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 The
Monument III The
Garden III Hours
& Directions
The
Wrigley Memorial honors the memory of William Wrigley Jr., who lived
from 1861 to 1932. Although best known as the founder of the Wm.
Wrigley Jr. Company, largest manufacturer of chewing gum in the
world, he also played an instrumental role in the history of Catalina
Island. He truly loved the island, and with undying enthusiasm and
energy, he brought numerous improvements: public utilities, new
steamships, a hotel, The Casino building, and extensive plantings
of trees, shrubs and flowers. William Wrigley Jr.'s greatest legacy
was his remarkable vision and plan for the future of Catalina Island
-- that it remain protected for all generations to enjoy.
 With
its commanding view of Avalon Bay, The Wrigley Memorial is the centerpiece
of the Botanical Garden. It was built in 1933-34 with the goal of
using as much Catalina materials as possible. Quarried Catalina
stones can be seen in the reinforced concrete construction -- the
facade having been sandblasted to hide the cement and highlight
the native crushed stones.
The
blue flagstone rock on the ramps and terraces comes from Little
Harbor, on Catalina's "back" side. And the red roof tiles and all
the colorful handmade glazed tiles used for finishings came from
the Catalina Pottery plant, which was in operation from 1927 to
1937. The marble inside the tower was quarried in Georgia.
The
idea for a garden came from Mr. Wrigley's wife, Ada. In 1935, she
supervised Pasadena horticulturalist Albert Conrad, who planted
the original Desert Plant Collection. Catalina Island's temperate
marine climate made it possible to showcase plants from every corner
of the earth.
In 1969,
the Wrigley Memorial Garden Foundation expanded and revitalized
the garden's 37.85 acres. Along with the new plantings came a new
attitude. In the same way that the Wrigley Memorial uses primarily
native building materials, the Garden places a special emphasis
on California island endemic plants. (Plants, which grow naturally
on one or more of the California islands, but nowhere else in the
world.) Many of these plants are extremely rare, and some are on
the Endangered Species list.
The Memorial
Garden is particularly concerned with the six
Catalina endemics - plants, which grow naturally only on Catalina
Island. The Wrigley Memorial Garden Foundation maintains a special
interest in the preservation of all Catalina endemics, including
the rare Catalina Ironwood.
In
1996 the Wrigley Memorial Garden Foundation merged with the Catalina
Island Conservancy. This was a natural combining of two important
ecological organizations, both dedicated to the protection and restoration
of Santa Catalina Island.
Hours
The Gardens are open daily from 8a.m. to 5p.m., year round.
Admission
Adult Admission is $5, children under 12 are free.
Getting
There
The Memorial and Gardens are one and a half miles up Avalon Canyon
Road. The walk is pleasant, passing the Golf Course, the town's
ballpark, and the Hermit Gulch campground.
Catalina
Island Conservancy
P.O. Box 2739
Avalon, CA 90704
(310) 510-2595
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