walk without any complaints. Nature Center: free. Small and doable in about 15 minutes. There are also clean bathrooms inside and someone working at the front desk to answer your questions. They sell stuffed animals and some little souvenirs that were a little more expensive than the items found on the Green Pier. There was a coloring station that consisted of a small table and two little chairs, pictures and coloring pages were provided. There was a digital microscope and we spent some time placing everyday objects underneath for viewing (dollar bills, hands, nails). There were also some interesting facts and an iPad connected to a large screen TV...wasn't operating the day I visited but I think it was supposed to be display a short video. Afterwards, we did not want to visit the Wrigley Monument nor the Gardens, so we took the bus back to the Pier. Bus cost $2/person and arrives every 20 minutes. The stop was situated less than a one minute walk from the Nature Center. Overall, it's a quick place to stop if your'e visiting the Island. Something fun to add to the itinerary for the day.

We actually really liked this place. It is small, but it's free to go inside and there are a…read morenumber of informative boards for those of you who like history and nature. You can get to know a little bit more about the island, and also, clean bathrooms. We stopped here on our way up to the Wrigley Memorial during our walk. You can also get hiking permits here. There's also a little table for kids, with children's books and coloring too.