Things To Do on Catalina Island » Gardens http://catalinaislandthingstodo.com A great list of things to do and places to see when you visit Catalina Island in California Sun, 08 Jun 2014 20:36:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.38 Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens http://catalinaislandthingstodo.com/wrigley-memorial-and-botanical-gardens/ http://catalinaislandthingstodo.com/wrigley-memorial-and-botanical-gardens/#comments Fri, 02 May 2014 12:08:55 +0000 http://catalinaislandthingstodo.com/?p=21 In the year 1919, William Wrigley Jr. bought most of Catalina Island with the riches he’d accumulated from his chewing gum empire. Upon his death, William was entombed at a grand memorial constructed under the authority of his wife, Ada. The memorial stands 130 feet tall, 180 feet long, and 232 feet wide, with a tower, spiral staircase, and was constructed almost entirely of materials from the island.

Around the memorial lies 38 acres of botanical gardens,  with a broad array of different species & varieties, and a special emphasis on plants endemic to the California isles—those found nowhere else in the world. These include such plants as Catalina Live-Forever, St. Catherine’s Lace, and Catalina Mahogany, among others. The Desert Plant Collection is the oldest on the island, and was established by Ada Wrigley herself. The garden is a great attraction on its own, but it is also the beginning of the Garden to Sky hike.

You can get to the gardens by a 30-minute walk from downtown Avalon, or take a golf cart or bicycle, or ride the Catalina Trolley. You can visit the garden any time from 8 am–5 pm, except for on major holidays. Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for children. Click here for more information.

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