What Is the Super-Secret 'Bohemian Grove'?
When people learn there is a secret place they are not meant to know about, they often can't help their curiosity.
Bohemian Grove is one of those places. As an elite club, not many have had the pleasure of experiencing what this secret place is like.
Bohemian Grove Is in Northern California
History Daily says Bohemian Grove is located at 20601 Bohemian Avenue, Monte Rio, California.
It is in a secluded area, just to add to the secrecy and to hide away from the public.
Bohemian Grove Events Only Last for Two Weeks
It might be one of the most elite clubs in the world, but Bohemian Grove events only last for two weeks per year.
The two weeks occur every summer, and it becomes home to some of the world's most elite people.
The Club Began in the 19th Century
Bohemian Grove might only last two weeks, but it belongs to the Bohemian Club, a wider club that continues all year round.
According to Who Rules America, the club began in 1872, and members took their two-week summer break at Bohemian Grove shortly after its founding.
Only Men Allowed
Many thought the days of men-only clubs were long gone, but that doesn’t apply to Bohemian Grove.
SFGate reports that there are over 2,000 members, all of which are men.
Members Are Rich and Famous
Each member of Bohemian Grove is rich and famous in one way or another.
Members include George W. Bush, Mickey Hart, Chris Matthews, and Bob Weir.
The Club Isn’t Serious
It could be thought that a club with former presidents as members would be taken quite seriously, but sources say it’s really all fun and games.
It’s a place for them to drink and catch up with friends they might only see for the two weeks in the year that the club meets at Bohemian Grove.
No Business Deals Allowed ... Apart from One
One of the big rules of Bohemian Grove is that no business deals are allowed, as this is a place for people to come and relax away from the public gaze for a couple of weeks.
However, The Washington Post reports that the one exception to this rule was in 1942 when the Manhattan Project planning took place, making way for the atomic bomb.
Some Have Broken into Bohemian Grove
Despite their strict walls on being a members-only club, some people have been able to get secret access to Bohemian Grove and have reported on what happens there.
Internet Archives has a video made by Alex Jones, which shows members of Bohemian Grove taking part in a ceremony known as Cremation of the Care.
'Cremation of the Care'
Cremation of the Care is a ceremony written, produced, and performed by Bohemian Grove members.
It involves members wearing costumes and cremating a coffin effigy known as Care. They do all of this in front of a 40-foot owl, which is in defense of the surrounding Redwood trees.
Bohemian Grove Was Sued
It might be a place for the elite to relax, but the club's relaxing nature wasn’t so relaxing when it was sued in 2023.
Three valets working on the ground sued the club, with SFGate citing that they were made to work 16-hour days, were not given breaks to go to the bathroom or eat, and were not being paid minimum wage or overtime.
Protests Against Bohemian Grove
With the knowledge that Bohemian Grove happens at the same time in July every year, according to The Press Democrat, many have protested outside Bohemian Grove due to its elite membership.
Many of these protests have lessened over the years, but that still hasn’t stopped people from wanting some insider knowledge about what happens in one of the world’s most elite clubs.
