The Catalina Island Company is excited to announce the beginning of long-awaited renovations at the Hotel Atwater!

Yes, it's true. The Catalina Wine Mixer was a fictional event. Those familiar with the Will Ferrell movie Step Brothers will know the reference to the Catalina Wine Mixer. The characters in the film, Dale and Brennan, played by John C Reilly and Will Ferrell become step brothers in their 40's after their parents, played by Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins marry. Crazy antics ensue including planning the "biggest helicopter leasing event in the Western Hemisphere," also known as the "F#$%% Catalina Wine Mixer."

In order to keep Santa Catalina Island in the news, Mr. William Wrigley Jr. decided to sponsor a channel swim from the Isthmus (now called Two Harbors) to Point Vicente off Palos Verdes Peninsula. The swim was twenty-two miles, one mile further than the English Channel.

On August 30, 1972, the Los Angeles Times headline read “Brown Berets Invade Santa Catalina Island.” The Brown Berets were a pro-Chicano group formed in the late 1960’s to address the issues of farm workers’ rights, educational reform, anti-war activities, police brutality and other problems confronting the Chicano community.

The Catalina Island Museum will present an exhibition of works by internationally renowned artist Dale Chihuly. The exhibition, Chihuly at the Catalina Island Museum, will open on March 26, 2017 and run through December 11, 2017. Chihuly, an American sculptor, has mastered the alluring, translucent and transparent qualities of ice, water, glass and neon, to create works of art that transform the viewer experience. He is globally renowned for his ambitious site-specific architectural installations in public spaces, and in exhibitions presented in museums and gardens worldwide. The exhibition...

The Holly Hill House In 1888, Peter Gano, a civil engineer and talented craftsman from Pasadena, began building a beautiful Queen Anne architectural style cottage on Avalon’s southern hillside overlooking Avalon bay. Mr. Gano came to love the island when he was helping to create the island’s first fresh water system. Originally, the home was named “Lookout Cottage,” and Gano built the home almost completely by himself. Should you want to know who helped him build the cottage you will find a clue by looking up to the weather vane that sits atop the red cupola of the home. It is in the shape of...

The Catalina Grand Prix was inspired by a race that began in 1907 on the Isle of Man, 70 miles off the coast of England. It was a very elite and prestigious event.

Atwater Building The Atwater Building opened in time for the start of the 1920 summer season on July 1, less than a year after William Wrigley Jr. purchased the Santa Catalina Island Company. Wrigley hired David Malcom Renton, known as "DM", a Pasadena builder, to take charge of the project. It was the beginning of a work relationship and friendship that would last Wrigley’s lifetime. Wrigley often referring to DM as “my right hand.” Renton's other Catalina Island projects included Mt. Ada, Thompson Dam, Catalina Pottery, Casino Ballroom, Wrigley Memorial and El Encanto. The Hotel Atwater was...

Santa Catalina Island Homing Pigeon Service Up until 1894, the only way for Avalon to communicate with the mainland was to send messages to the mainland via the late afternoon steamship. The island was then owned by the Banning brothers, who had thought about laying cable between the mainland and island, but found it too expensive of an enterprise. It was then that two brothers, Otto and Oswald Zahn stepped up (or more correctly, flew up) to meet the needs of the community and its visitors. The Zahns created a homing pigeon service from Avalon to downtown Los Angeles. Once the carrier pigeon...

Live at Descanso Beach As a follow up to the successful Castaway Concert Series of 2015, the Catalina Island Company, in conjunction with Xceptional Music, has launched Live at Descanso Beach for 2016. The concert series kicks off over Memorial Day Weekend with Smash Mouth live on May 28th. Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell (vocals), Kevin Coleman (drums), Greg Camp (guitar), and Paul De Lisle (bass). They are known for songs such as "Walkin' on the Sun" and "All Star." On July 8th we...

The cast of A&Es Born This Way television series spent the day at Descanso Beach Club last summer. The docu-series follows a group of seven young adults born with Downs Syndrome, along with their family and friends in Southern California. For more about this series, click to go to A&E . Watch the clip from Born This Way below.

Incline Electric Railway - sometimes called “Angel’s Flight” after the funicular that was built in 1901 on Los Angeles’ Bunker Hill. In 1908, under the Banning Brother’s ownership of the island, Hancock Banning was the instigator and supervisor of the railway. The entrance was next to Avalon’s Greek amphitheater at the southeast end of Avenida de Cresenta (Crescent Avenue). The cart could hold twelve passengers and as it ascended the hillside up to Buena Vista Park (the point below Mt. Ada) a second cart would be descending down to Lovers Cove as a counter-balance. At the apex of the two...

Catalina Island was featured on a new television program entitled Buried History. Mark Walberg, of Antiques Roadshow fame, hosts the show that navigates to small towns across America to explore the past.

