Rewind: Bohemian Grove

Bohemian Grove: A 1870s San Francisco Liberal Arts Club Becomes Exclusive Gathering

Club Founded In 1872 by Journalists and Artists

In 1872, a group of journalists and artists in San Francisco formed the Bohemian Club. They gathered in dimly lit rooms to celebrate the arts, attracted by the ideals and mystique of the Bohemian lifestyle.

Club's Shift: From Bohemian Ideals to Elite Playground

Initially, Bohemianism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries conjured images of hedonistic, spiritual, and anti-establishment individuals—starving artists, actors, writers, painters, and musicians loosely associated with frugality and defiance of worldly pursuits. In practice, the club’s version of Bohemianism was an excuse for revelry and indulgence. As the club’s parties gained notoriety, its founding members attracted other wealthy bar-goers. These newcomers were less interested in art or Bohemian ideals and more in elite socializing. The club seemed to shed all its Bohemian ideals except for the love of partying, evolving into a space where social status and financial means determined admission.

Membership Change: Club Becomes Selective, Raises Fees to Attract Influential Members

With popularity came exclusivity. The club increased its selectivity, raised the bar for membership, and began collecting hefty dues and fees. Over time, membership transitioned from an open community to an elite club accessible mainly to the rich and influential, far removed from its free-spirited origins.

The Grove's Layout, Membership, and Security Underline Its Secrecy as a Guarded Private Institution

2,700-Acre Monte Rio Property: 100+ Campsites, Grove Stage Amphitheater, Campfire Circle, and a 40-foot Concrete Owl Statue Centerpiece

Every July, the town of Monte Rio, California, swells as the Bohemian Grove, a private 2,700-acre redwood property, hosts its annual gathering. The Grove features over 100 campsites, a 2,000-seat outdoor amphitheater called the Grove Stage, the Campfire Circle surrounded by redwood benches, a multipurpose Clubhouse, and a man-made lake. Presiding over the grounds is a 40-foot concrete owl statue—an iconic, weathered centerpiece. Among the redwoods, the likeness of Saint John of Nepomuc is carved into a tree, finger to lips, symbolizing the secrecy expected from all who attend.

Membership Requires $25,000 Initiation, Annual Dues, Member Recommendations, a 15-year Wait, and Is Men-only

To attend, one must be a member or invited guest. Becoming a member requires an initiation fee rumored to be $25,000, plus ongoing annual dues. Prospective members need sponsorship from multiple current members, with a typical waitlist exceeding 15 years. Membership is strictly male; women are not permitted to join.

Fortress-Level Security Measures at the Grove

Secrecy is paramount. The Grove employs security guards, surveillance cameras, and 24-hour checkpoints. Signs warning of “private property” and “no trespassing” are ubiquitous, and trespassers face arrest. The club is intensely protective of its privacy and the discretion of its guests.

2,500 Members Are Mostly Wealthy, White, and Conservative, Including U.S. Presidents, Supreme Court Justices, Military Generals, Fortune 500 CEOs, and Government Officials; Donald Trump Has Not Been In ...

1942 Manhattan Project Meeting: Bohemian Grove Venue for Major Government Policy Initiatives

In September 1942, during the Grove’s off-season, the Riverside Clubhouse hosted a top-secret meeting that altered world history. Organized by J. Robert Oppenheimer, a chemist with the University of California Physics Department, and E.O. Lawrence from the UC Radiation Lab, the gathering included James Conant (Harvard’s president), Lyman Briggs (National Bureau of Standards director), Edgar V. Murphy (Standard Oil), Arthur H. Compton (General Electric), and military representatives. Over two days, these men crafted the earliest stage of the Manhattan Project—a vast government venture that would cost the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. nearly $30 billion and span thirty laboratories worldwide. The initiative led to the creation of the first nuclear weapons.

The fact that this pivotal meeting took place on club grounds is a source of pride among Bohemian Grove members, with the story passed from elder members to new inductees. This normalization and even celebration of such monumental government business occurring in private club circles underscores the Grove’s influence. The secret nature and exclusionary membership—“a boys-only secret society”—raise enduring concerns about accountability in national security decision-making. The Grove’s association with the Manhattan Project is cited by theorists as evidence that major plans and policies can be shaped in secret, with outcomes that impact daily life, often outside of public knowledge or consent.

