Galleries are Temporarily Closed - Follow us @CatalinaMuseum - Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for the latest info.
Exhibitions and Events
A Permanent Home for the Catalina Island Museum
ADA BLANCHE WRIGLEY SCHREINER BUILDING
Plan Your Visit
As of July 2, 2020:
Our indoor museum galleries and digital theater are temporarily closed due to CA State Guidelines. Click here for details.
Our Museum Store is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm (PST)
If you pre-purchased tickets to the museum and were planning to visit July 2 or after, we are offering refunds for your ticket(s). Please note: Pre-purchased ticket(s) do not have a specific date or time for your visit. You are able to use the pre-purchased ticket on any day you choose once we reopen. If you have questions or would like a refund, please click here to contact us. Thank you.
FINDING THE NEW MUSEUM BUILDING
The new museum building is located at 217 Metropole Avenue, just up the street from the beach and the Bluewater Grill on Metropole Avenue. It is a 10-minute walk from the Cabrillo Mole, where most visitors arrive by ferry boat.
Directions: Follow Crescent Avenue along the harbor and turn left at Metropole Avenue. Heading away from the ocean on Metropole Avenue, the new museum building will be approximately one block up on the right. You may also reach the new museum building by taking a taxi or the Garibaldi bus. Taxis are available at the Cabrillo Mole when you arrive on the island and can be reached at 310-510-0025. The Garibaldi bus operates a fixed route through Avalon. The bus stops at a couple of points on Metropole Avenue, two of which are very close to the new museum building. Click here for more information.
TIPS FOR YOUR VISIT
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No food or drink allowed in galleries.
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Photographs are permitted and encouraged throughout the museum.
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The use of tripods and flash photography are NOT permitted in the museum.
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Cell phones are permitted throughout the museum. Please be respectful to others by taking conversations outside of the gallery and keeping voices low.
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All children 15 years of age and under must be accompanied by an adult.
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Backpacks and luggage are not permitted in the galleries.
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Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals are permitted. Pets are not allowed.
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Shoes, shirts, cover-ups for bathing suits must be worn while in the museum.
Board of Trustees
CHAIR Ron Bevins
VICE CHAIR Roy Rose
TREASURER Steve Mandel, M.D.
SECRETARY Terry Brown
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Jim Brown
TRUSTEES
Gerald Bloeser
Amanda Bombard
Brittani Brisacher
Joyce Brown
Tim Foley
Cliff Hague
Kathy Haynes
Ritch Haynes
Ann Hinchliffe
Anne Johnson
Gary Johnson
Christy Lins
Dr. Donald W. Wise
BOARD MEMBER EMERITUS Steve Schreiner
Mission
To collect, preserve and promote the culture and history of Santa Catalina Island and to bring unique exhibitions to Catalina.
Vision
An anchor of tradition. A beacon of culture.
Inspiring our communities.
Permanent Collection of the Catalina Island Museum
The museum’s collections are comprised of artifacts from and about Santa Catalina Island. These collections support the museum's mission and foster appreciation for the island's unique history. The museum features a large and comprehensive collection of Catalina pottery and tile which was manufactured on the island from 1927-1937. The museum has over 10,000 photographs and negatives documenting island life from the early 1880s to the present day. The museum collection also contains boat models, sport fishing items, artifacts from the island's steamships and much more. The museum is the repository for all archaeological digs on the island and has one of the largest collections of Tongva and Gabrielino artifacts in the world.
History of the Catalina Island Museum
When Philip K. Wrigley joined the effort to establish a museum on the island in 1953, he was concerned that much of Santa Catalina's heritage was being lost and little was being done to satisfy the many visitors who were curious to learn more of the island's history. The establishment of a museum that could bring art and culture to the island also fulfilled the desire of his father, William Wrigley Jr., who wished to provide a "playground" where people from every walk of life could seek new experiences and enjoy one of America's most beautiful islands. Thus, the original charter of the museum emphasized that the museum be "well rounded" and have a variety of exhibitions. Supported by Philip Wrigley's vision, the museum opened its doors on the ground floor of Avalon's historic Casino building on November 29, 1953. 63 years later, the Catalina Island Museum opened its permanent home, the Ada Blanche Wrigley Schreiner Building, to the public on June 18, 2016. Now, a new era has begun for the Catalina Island Museum.