If you had visited Santa Catalina Island in 1895, you might have taken a glorious stagecoach ride from Avalon to the Isthmus. It was the first stagecoach ride out of Avalon since that segment of the road had been completed in June of that year. Six horses began to climb the steep, rugged dirt road that led into the heart of the island and although the excitement and danger was enough to take your breath away, it was truly a spectacular trip of beautiful foliage and wild flowers set against a sunny bright blue sky that held you and your fellow passengers in awe. The island’s newest hotel, The...

Adam Lasher is an Artist who was recently featured on the 2015 season of “American Idol” on FOX. Adam auditioned in New Orleans, performed his original song, and quickly became one of the judges’ favorites. See Adam Lasher at Descanso Beach Club during our Sunday Beach Parties this summer.

In the early 1920’s, William Wrigley Jr. and David M. Renton were driving Mr. Wrigley’s car up by the Catalina Island golf course. It had been raining earlier in the day and as the gentlemen turned the car around, it became stuck in some clay-like mud. Mr. Renton wondered if the clay was good enough to make bricks. Mr. Wrigley told him to look into it. That began the use of clay bricks for building in Avalon as early at 1923. It was a department of the Santa Catalina Island Company. The Tile Factory and later the Catalina Tile and Pottery followed and became a prosperous business unto itself...

Our wonderfully iconic “Blanche W.” will be saying goodbye to her millions of fans after 85 years of service, at the end of this summer. Built in 1924 “The Blanche,” as we all call her, has grown old and beyond being able to repair and maintain her to the standards of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Blanche W. is a 64-foot, 98-passenger, solid-wood vessel built just to watch the flying fish. Her World-War-I-era, 40-million candlepower searchlights shine on the sea at an angle that simulates the silver streak of a large predator fish, enticing the fish to fly out of the water and into visitors'...

Ahoy mates! Catalina Island’s party of the year is right around the corner with the 2nd annual Shipwreck Weekend kicking off April 10-12, 2015 at Two Harbors. A spring version of the popular Buccaneers Event that takes place every October, Santa Catalina Island Company is excited to host a castaway weekend of costume contests, live entertainment, DJ’s, treasure hunts and more.

First time visitors to Avalon are often deeply moved by the sights and sounds of this beautiful seaside hamlet. The iconic Catalina Casino is invariably the first sight most see as they approach the harbor, and often the first sound they hear once they arrive emanates from the hillside just above the Casino.

Ben was a sea lion that most likely swam up from the island’s east end and into Avalon Bay in the late 1800’s. Deciding to make Avalon his home base, the huge bull sea lion set about making friends of the Islanders, visitors and especially the fishermen

Catalina Island is home to the oldest golf course west of the Rocky Mountains. The scenic 2,100-yard course boasts nine holes and two sets of tees for 18 hole play. The course offers a fully stocked Pro Shop. There’s no need to worry about the hassle of bringing clubs over on the ferry – you can rent clubs, electric and pull carts.

The longer you live in Avalon the more you become aware of the unique and wonderful people that are your friends and neighbors. Some of these individuals are especially unique for you know that they must have wings or a halo somewhere, for they truly are angels on earth. Rosie Cadman is such an individual. Her sunny and positive disposition shines through even in the gloomiest of times. Always ready to lend support and comfort, Rosie is a beacon of faith and love that has blessed us for the past seventy years of her living on the island. Rosie was born in Boston and moved out to the west...

We want to tell you a little bit about some of the wonderful people that call Avalon their home…Rose Ellen (Arno) Gardner is a true Islander and one of a few actually born on the island. Rose Ellen’s parents, Joe and Rose Arno arrived in Avalon in 1934 to run the local fish market eventually owning the market, Catalina Café, Arno’s Seafood Grotto and the ice concession.

As construction continues on the former El Encanto building, the new destination spa is beginning to emerge and is due to open early summer. As with any eighty-two year old building, as the remodel progresses, some construction issues are beginning to pop up that need to be addressed. Most of these issues were anticipated, some were not. The main focus has been on the replacement of portions of the foundation in the entry tower.

Just 26 miles off the coast of Los Angeles, adventure junkies can experience one of Catalina Island Company’s thrilling hands on, packaged experiences. Taking guests to new heights, the Heli-Adventures showcase breathtaking views and allow guests to explore the natural, uninhabited beauty of Catalina Island via helicopter, trail trekking or pedal power.

“Water, water every where, nor any drop to drink.” These words were written in 1797 by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his epic poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” They might well apply to our beautiful drought stricken island surrounded by a glistening salt water sea. However, the Catalina Island Company is taking major steps to see that it doesn’t happen to Avalon in particular or the Island as a whole. In the Catalina Island Company’s planning of several new projects, fresh water has been a major consideration for the Company, not only to reduce usage but to actually have their water...