Bohemian Grove Attendees Gain Business Contracts and Political Benefits, Indicating Elite Collusion

Reports and archival documents suggest Bohemian Grove plays a role in securing business deals and influencing policy for its elite guests. The Bechtel family—a major figure in American and international construction—have long-standing ties to the club, including presence at the 2023 retreat alongside notable figures like Henry Kissinger, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Colin Powell. Bechtel was awarded Iraq reconstruction contracts following the war, a job fraught with risk that resulted in the deaths of 52 employees. This guest list and subsequent contract acquisition underline the overlap between Grove attendance and lucrative government business.

Lakeside talks at the Grove regularly feature high-level lobbying and policy advocacy. For example, General John Chain, Commander-in-Chief of U.S. Strategic Air Command, once urged attendees to support funding for the B-2 bomber program; in that same year, $23 billion was spent on the program. Similarly, a talk termed "America's Health Revolution. Who lives, who dies, who pays?" was co-led by Dick Cheney before his tenure as vice president, revealing that future policy direction—including health reform—was being discussed among club members even before becoming national agenda items.

These gatherings show elite affinity transcending formal politics. Paul Pelosi is listed as an attendee despite his wife, Nancy Pelosi, not politically aligning with the majority-Republican roster, illustrating the Grove’s prioritization of class interests over partisan divides. As Sean Morrow observes, such collusion among the ultra-wealthy represents a formidable, sometimes opaque, concentration of influence.

Undercover Reports and Leaks Reveal Grove Membership's Influence and Ethics Violations

Investigative journalism has brought ...

Curiosity about secrecy at Bohemian Grove drives journalists and outsiders to infiltrate the campgrounds, attempting to uncover the realities behind its exclusive summer gatherings. Their reports shed light on rituals like the Cremation of Care and fuel persistent theories about the Grove's pagan or occult roots, while also revealing the challenges journalists face in exposing the full truth.

Journalists Infiltrate Bohemian Grove and Document Rituals

Over the years, a handful of determined journalists have succeeded in entering Bohemian Grove and documenting its activities. In 1989, Philip Weiss from Spy Magazine infiltrated the Grove posing as a guest. He described a scene reminiscent of a fraternity party for the nation's elite: lakeside talks among powerful attendees, elaborate theatrical productions with budgets reaching $75,000, considerable drinking and revelry, and, centrally, the Cremation of Care ceremony. Weiss found the ritual somewhat silly—attendees sat on lawns puffing cigars and shouting “Huzzah!” with apparent earnestness, though he himself regarded it with skepticism. During the ceremony, a giant owl statue presides, and at least in Weiss's account, the owl’s booming voice is provided by legendary broadcaster Walter Cronkite.

In 2000, Alex Jones managed to further demystify the ceremony by secretly recording video of it with a hidden camera. His footage captured the procession of robed figures, the burning of an effigy before the imposing owl, and ritualistic chanting, including the Grove’s motto repeated aloud. The high priest’s voice echoed through the woods: “The owl is in his leafy temple. Let all within the grove be reverend before him...Weaving spiders come not here.” Despite Jones’s reputation and personal interpretations, the ritual seems authentically documented in his tape.

Not all journalists are able to share their findings. Dirk Matheson from People magazine infiltrated the Grove on three occasions, gathering extensive material for a story. After his last visit, which ended with a Time Warner executive exposing him and having him forcibly removed, the article was abruptly cancelled, officially due to alleged trespassing. Matheson, however, suspects that his exposure to a powerful member with influence over the magazine was the real reason his work was killed, suggesting a concerted effort by the media to suppress such stories and maintain the Grove’s secrecy.

