The Marion Davies Guest House

Like looking through a magnifying glass, diverse installations set the mood and expose the stories that are part of the fiber of the Marion Davies Guest House. Throughout both floors of the house, and in the entryway, visitors encounter numerous historical photographs that focus on the life of William Randolph Hearst and the original owner of the beach house, film star Marion Davies. The dining room is devoted to the fabulous theme parties held at the beach house. An audioscape evokes one of these infamous parties in the 1930s, while large-scale photographic scrims cover the walls, depicting the A-list celebrity guests in attendance.

In the entry lobby, an interactive guest book allows visitors to explore the estate from the 1930s through today. A scrapbook section lays in images and artifacts from the time Marion Davies owned it, to the time when the property became an exclusive membership club, up to the public landmark it is today. In guest book mode, visitors can put their mark on the history of the site by signing their name electronically into the book.