Another opportunity to head into the picturesque interior is a new excursion that visits El Rancho Escondido , an Arabian horse ranch built in 1930 by Philip Wrigley . In addition to housing the family ’ s horses today , the ranch is used to grow wine grapes such as zinfandel , chardonnay and pinot noir for Rusack Vineyards , another family business . Visitors may watch a horse exhibition and explore the nearly-century-old , Spanish-style courtyard and stables in addition to viewing one-of-akind saddles , trophies won by Wrigley horses and the family ’ s Western memorabilia .
Back in Avalon , walk along the palm treelined waterfront path to the Casino to enjoy the scenic vista , historic buildings for the Tuna Club of Avalon and Catalina Island Yacht Club , and a low wall decorated with enchanting tile mosaics depicting Catalina landscapes , marine life and landmarks . Upon reaching the Casino , marvel at the architecture , including elaborate ocean-themed murals at the entrance . Take in a classic movie on Fridays and Saturdays or sign up for a VIP backstage tour . Completed in 1929 , the Casino stands the equivalent of 12 stories tall and features 105,000 Catalina clay tiles on the rooftop . The ground-floor Avalon Theatre is acclaimed for its acoustics as it was the first one built for “ talkies ,” or films with sound . A domed ceiling , impressive murals and the original pipe organ can all be seen . The upperlevel ballroom , a grand 20,000 square feet with an arching 50-foot ceiling and chandeliers , can accommodate up to 1,500 dancers ; Big Bands led by Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw once performed here . Now , the island ’ s annual New Year ’ s Eve celebration , JazzTrax Festival and Catalina Film Festival all take place at the Casino . The tour includes areas once closed to the public , including green rooms used by Cary Grant , Errol Flynn and other stars ; Wrigley ’ s private viewing room and the projection room , complete with equipment from a bygone era and celebrity signatures on the walls .
Catalina Museum for Art & History is another go-to spot , especially for first-time visitors , to learn about the island ’ s history , like the fire that devastated half of Avalon ’ s buildings in 1915 , the Chicago Cubs conducting spring training on Catalina when Wrigley owned the baseball team and Marilyn Monroe — then Norma Jean Baker — living on the island briefly while married to Jim Dougherty before she became famous . But even return visitors to the island will delight in the rotating exhibits like “ Ann Weber : 26 Miles ,” on display through Aug . 4 . The artist has created sculptures from repurposed cardboard , giving a second life to the material and making a statement about the culture of consumerism while also playing with themes of nostalgia as well as nature ’ s vulnerability and resilience . The exhibition name , “ 26 Miles ,” alludes to the distance between Catalina and San Pedro , where Weber is based .
Notably , for the uninitiated , most people go on foot around the walkable city of Avalon , but golf carts are available for rent as the city has limited the number of traditional , full-size vehicles that are allowed . Although Uber and Lyft don ’ t service the island , Circuit , an allelectric shared ride service , began operating in Avalon in April .
CATALINA CUISINE After exploring all day , you ’ ll no doubt work up an appetite . Luckily , there are plenty of excellent restaurants from which to choose . When visiting an island , fresh seafood is a natural choice . And diners can ’ t go wrong with Bluewater Avalon , part of the regional Bluewater Grill chain that was established in Newport Beach and has a swordfish harpoon boat to do some of its own fishing . Situated right on the water with
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