United States
California (CA)
Catalina Island
Avalon
Things to Do in Avalon
Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden

Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden, Avalon

See all things to do

Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden

See all things to do
See all things to do
Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden
4
645
#7 of 17 things to do in Avalon
Monuments & Statues • Gardens
Read more
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Write a review
About
The Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden is located at the top of Avalon Canyon - just a short 30 minute stroll up from town! The Garden features a collection of native plants from both Catalina Island, and the surrounding Channel Islands. The Garden also features a collection of succulents from around the world. The park is also home to the Wrigley Memorial. This iconic island landmark was built in 1934 in honor of Catalina Island patron William Wrigley Jr. The unique structure incorporates a variety of native rock and stone, as well as the famed "Catalina tile."
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Full view
The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
44 within 3 miles
Catalina Coffee & Cookie Co
320
0.2 mi$ • Bakeries • American • Cafe
Steve's Steakhouse
1,398
362 ft$$$$ • American • Steakhouse • Seafood
Avalon Grille
1,191
288 ft$$$$ • American • Steakhouse • Seafood
Bluewater Avalon
1,448
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Seafood
Scoops Catalina Island
229
208 ft$ • Dessert • American
Lloyd's of Avalon Confectionary
270
0.1 mi$ • Dessert
Maggie's Blue Rose
482
354 ft$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Southwestern • Latin
The Lobster Trap
1,437
300 ft$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Seafood
Luau Larry's
533
170 ft$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Pub
Original Jack's Country Kitchen
740
269 ft$$ - $$$ • American • Cafe • Diner
See all
Attractions
15 within 6 miles
Catalina Island Conservancy
231
359 ftIslands • Nature & Wildlife Areas
Green Pleasure Pier
44
513 ftPiers & Boardwalks
Catalina Island Visitor Center
113
322 ftVisitor Centers
Catalina Island Museum
255
0.2 miArt Museums • History Museums
Ruth Mayer Gallery
14
0.1 miArt Galleries
Garden to Sky Trail
1
0.1 miHiking Trails
County of Los Angeles Public Library, Avalon Branch
7
0.1 miLibraries
Catalina Island Casino
884
0.4 miCasinos
Catalina Island Casino Ballroom
296
0.4 miHistoric Sites • Theaters
Avalon Theater
285
0.7 miTheaters
See all
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
645 reviews
Excellent
233
Very good
245
Average
141
Poor
20
Terrible
6
Breanna S
3 contributions
Hermit Gulch Hike to Memorial, Behind the Scenes
My party accidentally found ourselves at the Memorial after hiking the Hermit Gulch trail which connected with the Garden to Sky Hike. The memorial was an impressive structure, even if none of the Wrigley family is buried there anymore. There are some creepy faces seemingly coming out of the walls surrounding the memorial but other than that there was some neat marble work. Since we kind of took the back entrance and were there after hours (they closed at 5, we got there around 6:40), we had the place to ourselves and got some neat shots. There is typically a fee to for admittance to both the botanical garden and memorial which we dodged accidentally. The botanic garden is small and mostly cacti so if you are looking for a vast array of plants and island lush greenery, this is not the botanical garden for you. The island prohibits bringing plants that need a lot of water to the island due to the 10-14 inches average rain fall annually.
Anyways, it was a nice treat for the end of a decent hike, but I don't think I would pay the $10 to see it again.
Written May 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
MICHELLE RQ
3 contributions
Memorial & garden was a must see
Couples
It was our first visit here and it was something we wanted to check off our list.

I love plants and was looking forward to this tour. It wasn’t really a tour and many plant names were missing to identify them as other gardens do have.

The garden grounds are nice and somewhat kept. Most of the plants are typical dry, desert type. We enjoyed the pleasant uphill walk through the trail up to the top. It was quiet and serene.

The Memorial building at the top has a massive appearance from the bottom but it’s not a building you can enter. It’s more of a memorial structure made with beautiful building material. The stone and tile work is wonderful and to think when the craftsmanship was done, it’s impressive.

