United States
California (CA)
Catalina Island
Avalon
Things to Do in Avalon
Catalina Island Museum

Catalina Island Museum, Avalon: Hours, Address, Catalina Island Museum Reviews: 4.5/5

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Catalina Island Museum

See all things to do
See all things to do
Catalina Island Museum
4.5
246
#4 of 17 things to do in Avalon
Art Museums • History Museums
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
Located in the heart of Avalon, the Catalina Island Museum offers the best in art and history exhibitions, music and dance performances, lectures by guest speakers from all over the world, and the finest in silent, documentary and international film. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays, plus New Year's Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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Tours and Tickets

The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
43 within 3 miles
Catalina Coffee & Cookie Co
313
408 ft$ • Bakeries • American • Cafe
Scoops Catalina Island
222
0.2 mi$ • Dessert • American
Steve's Steakhouse
1,384
0.1 mi$$$$ • American • Steakhouse • Seafood
Bluewater Avalon
1,431
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Seafood
Lloyd's of Avalon Confectionary
267
0.1 mi$ • Dessert
Avalon Grille
1,171
0.1 mi$$$$ • American • Steakhouse • Seafood
Maggie's Blue Rose
473
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Southwestern • Latin
The Lobster Trap
1,412
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Seafood
Original Jack's Country Kitchen
730
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Cafe • Diner
Luau Larry's
526
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Pub
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Attractions
15 within 3 miles
RainDance Art
9
415 ftArt Galleries
Ruth Mayer Gallery
14
460 ftArt Galleries
County of Los Angeles Public Library, Avalon Branch
7
241 ftLibraries
Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden
638
0.2 miMonuments & Statues • Gardens
Catalina Island Conservancy
221
0.3 miIslands • Nature & Wildlife Areas
Green Pleasure Pier
41
0.2 miPiers & Boardwalks
Catalina Island Visitor Center
113
0.2 miVisitor Centers
Catalina Island Casino
874
0.4 miCasinos
Catalina Island Casino Ballroom
294
0.4 miHistoric Sites • Theaters
Avalon Theater
285
0.5 miTheaters
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Popular mentions
4.5
246 reviews
Excellent
167
Very good
58
Average
14
Poor
5
Terrible
2
Susanbunny_8
La Verne, CA429 contributions
Great museum
Sep 2021
Excellent little museum, very well put together. Gives a great overview of Wrigley and the island's history. Nice display of Native American artifacts also. The "news reels" were really cute. A little pricey but well worth it.
Written September 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
sgrahammd
Los Angeles, CA51 contributions
Good Things don't need to be big.
Aug 2021
I try to visit Catalina Island every summer and always make the museum a stop. Although small the museum staff does an excellent job of presenting one or two interesting exhibits. This year it was a different view of the Titanic with memorabilia from specific individuals some of whom did not survive. Also a nice display of watercolor paintings done by an artist who visited the wreck by submersible. Finally a separate collection of Gyotaku art by a SoCal artist, Dwight Hwang. The movie clip and displays on Catalina history is well worth the visit on its own merit.
Written August 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Alan O
3 contributions
A small museum that's "big" in storytelling
Jun 2021
It's a smaller museum, but extremely well done! The story of Catalina Island, especially the Wrigley family, is well documented. They even have the manual switchboard used until 1978, the last U.S. manual switchboard in operation. During my visit, they had a Titanic exhibition (available through February 2022) with rare memorabilia. There were stories about the Titanic which were quite new to me. But the permanent display about the history of Catalina Island alone is well worth a visit.
Written June 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Katie A
1 contribution
An enriching visit
May 2021
Had a really lovely time at the Catalina Island Museum! Was so impressed with the whole Wrigley exhibition, learned a TON. The archival images are extraordinary, and I was so pleased to find a nice box of them available for purchase in the gift shop. A lovely museum, I'll definitely return the next time I come to the island! Can't recommend it enough.
Written May 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Stephanie Maher Cole
Avalon, CA26 contributions
An Enlightening Experience!
Feb 2021
The History Gallery features a Titanic exhibit with interactive displays, priceless letters, artifacts, and interesting information about the innerworkings and tragedy of the Titanic in April of 1912. Also featured at the Catalina Island Museum is the Gail Garner Roski exhibit which is the first public display of her 33 watercolor paintings that illuminate her adventure under the ocean aboard the MIR I submersible to view and study the remains of Titanic in 2000.
Written March 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
M.G.Paclibare
21 contributions
Museum
Sep 2020
Museum closed only gift shop open but exhibit shown at night from 8-10 pm flashing on wall viewed from the street
Written September 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Rob T
Yucaipa, CA1 contribution
Great New Museum!
Aug 2019
If you are thinking of the small, cramped former location in the Casino building, think again. This museum is a must-see!

I especially enjoyed the area dedicated to the S.S. Catalina steamship.
Written June 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Michael K
Bellevue, WA3 contributions
Easy walk from the ferry.
Feb 2020
We enjoyed learning about the history of the island-the Wrigley's, the Cubs and the movie stars. I thought it was interesting to see pictures of Charlie Chaplin without makeup. It took us about an hour to go through. We also enjoyed the outdoor sculptures. I did think it was a shame that the beautiful Chihuly chandelier wasn't in a more prominent, open area. Hiding it in a gazebo didn't seem to do it justice.
Written February 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
CatalinaMuseum
Thanks so much for visiting us and for your thoughtful comments. We just wanted to mention that we are not trying to hide the Chihuly chandelier in any way. He actually designed that chandelier specifically for our gazebo when we held a larger show of his work in 2017 so when we had the opportunity to purchase it, we didn't really think it was appropriate to move it to another spot in the museum.
Written February 25, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
beth ann k
Halstead, KS1,315 contributions
Small but nice
Jan 2020
We went to see the display about the Cubs, which is small. The museum is nice, though, and we're glad we went.
Written January 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
KateInCali
Los Angeles, CA52 contributions
Fun to see history of Island
Dec 2019 • Couples
Small but informative museum. Enjoyed the exhibit on Esther Williams. Don't forget to go upstairs see the outdoor sculptures.
Written January 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Catalina Island Museum
Catalina Island Museum is open:
  • Wed - Sun 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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