Every July, affluent and influential men converge upon the forests of Monte Rio, California. Amidst the towering redwoods, members of the enigmatic Bohemian Grove club partake in lectures, participate in intricate rituals, revel in libations, and unwind far from prying gazes.
Wrapped in a veil of secrecy, this select, male-only fraternity boasts presidents, magnates, writers, and actors among its esteemed membership. Despite the club’s directive for members to abstain from business during their stay, the annual summer gathering has birthed significant political agreements and pivotal deliberations, including those concerning the Manhattan Project.
Delve into the clandestine world of Bohemian Grove, the exclusive “gentlemen’s club” so prestigious that its waiting list spans decades.
What Is The Bohemian Grove?
Although Bohemian Grove presently serves as a gathering ground for the country’s influential figures, its roots trace back to more unconventional origins. In 1872, a collective of San Francisco artists, lawyers, and journalists commenced meeting amidst the redwoods of California, bonding over their mutual passion for the arts.
These aficionados of art swiftly expanded their circle to include individuals possessing both wealth and intellect. However, within a brief span, Bohemian Grove metamorphosed into an exclusive establishment, prompting the ejection of many of its original “bohemians.”
Procuring 2,700 acres of redwood forests for the Bohemian Grove campground, affluent members sought to enhance their “bohemian” credentials by recruiting artisans. Notably, luminaries like Mark Twain were granted honorary membership, while even socialist author Jack London found acceptance within the Bohemian Grove club.
In the end, wealth and influence emerged victorious. Presently, the club’s membership comprises exclusively affluent and influential individuals, with strict adherence to a male-only policy.
The High-Ranking Bohemian Grove Members
Today, Bohemian Grove functions as a retreat where members can reconnect and unwind. Guided by the motto “weaving spiders, come not here,” excerpted from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the club emphasizes a respite from professional engagements during gatherings.
Nevertheless, significant deviations have occurred, such as the strategic discussions surrounding the Manhattan Project in 1942, culminating in the development of the atomic bomb. Given the prominent presence of policymakers within the Bohemian Grove club’s ranks, such occurrences hardly come as a surprise.
Among the ranks of past members and esteemed guests stand luminaries such as Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Karl Rove, Theodore Roosevelt, Walter Cronkite, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Barry Goldwater, Colin Powell, and Nelson Rockefeller.
While membership criteria don’t overtly demand a seven-figure bank balance, the associated fees would pose a significant challenge without substantial financial resources. With an initial joining fee of $25,000 and ongoing annual dues, sustaining membership necessitates substantial financial means.
Access to the exclusive 2,500-member club is no simple feat. Prospective members must garner recommendations from multiple existing members, adding another layer of exclusivity to the already stringent selection process.
According to a former guest, the typical waitlist duration for the club ranges from 20 to 30 years, though it reportedly shortens for those with musical talents. As of 1989, the waitlist stretched an astonishing 33 years.
Once granted entry into the Bohemian Grove, what unfolds within its confines?
Inside The Real Bohemian Grove
“It’s honestly just a place where wealthy guys from San Francisco go to be drunk knuckleheads,” said the former Bohemian Grove guest. He added, “The overriding agenda is to get so wasted every day that any reasonable person would immediately call 911 to get help.”
The campground’s idyllic surroundings provide an ideal backdrop for such activities.
“It’s very rustic,” he said of Bohemian Grove. “There are scores of ‘camps’ within the grove, each with 20 to 50 people. Each camp is unique and has a different cabin or clubhouse. They are all along a main dirt road.”
The guest added, “They burn firewood to stay warm and generally just host people from other camps or go visit people at other camps and provide entertainment. A portion of the membership is dedicated to actual professional musicians, actors, artists, et cetera, so there’s great entertainment.”
Al Jardine, co-founder and guitarist of the Beach Boys, has been spotted performing at Bohemian Grove, showcasing his musical talents. Occasionally, members organize renditions of Shakespearean plays or engage troupes for exclusive performances. Thanks to the intimate ambiance of Bohemian Grove, interactions between members and special guests are commonplace.
However, the campground’s atmosphere isn’t solely dedicated to leisure. While Bohemian Grove officially discourages blending business with pleasure, significant historical moments have unfolded on its grounds—beyond mere discussions about the Manhattan Project.
In 1967, club member Richard Nixon delivered a speech on American foreign policy, marking what he termed the “first milestone on my road to the presidency.” Additionally, Nixon struck a strategic agreement with fellow member Ronald Reagan, wherein Reagan pledged not to challenge Nixon during the impending primaries.
Bohemian Grove members engage in unconventional ceremonies, such as the Cremation of Care, where they symbolically cremate an effigy in a coffin before a 40-foot concrete owl. While described by a spokesperson as a “traditional musical drama celebrating nature and springtime,” skeptics speculate there may be more to this ritual.
Conspiracy Theories About The Secret Club
Like any exclusive enclave, Bohemian Grove has been shrouded in rumors over the years. Protected by vigilant security and concealed by towering trees, the club has maintained an aura of secrecy for decades. This opacity has fueled speculation, with some suggesting it could be more than just a retreat for the affluent, perhaps harboring secret societies or occult practices.
Journalists have endeavored to unveil the mysteries surrounding the club. In 1989, Spy Magazine’s Philip Weiss infiltrated Bohemian Grove under the guise of a guest. His subsequent exposé, “Masters of the Universe Go to Camp: Inside Bohemian Grove,” shed light on the secretive nature of the gathering.
“You know you are inside the Bohemian Grove when you come down a trail in the woods and hear piano music from amid a group of tents and then round a bend to see a man with a beer in one hand… urinating into the bushes,” Weiss wrote. “This is the most gloried-in ritual of the encampment, the freedom of powerful men to pee wherever they like.”
In 2000, controversial conspiracy theorist Alex Jones surreptitiously infiltrated the campground with a concealed camera, exposing the peculiar Cremation of Care ceremony to the public and propagating conspiracy theories surrounding it. While a spokesperson for Bohemian Grove refuted Jones’ claims about the ceremony, they acknowledged the authenticity of the footage.
In a more recent incident in 2009, Vanity Fair journalist Alex Shoumatoff was apprehended for trespassing after breaching a fence to investigate the compound. He chronicled his encounter in an article for the magazine.
Despite the conspiracy theories, alleged rituals, or purported debauchery witnessed by these investigators, former members and guests are swift to assert that the club primarily serves as a sanctuary for relaxation—a respite from the pressures of the affluent and influential world.
“I don’t buy the conspiracy stuff,” one former guest said. “Those theories are just a product of the fact that many of the members are wealthy and powerful and there are no phones allowed, so people let their imaginations run wild. I know a number of members and none of them are Illuminati.”
Nevertheless, Bohemian Grove is poised to remain a subject of fascination for years to come. Nestled deep within the forests of California, this enigmatic social enclave for the affluent and influential persists as a captivating and mysterious enigma.
