One day each year the Catalina Island Museum partners with the Tuna Club of Avalon to reveal the rich history and traditions of Catalina Island’s most private club to the public. On Saturday, Aug. 13 you have the opportunity to tour the world famous Tuna Club, a nationally registered historic landmark and the oldest fishing club in the world.
One day each year the Catalina Island Museum partners with the Tuna Club of Avalon to reveal the rich history and traditions of Catalina Island’s most private club to the public. On Saturday, Aug. 13 you have the opportunity to tour the world famous Tuna Club, a nationally registered historic landmark and the oldest fishing club in the world.
Access to the historic clubhouse founded in 1898 is restricted to club members only, but once a year, when it opens its doors to the public to benefit the Catalina Island Museum. It is the birthplace of sport fishing. Trophies, artifacts and photographs are among many relics exhibited in the club, documenting the history of big-game fishing and the first recorded rod and reel catches of tuna, marlin and broadbill swordfish.
“Thousands of visitors and island residents pass by the clubhouse every day curious to know more about it,” said the Catalina Island Museum’s Executive Director Dr. Michael De Marsche.
“We are excited to be able to offer this exclusive opportunity to our members and the community of Avalon,” De Marsche said.
“The preservation of island history is an important link between the museum and the Tuna Club, and we are honored to partner with them,” De Marsche said.
The Tuna Club’s greatest legacy stems from its founder, Dr. Charles Frederick Holder. A pioneer in ocean conservation, Holder instigated the first regulations to govern big game angling. To this day, its members strictly adhere to the rules as dictated by Holder, and the club remains committed to ethical angling and preserving the sport’s great traditions.
The Tuna Club’s illustrious history includes a number of famous anglers, such as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, movie director Cecil B. DeMille, actors Charlie Chaplin, Bing Crosby and Stan Laurel, writer Zane Grey and United States Presidents Roosevelt and Hoover. This rare opportunity is offered on Saturday, Aug. 13, at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. Only 60 tickets are available for this experience. Tickets are $30 for members of the museum and $35 for non-members. All proceeds directly benefit the day-to-day operations of the Catalina Island Museum.
For more information, to purchase tickets, or become a member, the museum may be reached by phone at 310-510-2414 or at its website: CatalinaMuseum.org.
