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Bohemian Grove is a private campground near the Russian River in California, known for its annual summer camp for America’s rich and powerful. The events are secretive, with membership requiring sponsorship and fees. The camp includes performances, talks, and rituals, with an owl as the symbol and a giant statue guarding the camp. Business and politics take place at the camp.
Bohemian Grove is an exclusive private campground located near the Russian River in Monte Rio, California. The Grove is probably best known for its annual summer camp, which includes a huge gathering of America’s rich and powerful. The events at Bohemian Grove are shrouded in secrecy, despite the penetration of numerous journalists and documentary filmmakers. The mystery surrounding the annual summer camp has drawn a lot of attention to Bohemian Grove, along with large amounts of speculation.
The 2,700-acre (11 square kilometer) site officially belongs to the Bohemian Club, an exclusive private men’s club founded in San Francisco in the late 1800s. The club was initially founded by journalists, but was quickly penetrated by San Francisco’s elite , who wanted to find a site to use for casual getaways other than the central San Francisco club. Members began purchasing land near the Russian River, and the first summer gathering occurred in 1899, by invitation only.
Persons wishing to join the Bohemian Club must be sponsored by two or more existing members. They also have to pay a large initiation fee, along with annual dues. Club members who maintain their membership in good standing for over 40 years are known as the “old guard” and are entitled to certain privileges that are not extended to other club members. Arguably, one of the greatest perks of all is an invitation to Bohemian Grove, located at 20601 Bohemian Ave in rural Sonoma County.
Bohemian Club membership is not a guarantee for an invitation to summer events. There are two separate summer camps, one in June, which is generally attended only by Californians, and one in July, which includes members from around the world. In these camps there are an assortment of performances, talks and internal rituals including the “Cremation of Care” ceremony, in which participants symbolically vanish the cares of the world.
Bohemian Grove’s symbol is an owl, and a giant statue of an owl stands guard over the camp. The camp’s motto is “weaving spiders don’t come here,” a reference to the convention of leaving out matters of the outside world, including business. Indeed, as one might imagine at a gathering of America’s elite, including several former presidents, a great deal of business and politics takes place in Bohemian Grove.
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