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(You can sign up online to receive notifications about such dates). Be sure to click here to read the pool rules before visiting. As an event space like no other, the Beach House provides the perfect setting for meetings and celebrations, accommodating groups as intimate as ten to celebrations for 400, and available for film and photo shoots. The Annenberg Community Beach House at Santa Monica State Beach is operated by the City of Santa Monica. The Beach House is made possible by a generous gift from the Annenberg Foundation, at the direction of Wallis Annenberg, and in partnership with the City of Santa Monica and California State Parks. The Beach House is easily accessible by foot or by bike from the Marvin Braude Bike Trail (beach bike path).
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7th Annual Cardboard Yacht Regatta at the Annenberg Community Beach House - santamonica.gov
7th Annual Cardboard Yacht Regatta at the Annenberg Community Beach House.
Posted: Mon, 30 Jul 2018 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Parking rates vary depending on the month, but are generally $3/hour and either $8 or $12 per day. A variety of special events are held throughout the year including classes (such as yoga, youth and adult volleyball, and swimming), lectures, and more. Be sure to check the website for upcoming events, dates, and fees where applicable. It’s one of the best things about Summer in Los Angeles, and since Summer is right around the corner, it’s time to plan those family trips to the beach. You’ll find everything you need to know right here, from parking to dining to special activities, in our Guide to the Annenberg Community Beach House.
Historic Past
Yes, you can go to this beach and spend little to no time on the sand. You can purchase passes on the day of your visit on a first-come-first-served basis starting an hour before the pool opens. Guest services will start a waitlist if passes sell out. The pool at the Annenberg Community Beach House is open to the public and accessible with a pool pass.
A Public Destination, Open To All
Although the community is in the name, I think a lot of people think this is part of the neighboring members-only, The Beach Club. Since people think it is off-limits, you do have more chances to find a place for your blanket and picnics. Parking is generally available on a first-come, first-served basis; however, during the summer pool season there are a limited number of parking reservations available.
The Pool
The Annenberg Community Beach House began as the Marion Davies Estate and was built for her by William Randolph Hearst. The Estate included a mansion of more than one hundred rooms and a marble swimming pool. Mr. Hearst and Ms. Davies entertained many famous Hollywood legends including Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, and Charlie Chaplin to name a few. The original mansion was torn down in 1956, but a guesthouse and the splendidly tiled swimming pool remain. Those historic assets have been restored and enhanced with new facilities for public recreation.
Here, Davies and Hearst often hosted lavish parties for their famous Hollywood friends like Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, Samuel Goldwyn, and Greta Garbo, among others. The facilities were thoughtfully rehabilitated and designed by Frederick Fisher and Partners, Architects. At the direction of Wallis Annenberg, the Annenberg Foundation provided major funding for the restoration and repurposing of a five-acre beachfront property at 415 Pacific Coast Highway, in Santa Monica, California. The 5-acre oceanfront site upon which the Annenberg Community Beach House now sits was originally developed during the Gold Coast era of the 1920s by William Randolph Hearst for actress Marion Davies.
TOURS OF THE GUEST HOUSE
Located on five acres of oceanfront property in Santa Monica, California, the first-rate public beach facility serves as a popular site for recreation, tourism, and relaxation. The Annenberg Community Beach House is the site of many company parties, family reunions, and other events. There are also paddleboard rentals, volleyball courts, surf lessons, and event spaces you can reserve through its website. If you’ve never been, the Annenberg Community Beach House is a special place.
Annenberg Community Beach House Tour
The State of California purchased the property in 1959, and the Sand & Sea Club continued to operate until 1989. In the 1990s, the City of Santa Monica ran the facility until the 1994 Northridge Earthquake severely damaged all structures on site. With a damaged historical property on their hands, the City of Santa Monica began to entertain the notion of converting the estate into a year-round public beach space. The vision was there but the money wasn’t—until Wallis Annenberg of the Annenberg Foundation, who had fond memories of visiting the Sand & Sea Club, heard of the project and pledged a $27.5 million dollar grant.
Even though there was a large age difference, she was a teenager, and him in his 50s. To further Marion’s acting career Hearst moved both of them to Los Angeles, leaving his wife and family behind. He started Cosmopolitan Pictures just for Marion and built her a beach house to be closer to Hollywood while he continued the work on Hearst Castle.
The Beach House grounds are open daily, including the playground, splash pad, beach area, courtyard, view deck, and volleyball courts. You can also take a sunset swim (adults only) on select evenings during the summer. The historic pool and deck area, with restored tile mosaics and stone paving, is within a landscaped enclosure below the beach level. Facing the pool is a freestanding white colonnade that defines the location and scale of the mansion's façade. The footprint of the huge structure is delineated on the parking lot behind the Pool House. Behind the colonnade, a series of 14 concrete pillars, each 30 feet high,[2] is the new Pool House with changing rooms, restrooms and built-in cabana areas lined with wood stained in colors taken from the pool tile.
Members of the public should not come to the Beach House if experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms or under a quarantine or isolation order. Public spaces will provide instructions for safe distancing, but the public’s support in being mindful of COVID-19 best practices, including frequently washing hands and using hand sanitizer, is appreciated. Originally developed in the 1930’s by William Randolph Hearst for actress Marion Davies, the property was the site of an elegant 110-room mansion designed by architect Julia Morgan. The estate hosted a wide range of stars, including Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Cary Grant and Gloria Swanson.
William Randolf Hearst used the same architect for Hearst Castle to design the beach house, Julia Morgan. She worked simultaneously on both residences 230 miles apart from each other in the early years of the 19th century. That meant no company jet to fly Morgan back and forth to deal with a very hands-on Hearst.
Davies, a movie star, was a pre-eminent Hollywood hostess; she and Hearst reigned as virtual royalty, hosting film luminaries and heads of state. This structure, the guest house, is all that remains of the once palatial estate. Tours of the house are led by knowledgeable docents who share stories about Davies’ life at the house.
The Beach House is open year round (hours and admission) with summer weekends obviously drawing the biggest crowds. Staff at the Beach House offer fall and winter activities too, including bird walks and tours. Organizations and individuals may also rent out the space for meetings, weddings, and other special events. The estate was sold in 1945 and the property was run as a hotel. After that venture failed, the mansion was demolished and the property sold to the State of California in 1959.
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