Haunted Catalina Golf Cart Tour

The most unusual way to see Avalon may be from a small golf cart after hearing stories about the island’s darker corners. This 90-minute haunted ride moves beyond the waterfront to places such as the Catalina Island Casino, Wrigley Mansion, the Pet Cemetery, and the hills above town.

I like the very small group size, capped at five people, and the mix of ghost stories with Catalina history. I also like that the route includes broad views from the hillsides instead of keeping you in the crowded center of Avalon. The main drawback is the short running time: with several sites on the route, some stops may be brief.

Key points

• The cart holds no more than five people, making this a more personal outing than a large bus tour.
• The 90-minute route reaches beyond central Avalon, including the Wrigley Mansion, Botanical Garden, and Pebbly Beach area.
• Stories are paired with Catalina history, so the tour offers more than a string of ghost tales.
• The meeting point is easy to find, at the yellow building with green awnings at 121 Clarissa Ave.
• You get a hilltop view of Avalon, along with stops connected to local legends and island life.
• Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours ahead, but late cancellations receive no refund.

A Small Golf Cart, A Big Avalon Story

Haunted Catalina offers a driving ghost tour through the City of Avalon, using a golf cart rather than a walking group. That choice matters here. Avalon has a compact center, but the town rises quickly into the hills, and a cart lets you reach sites that would take more effort on foot.

The tour lasts about one hour and 30 minutes. That is enough time to see a useful slice of the town and hear several stories, but it is not a long historical excursion. You should expect a brisk route with multiple points of interest rather than a long stop at every location.

The mood depends heavily on your guide. The guide is responsible for telling the paranormal stories, explaining the history behind each place, and keeping the ride lively. A particularly strong guide can make the same road feel different as the light fades, while a less theatrical presentation may feel more like a short history ride with spooky material added.

The available feedback points to a guide who was both informative and considerate. In one case, the guide waited for a late-arriving boat, which is a useful detail if your ferry schedule is tight. No guide name is provided, so you cannot request a specific person in advance.

Finding the Yellow Building at 121 Clarissa Avenue

The meeting point is 121 Clarissa Ave, one block from the beach. Look for the large yellow building with green awnings, which also serves as the Haunted Catalina ghost tour and gift shop location.

This is a practical starting point because it keeps you close to Avalon’s waterfront and public transportation. You do not need to search for a distant pickup area or arrange a separate transfer. Still, give yourself enough time to find the building before departure, especially if you are arriving by boat and have luggage or a tight shore visit.

The tour ends at the same meeting point. That makes planning easy. You can return to the beach, continue around Avalon, or head back toward your ferry without arranging a ride from another part of the island.

Your ticket is mobile, so you can show it from your phone. Confirmation is provided when you book. Since the cart has only five seats, advance booking makes sense. The average booking time is about eight days ahead, and limited capacity can matter on a short island visit.

Catalina Island Casino and Avalon’s Waterfront History

The Catalina Island Casino is listed as a main stop, and it gives the tour a strong opening subject. The building is one of Avalon’s most recognizable landmarks, so it offers an immediate connection between the island’s public history and its ghost stories.

The word casino can mislead first-time visitors. Here, the building is a major Catalina landmark rather than simply a gambling venue. Its presence reflects Avalon’s long connection with entertainment, visitors, and grand public spaces.

Expect the guide to use the Casino and nearby waterfront as a setting for paranormal history. The value of this stop is not just the spooky angle. You also get a sense of how Avalon’s identity was shaped by tourism and by the people who came here for a short escape.

The stop may appeal most to you if you like local stories tied to real buildings. If you want a formal tour of the Casino’s interior, however, this experience is not described as an indoor Casino tour. The focus is the driving route and the stories told along it.

From the Steamer Tug Boat House to the Conservancy Trail Head

The route also includes the Steamer Tug Boat House and the Conservancy Trail Head Center. These locations broaden the tour beyond famous landmarks and point toward the practical and natural sides of island life.

The Tug Boat House suggests Catalina’s working waterfront, where vessels and transport were essential to the community. It is the kind of place that helps keep the tour connected to real Avalon rather than turning every stop into a generic ghost-story backdrop.

The Conservancy Trail Head Center adds another layer. Catalina is not only a resort town on the shore. Its protected interior and trails shape how people experience the island, and the route gives you a glimpse of that wider setting.

Because the tour is short and moves by cart, do not expect a long walk from either location. The benefit is coverage. You can see more of Avalon’s surroundings without spending the whole afternoon on foot. The tradeoff is that the guide may have limited time for extended explanations at each point.

The Wrigley Mansion and the Hills Above Avalon

The Wrigley Mansion is one of the more distinctive stops on the route. It brings the Wrigley family and Catalina’s better-known private history into the story, while also helping explain why the tour leaves the waterfront.

The ride through the hills is one of the strongest reasons to choose this experience over a standard walking ghost tour. You get a different view of Avalon, with the town below and the island rising around it. The provided description specifically highlights a breathtaking view, so scenery is part of the experience, not just a side effect of reaching the haunted sites.

I would pay attention to the practical side of this section. The route climbs away from the center, and the cart provides the transportation. That is useful if you want hillside views without committing to a longer hike.

The Wrigley Mansion stop should suit you if you enjoy stories about notable island residents and places with a sense of status or privacy. It may be less satisfying if you expect a full mansion tour or a detailed architectural visit. The tour is designed to pass through several sites, not to spend an hour at one property.

The Helicopter Port at Pebbly Beach

The route includes the helicopter port in the Pebbly Beach area. This is an unexpected change from the historic buildings in Avalon’s center and gives the ride a more modern, open setting.

Pebbly Beach helps show how varied the island’s edges can be. You are not simply circling the same few streets. The tour reaches a transport site outside the tight center and connects it to the ghostly stories told by the guide.

