Catalina Island Curiosities and Oddities

Catalina Island has a few wonderfully unusual details:

A casino where gambling is not part of the story: The Catalina Casino, built in 1929, was designed as a community gathering place.
A bird park that no longer has birds: Avalon Bird Park was once a well-known attraction and shut down in 1966.
A post office without home mail delivery: residents collect their mail directly from the post office.
A 3rd Street, but no 1st or 2nd streets: the island’s street names have their own history.
A mausoleum without a body: Wm. Wrigley, Jr. was briefly interred at the Wrigley Memorial before being relocated to Glendale, CA.
Barracks without soldiers: The Union Barracks, which date to the Civil War, still stand in Two Harbors.
Birds that swim.
Fish that fly: Flying Fish can be seen on summer tours.
The island has no stop lights.
A 20+ year waiting list exists for owning a full-size vehicle, so many locals get around by golf cart.
A roaming herd of non native bison wanders Catalina Island.
Buffalo Milk is the island’s favorite cocktail.

How Locals Talk

Overtown: the local word for the mainland.
Front Street: the street officially listed on Google maps as Crescent Ave.
The Hills: the interior or backcountry areas of the island.
Interior: any area outside Avalon or Two Harbors, making up about 88% of Catalina Island.
The Flats: streets in the lower, flatter part of Avalon.
The Mole: not an underground animal, but the place where passenger ferry boats arrive.

Questions about lockers, Uber or Lyft, dogs, passports, and how to reach Catalina Island are among the common topics covered.

Catalina Island is within Los Angeles County, and Avalon, incorporated in 1913, became the county’s 30th city.

Catalina Island has a long and interesting history connected to the Spanish Empire. It was once owned by William Wrigley, Jr. of Wrigley Chewing.

The history of Catalina Island can be seen throughout Avalon in its buildings and landmarks.

Find details on places to stay, things to do, getting to Catalina Island, getting around, maps, and more.

Get the information needed to plan a Catalina Island getaway by downloading a digital guide or requesting a free guide for a home or business.