The Avalon Casino is the white circular building that closes the bay, and despite the name, it has never been a gambling hall. Casino comes from the Italian word for a gathering place, and when William Wrigley Jr. built it in 1929 he created a theatre, a ballroom and a landmark in one. From the water it looks like a stack of white drums with a red-tiled skirt; inside it is a lavish Art Deco world of murals, tile, painted ceilings and a theatre that still shows films with a working organ. The Backstage Tour takes you through the places the standard walkthrough cannot, including the projection areas, the stage side of the theatre and the ballroom's balconies, with a guide who explains how a building of this size ended up on a small island in the 1920s.
The Avalon Theatre is the highlight. Its walls carry a large mural cycle by the artist John Gabriel Beckman, the ceiling is a sweep of Deco design, and the auditorium was among the first in the country built with sound film in mind. The theatre screens movies year-round, and on the tour you hear about the original Page organ, the projection system and the unusual acoustic design.
The ballroom upstairs is the other showpiece, a huge circular dance floor ringed by windows that look out over the bay on one side and the town on the other. In the Big Band era it hosted national radio broadcasts and dance nights that drew thousands of visitors from the mainland on excursion boats.
Wrigley's vision shaped almost everything in Avalon, and the tour places the building in that story. He bought controlling interest in the island in the early 1919 period, rebuilt the town, brought the Chicago Cubs to Catalina for spring training and used his chewing gum fortune to improve the harbor. The Casino was the crown jewel, replacing an earlier dance pavilion, and its architecture reflected an era that loved exotic Spanish, Mediterranean and Deco motifs.
Guides typically weave in details about the engineering, the tile work from the island's own pottery, and how the building was used for everything from military training during World War II to movie premieres.
Practical advice
The tour is popular, so book ahead on summer weekends and holidays, wear flat shoes since the route includes stairs, and allow time before or after to walk the Casino Point promenade and the little beach below it. The Catalina Island Museum occupies part of the lower level, so you can combine both visits in a single block of the morning.
The building is also a great place to photograph at golden hour, from the Pleasure Pier or from the path leading toward Descanso Beach. If you are traveling with children, they tend to enjoy the theatre and the stories about backstage mechanics more than the dates and architects, so keep the narrative lively and let them look.
If you only have time for one ticketed experience in Avalon, many visitors choose this one, because it explains the town as well as the building. The colors, the curve of the walls and the huge windows over the bay make it a favorite for photographs, and the quiet of the theatre after the street noise is a pleasant surprise.
Evening movies are a different way to see the room, with the screen glowing and the murals above you, so consider returning after dinner if the schedule suits. Tours are led in English, group sizes are modest, and guides usually stay for questions at the end.
What to expect
The experience
A guided walk through the Casino's theatre, ballroom and back-of-house areas, with stories about Wrigley, the Big Band years and the building's construction.
Best time
Morning tours are cooler and quieter; book ahead for summer weekends.
How long
About an hour, with stairs and standing.
Tips
Wear flat shoes, arrive a few minutes early, and combine it with the museum on the lower level.
Quick picks
- Best for
- First-time visitors who want to understand Avalon's story from the building at its center.
- Families
- Kids like the theatre, the stage mechanics and the ballroom views.
- Couples
- Pair the tour with a sunset stroll along the harbor and dinner nearby.
- Pair with
- Catalina Island Museum, glass-bottom boat and a Pleasure Pier walk.
- Time needed
- An hour for the tour, plus time for photos.
Good questions
Is there gambling at the Avalon Casino?+
No. Casino here is the Italian word for a gathering place. The building houses a theatre, ballroom and museum, not a gambling hall.
When was the Casino built?+
It opened in 1929 and was commissioned by William Wrigley Jr.
What is on the Backstage Tour?+
Expect the theatre, stage and projection areas, the ballroom and the stories behind the architecture and its Big Band history.
Can I see a movie in the theatre?+
The theatre screens films in the evenings and on selected days, so check the current schedule when you are on the island.
Is the tour accessible?+
Some areas involve stairs, so ask the operator about access needs when you book.