Catalina offers culture and history

A Catalina Island vacation offers something for everyone. Things to do on Catalina range from heart-pounding adventures to relaxing escapades, ensuring that an Avalon getaway will be memorable for the entire family.

For those who like to explore the past on their vacation, Catalina Island offers a surprisingly diverse history, replete with smugglers and native Americans, Civil War soldiers and World War II frogmen, Hollywood icons and America’s top baseball team. Inhabited for thousands of years, Catalina – or Pimu, at it was known before European exploration — provided a home and sustenance as well as spiritual inspiration to generations of native islanders. In more modern times, Catalina Island has been home to – or at least a favored destination of – Marilyn Monroe, the Chicago Cubs, the country’s best Big Bands and John Wayne. Catalina continues to be home and muse to artists, musicians, artisans and writers, all of which are part of the diverse tapestry that makes up the culture of Catalina Island.

Discovering all of Catalina Island’s culture and history can take a lifetime. The Catalina Island Museum is a great place to start. With exhibits on local history and culture, as well as world-class traveling exhibits, the museum’s new Ada Blanche Wrigley Schreiner Building has quickly become a must-see when visiting Catalina Island.

For those who prefer a more immersive experience, Catalina Island offers several tours and adventures that spotlight Catalina Island history and culture. Food tours, eco-adventures and off-road quests into the interior are just some of the many ways to explore all that this Southern California vacation destination has to offer.

Get out and explore Catalina Island history