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Wrigley Memorial
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Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens

By Josiah Keller · On May 2, 2014

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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Josiah Keller

Josiah works primarily in web development and writing, and once wrote a 50,000 word (unpublished) novel in a month. He also loves to travel, and explore different cultures and locations.

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