The Catalina Chimes Tower Foundation recently announced the centennial celebration of Avalon’s beloved Chimes Tower in 2025. The centennial will be commemorated with ongoing restoration efforts honoring a century of chimes ringing across Avalon.
“The Chimes Tower is an enduring symbol of Avalon’s cultural heritage,” said Alison Wrigley Rusack, Co-Founder and Board Chair of the Catalina Chimes Tower Foundation. “We are proud to honor the vision of my great-grandparents while preserving the joy and character the chimes have brought to Catalina Island for a century!”
Originally commissioned in 1925 by William Wrigley Jr. and his wife Ada, the Chimes Tower has stood as a symbol of Avalon’s charm and community spirit for nearly a century, with its melodic chimes ringing out over the town and harbor for generations. Built to house a set of Deagan Westminster chimes, the tower was designed to broadcast melodic tones across Avalon every hour, quarter hour, half hour, and three-quarter hour. For Ada Elizabeth Wrigley, the chimes were more than an instrument; they were meant to delight residents and visitors alike, adding a distinctive character to Avalon.
In preparation for the centennial, the Chimes Tower Foundation has spent the past decade restoring the tower and the instrument within, ensuring their preservation for the next hundred years. The current phase of the project will include the completion of mechanical refurbishments, landscaping, and the addition of a viewing terrace, offering panoramic views of Avalon and greater access to this beloved landmark.
The Chimes Tower Foundation continues to welcome support through initiatives like the Chimes Club, which offers one-time and recurring donation options (monthly, annually, etc.). For an annual membership fee of $300, members receive a “Chimes Club” vintage ball cap each year and are recognized on the foundation’s website. A new range of accessible ways to give makes it even easier for supporters to contribute through platforms like Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and Venmo. These efforts help ensure the tower remains self-sustaining and preserved for future generations to enjoy.
For more information or to contribute to the ongoing restoration, visit www.CatalinaChimes.org
About Catalina Chimes Tower Foundation
The Catalina Chimes Tower Foundation’s mission is to restore and maintain the Chimes Tower and its chimes, a beloved landmark in the town of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, for the community and future generations to enjoy. The Deagan Westminster chimes were purchased in 1925 by William Wrigley Jr. and his wife Ada, who had a tower built to house them in December of that year.
In 2013, the board of the Santa Catalina Island Company formed the Catalina Chimes Tower Foundation, which took ownership of the building. Since then, the Catalina Chimes Tower Foundation board has been restoring and beautifying the iconic structure and its surroundings, an effort supported by gifts from both local residents and visitors ‘overtown.’ For more information, please visit www.catalinachimes.org or contact info@catalinachimes.org.
