About Catalina Island

Catalina Island has a rich and storied history and is part of California’s Channel Islands archipelago, located about 26 miles off the California coast. While the City of Avalon is only a little over 2 square miles, the island itself is closer to 75 square miles.

The island has been inhabited for at least 8,000 years. European first-contact occurred in 1542, and the Native Americans living here called their island Pimu. The ship of Spanish explorer Sebastian Viscaino renamed it Santa Catalina.

Over time, otter hunters, missionaries, smugglers, ranchers, miners and military operations groups visited the island and in 1846, a land grant was awarded to Thomas Robbins by Mexican Governor Pio Pico.

In 1887, George Shatto purchased Catalina Island with the dream to turn Catalina Island into a resort destination, but it was William Wrigley, Jr. of Wrigley chewing gum fame, who began development in 1919, bringing the Chicago Cubs baseball team to the island for spring training.

The iconic Catalina Island Casino is an art deco landmark. The Casino was never a gambling hall – the word means “gathering place” in Italian. The word was appropriated when Las Vegas began its gambling industry, so it’s easy to understand the confusion. The Casino houses the world’s largest circular ballroom and hosted many events and broadcasts during the Big Band Era. A visit to the stunning movie theater is a highlight of many island vacations.

The island was and still is used for many film locations. One of our favorite stories is that when Zane Grey’s Vanishing American was filmed here in the 1920’s, they brought 14 bison to the island and left them here! (The footage, however, didn’t make it into the film.) Thus began the herd of about 150 bison that now roam the island’s interior.

The Wrigley family deeded 88% of the island to the Catalina Island Conservancy so it will always remain wild and pristine.