The Memorial & garden is a part of the island’s history and a place to see but we wouldn’t necessarily go back again.
Written May 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Amy
Bellflower, CA2 contributions
Short visit may not be worth it
We didn't have time to walk the 1.7 miles trail since we are on a time limit with our golf cart rental. We only did a short walk from the entrance of the garden to the gate on top of the hill. It's a short walk and the view from the gate is very nice. But there really isn't much else to see . The garden trail had various plants, but it was short. The fee is cheap enough, $8 for adult and $6 for senior, that we just considered it donation. But short visit may not be worth it.
Written February 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
LSQRD1
Kent, OH686 contributions
Unique
We enjoyed our short visit and drove to the location in a rented golf cart. I am big on gardens so this was high on our list to do. This is a very hot and dry area so plan ahead. I think I can safely say that this would not be eveyone's cup of tea but we enjoyed the cacti and the idea. Reading about the Wrigleys history on Catalina in advance helped us understand.
Written November 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
McWag_SF
San Francisco, CA16 contributions
Gorgeous!
Couples
We walked from Avalon to the Wrigley Memorial and then onward to the Garden in the Sky trail marker (tough climb), and back to Avalon. It was a long way (10 miles), but worth the effort. The Memorial building is a super cool example of Art Deco architecture. This is well worth the time.
Written October 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kathryn T
Pinehurst, NC116 contributions
If you love cacti
First advise, don’t walk up from town in the summer! there is a bus system you can take. the gardens are interesting, but it is by and large a a garden for cactus lovers. Especially because of the droughts, it is very dry and plants show the stress. The monument is impressive. There are views of the ocean from up here. Bring some water!
Written August 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Johnny Trekkie
San Diego, CA9,188 contributions
Willy Wonka > William Wrigley
I was really hoping to see something as amazing as wild and crazy from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, after all, William Wrigley Jr was one rich AF American during his time. Both Wrigley and Wonka were uber wealthy right?

It's still an impressive moment, sort of. A long curving stone staircase leads to a fairly tall arched tower with some colorful tiles, a fountain(not running during my visit; drought?), a forum, and...and..and...that's pretty much it. No big "WOW" factor. No outrageous William Wrigley Jr statue. No Wrigley Gum sculptures. No golden ticket. No 3 course dinner gum that turns your into a blueberry. No Oompa Loompas singing silly sonnets, though there were some bratty kids running around. Oh, and there's cactuses, lots and lots of different kinds of cactuses.

$8, I'll probably won't return again. Perhaps there is something more awesome for Wrigley in his hometown of Chicago
Written September 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
pianogirl66
San Diego, CA63 contributions
Great place to see lovely desert plants and view of ocean
We walked from our hotel to the Wrigley Memorial Gardens and it is a pretty good workout. There is a bus that goes along this road too if you haven't rented a golf cart and don't want to walk. The gardens have a lot of variety of desert-type plants and it is really nice. When you walk up the stairs to the top of the Memorial, you have a great view of the whole area and on a clear day can see the ocean.
Written April 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Flo L
Santa Clarita, CA57 contributions
Worth the hike
Couples
We hiked from the waterfront. It was a fairly easy hike, and a nice day for it. The botanical gardens were interesting. The view from the memorial depends on the weather. It was hazy for us. It was a good way to get some exercise and see something interesting. I’d recommend it.
Written September 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
James H
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany536 contributions
Interesting, but expensive.
Couples
Beautiful monument in a lovely setting. Good explanations of the characteristics of the structure, but could have been elaborated a bit more. 1.5/mile hike uphill, but not particularly steep. Garden was primarily cactus with some informative signs. We like cactus, so it was alright, but I understand the comments of those who were a bit underwhelmed. Amusing that some of the signs talked about invasive plants being harmful and some described how Mrs Wrigley had brought in plants from around the world. My problem is the price, ten dollars per person for a stroll through . 80 yards of primarily native cactus and to climb a tower is a bit much. .
Written February 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 636
Anything missing or inaccurate?
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Frequently Asked Questions about Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden
Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden is open:
  • Sun - Sat 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM