SOLD OUT
You may have danced on the Avalon Casino's ballroom floor, but have you been backstage?
Join us for an Avalon Casino VIP Backstage Tour, with exclusive access to explore the Stars' Dressing Rooms, Producers' Viewing Gallery, and the Directors' Projection Booth. This tour is the morning of the Avalon Ball.
On May 29, 1929, more than 10,000 revelers from all walks of life arrived by steamship to celebrate the grand opening of Catalina Casino—the crowning achievement of William Wrigley Jr.’s vision to create a “playground for all” on this beautiful island paradise.
Today you can celebrate the unmistakable beauty and storied history of Catalina Casino on a narrated walking tour that reveals the secrets of this iconic masterpiece, from its award-winning architecture to its world-renown acoustics to the 105,000 Catalina clay tiles that adorn its pointed rooftop.
You’ll tour areas of the Casino once closed to the public for over 70 years, including the projection room, where state-of-the-art equipment ushered in the era of talking pictures; green rooms that look just as they did when Errol Flynn, Cary Grant and other Hollywood stars used them during the golden age of film; Wrigley’s private viewing room, where Cecil B. DeMille screened his latest films; and the famed Casino Ballroom, where thousands once twirled to the sounds of Kay Kyser, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and others during the days of Big Band music and ballroom dancing.
This tour is led by a Catalina Island docent and is produced by the Catalina Island Company.
NOTE: This tour requires uphill walking via ramps and approximately 90 stairs within the building.
Participants must arrive by 9:45 AM outside the doors of the Casino. Once the tour begins to move, you will not be able to join it. Meet on the steps of the Casino. You will see the Mermaid murals on the walls if you are in the right place. This is the same area where you check in for the Avalon Ball.
No refunds, but you may gift or sell your ticket. If there is a waiting list, ADSLA can match ticket sellers and buyers. All transactions are between the two parties once introduced.
Check the Catalina Island Company website for more tours. This particular tour was arranged privately for Art Deco Society of Los Angeles Avalon Ball participants, but there are tours held daily for the public.