The appeal here is partly the contrast. A helicopter port sounds practical and modern, while the tour’s subject is paranormal history. That tension can make the stop more memorable than another old building would be.

The available information does not promise a particular paranormal event at each location. You should view these stops as settings for stories, local history, and atmosphere rather than as proof of anything supernatural. The experience works best when you enjoy suspense and folklore without needing every tale to be presented as fact.

The Pet Cemetery and Wrigley Memorial

The Pet Cemetery is likely to be one of the more emotional stops. A cemetery connected with animals brings a personal element to a tour that could otherwise focus only on famous people and large buildings.

This location may appeal to you if you like unusual local history and quieter places. It also changes the tone. Not every haunted story needs to be theatrical. Some places carry their atmosphere through memory, loss, and the fact that real people cared enough to create a lasting resting place.

The route also includes the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden. The supplied details do not specify whether the cart stops for a full visit inside the garden, so you should not book this expecting an extended botanical walk. The site is part of the route, and the guide uses it as one of the places connected to Catalina’s history and stories.

Together, these locations show the range of the tour. You get public landmarks, transport sites, private history, a pet cemetery, and a garden area. That variety gives the hour and a half more substance than a simple loop around downtown.

What the Small Group Size Changes

The maximum group size is five people. That is a major feature for this type of tour because the guide’s storytelling is the heart of the experience.

With fewer people, you have a better chance of hearing the details clearly and asking a question without interrupting a large crowd. The cart also feels more like a shared outing than a scheduled ride packed with strangers.

The small cart creates one clear limitation: seats are limited. If you are visiting Catalina for only one day, wait too long and your preferred time may be gone. The fact that the tour averages bookings about eight days ahead makes advance planning sensible.

The intimate format may suit couples, families, and small groups who want a private-feeling outing without booking a full private tour. Solo participants can also join, but the experience is still shared with the other people in the cart.

Is $65 a Fair Price for 90 Minutes?

At $65 per person, this is not the cheapest way to see Avalon. The price makes more sense when you count the transportation, the guide’s narration, the small group, and the hillside route.

A basic walk around town costs less, of course. But a walking route may not cover the Wrigley Mansion, Pebbly Beach, hillside viewpoints, and other outlying locations in the same time. The golf cart saves your legs and gives the guide a way to connect several parts of Avalon.

The value depends on what you want from a ghost tour. If you mainly want dramatic haunted claims, the price may feel high for 90 minutes. If you want a compact introduction to Avalon’s unusual places, local history, and paranormal stories, the cost is easier to justify.

I see this as a good first-day activity. It can help you understand the town’s layout and point out places you might want to revisit. It is also a useful choice when your time on Catalina is short and you want more than a waterfront stroll.

Who Will Enjoy This Ride Most?

You should consider booking if you like local history with a spooky edge, prefer a moving tour to a long walk, and want a small group. The mix of stories and views gives the ride appeal beyond Halloween-style entertainment.

Families can participate because most travelers are eligible, and service animals are allowed. Still, the mood is built around haunted sites and paranormal history, so very young children or anyone uncomfortable with ghost stories may not enjoy it.

This tour is also a good fit for visitors who have already seen Avalon’s main waterfront and want to reach places farther uphill. The cart provides access to a wider route without asking you to plan your own transport.

I would choose something else if you want a long, scholarly history tour, an indoor visit to the Casino or Mansion, or a walking tour with time to study each site. The one-hour-and-30-minute format keeps the experience moving.

Practical Details Before You Reserve

The experience costs $65 per person and includes a mobile ticket. You meet at 121 Clarissa Ave in Avalon, one block from the beach, and return there at the end.

Service animals are allowed, and the tour is near public transportation. Most people can participate, but the cart has a maximum of five travelers, so reserve ahead if your schedule is fixed.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. A cancellation made within 24 hours is not refunded, and changes made inside that period are not accepted. The cutoff follows local time, so check the clock carefully if your ferry plans change.

If you arrive by boat, build in a little extra time before the meeting point. The guide has waited for a late boat in at least one instance, but you should not treat that as a guaranteed policy. A prompt arrival remains the safest plan.

Should You Book the Haunted Catalina Golf Cart Tour?

Book it if you want a compact, personal introduction to Avalon that combines paranormal tales, Catalina history, and hilltop views. The five-person cart and route beyond the waterfront give it a clear advantage over a large walking group.

The best value comes when you appreciate the setting as much as the scares. You will see places tied to the Casino, Wrigley family, Pebbly Beach, the Pet Cemetery, and the Botanical Garden, all while a guide connects them with local stories.

Skip it if you need a long, detailed stop at each landmark or if $65 feels too high for a 90-minute activity. For a short visit, though, the ride offers an efficient way to see more of Avalon, with just enough mystery to keep the hills interesting.

FAQ

How long is the Haunted Catalina Golf Cart Tour?

The tour lasts approximately one hour and 30 minutes.

How much does the tour cost?

The price is $65 per person.

Where does the tour begin?

It begins at 121 Clarissa Ave, Avalon, California 90704, one block from the beach.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the meeting point at 121 Clarissa Ave.

How many people can join the golf cart tour?

The cart has a maximum of five travelers.

Is the ticket available on a mobile phone?

Yes. The experience provides a mobile ticket.

Which Avalon sites are included?

Listed sites include the Catalina Island Casino, Steamer Tug Boat House, Conservancy Trail Head Center, helicopter port at Pebbly Beach, Wrigley Mansion, Pet Cemetery, and Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes. Service animals are allowed.

Can most people participate?

Yes. Most travelers can participate, and the activity is near public transportation.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted, and the amount paid is not refunded.