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The
Legendary Casino Building
One of the first things that you'll notice upon arriving in
Avalon is the Casino Building, Catalina Island's most recognizable
landmark. The round, white building rises the equivalent of 12 stories,
and is surrounded by the sea on three sides. Built in 1929, the
Casino - which is actually not a gambling hall but "place
of entertainment" - played host to dozens of big bands
through the 1930s and 1940s. Guests danced the night away to the
music of Glen Miller, Harry James, and many others over the years.
The
Casino Building is a stunning example of original Art Deco architecture.
It has been well maintained over the years and has also undergone
much restoration, both inside and out.
A
Grand Opening
The Casino Building officially opened on Wednesday, May 29, 1929.
The City of Avalon proclaimed a legal holiday and requested that
all businesses close. Festivities included a parade along Crescent
Avenue, a flag-raising ceremony, live music, escorted tours of the
building, ceremonial presentations, a stage show, and other events.
The
Avalon Theatre
 Located
on the main level of the Casino Building, the Avalon Theatre was
the first theatre designed for sound movies before its construction.
Its circular dome is unbroken by pillars or balconies. The screen
measures 18 feet high by 36 feet wide and accommodates Cinemascope
motion pictures.
The
acoustics in the theatre are so good that you can hear normal conversation
from the front to the back of the theatre. Though the projection
booth still houses originally installed equipment, it also contains
the latest screen, projection, and sound systems available. The
theatre ceiling is of hard acoustical material, covered with silver
leaf, and decorated with star designs and star shaped openings through
which recessed lights twinkle.
The
Avalon Theatre is also home to a Page Organ, one of only four crafted
by the Page Company in Lima, Ohio.
Murals
The murals in the Avalon Theatre and on the exterior of the building
were designed by John Gabriel Beckman, a well-known artist who had
worked on a number of theatres, including Grauman's Chinese
Theatre in Hollywood.
Nine
panels encircle the inside walls of the theatre loggia and are stylized
underwater scenes of marine life. Originally designed to be executed
in Catalina tile, the murals had to painted directly onto the concrete
surface in order to be ready for the Casino Building's grand
opening.
The
Casino Ballroom
The Casino Ballroom is unlike any other in the world. It is 180
feet in diameter, with no interior columns, and is the largest ballroom
of this type in existence. The dance floor is laid in strips of
maple, white oak, and rosewood on a layer of felt and acoustical
paper, over a subfloor of polished pine floating on cork. (People
in the theatre below would never even know that there were hundreds
of people dancing in the ballroom above them!)
The
largest number of dancers ever in the Casino was 6,200 people dancing
to the music of Kay Kyser, on May 8, 1940. Virtually every big band
of that era played in the Casino Ballroom. Live broadcasts were
carried over CBS radio from 1934 into the 1950s.
Explore
The Casino Building
Today, visitors can see the inside of the Casino Building on one
of several daily walking tours. The Casino Ballroom is also available
for private functions, and is a very popular spot for weddings and
special events.
If
you are planning to spend the night in Avalon, why not catch a movie
in the beautiful Avalon Theatre? Movies show every evening, twice
nightly on weekends.
The
Art Gallery and Catalina Island Museum are also located in the Casino
Building, on the lower level. From the Native American Indians who
inhabited Catalina 7,000 years ago to the Hollywood legends who
vacationed there in the 1950s, the Museum is a great place to immerse
yourself in the island's history. Open daily, the Museum boasts
an outstanding collection of archaeological material excavated on
the island, as well as historic photographs, displays, and Catalina
pottery.
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