"Cremation of Care" at Bohemian Grove: Most Documented, Controversial Ritual With Varied Interpretations

The Cremation of Care is the Grove's most discussed and documented ritual, kicking off the annual two-week retreat each summer. At sunset, in the redwood forest before the 40-foot owl statue, the ritual features a high priest and subordinates in colorful robes, who burn an effigy meant to represent "Dull Care," thus symbolically releasing the stresses and burdens of daily life. Attendees, often powerful figures from politics and business, watch the ceremony, smoking cigars and sporadically shouting "Huzzah!" The owl statue—sometimes voiced by high-profile members like Walter Cronkite—acts as a central spiritual figure, “speaking” over loudspeakers during the ceremony to set the mystical, transformative tone for the retreat. The Grove’s motto, “Weaving spiders come not here,” meaning “leave business at home,” is ritually invoked, if not always faithfully obeyed.

Conspiracy Theories About Pagan and Occult Practices at the Grove Persist Despite Limited Evidence, With Some Ceremonies Incorporating Pagan Symbols

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Activist Mary Moore Resisted Bohemian Grove By Founding Bohemian Grove Action Network and Gathering Evidence of Its Activities

Starting In 1980, Monte Rio Resident Mary Moore Criticized the Grove's Secrecy As Undermining Democratic Principles With Undisclosed Policy Decisions

Around 1980, Mary Moore, a Monte Rio resident living in close proximity to the Bohemian Grove, began questioning the true nature of the annual gatherings. Moore saw the clandestine meetings of powerful figures—including elected officials—as a direct threat to democratic values, arguing that the American public deserved transparency about policy discussions potentially influencing national decisions behind closed doors.

Mary Established Bohemian Grove Action Network, Convincing Employees to Secretly Provide Materials Revealing Powerful Individuals Involved

To counter this secrecy, Moore co-founded the Bohemian Grove Action Network (BGAN). She persuaded some Grove employees to secretly supply her with club documents—programs, membership lists, and pamphlets. Moore’s home soon filled with these materials, which offered glimpses into the names and power structures within the Grove. The increasingly troubling information Moore gathered drove BGAN to begin organizing public protests at the gates of Bohemian Grove.

Bgan's 1984 Grove Protests: 50 Arrests & Media Attention

BGAN’s activism culminated in large demonstrations, sometimes attended by hundreds of people. In 1984, protestors sought to effectively confine Bohemian Club members inside the Grove, preventing them from engaging in alleged policy planning. That action led to the arrest of about 50 activists, but it also achieved a critical breakthrough: widespread media attention and growing public curiosity about the Bohemian Grove’s secretive operations.

Evidence of Grove Activities and Membership Uncovered by Investigative Journalism Despite Publication Obstacles

Mary Moore Enabled Journalist Infiltration of the Grove In the 1980s

Mary Moore’s efforts also empowered journalists to penetrate the Grove’s inner world. In the early 1980s, she helped four journalists to infiltrate the campgrounds—some, including reporters from Time magazine and NPR, posed as waiters to gain inside access. Although a Time journalist wrote about their findings, the article was reportedly suppressed and never published.

Philip Weiss's 1989 Spy Magazine Article Was the Sole Detailed Account of Grove Activities for Over A Decade, Detailing Member Behavior, Policy Discussions, and Rituals

Moore’s activism continued, and in 1989 she drove journalist Philip Weiss to the Grove, facilitating his successful infiltration. Using an alternate route, Weiss was able to blend in as an invited guest, spending seven days among the Grove’s elite. His detailed Spy magazine article, “Masters of the Universe Go to Camp, Inside Bohemian Grove,” became the main public account for years, documenting the exclusive rituals, behaviors, and discussions within the camp.

Journalist Dan Boguslaw's Investigation Reveals a Leaked List of Attendees, Including Celebrities Like Jimmy Buffett and Conan O'brien, Alongside Political and Business Figures, Spurring Media Scrutiny of the Grove's Elite Influence

In 2024, investigative momentum continued when journalist Dan Boguslaw, after extensive work in the Bay Area, obtained a list of attendees from the 2023 Grove retreat. He published the list in February 2026, revealing not just wealthy, lesser-known figures but also celebrities such as Jimmy Buffett and Conan O’Brien. The attendance of high-profile entertainers and political figures including Paul Pelosi attracted significant media scrutiny. Reporters used the list to highlight the interconnectedness of powerful business and political actors at the Grove and sparked renewed questions about elite influence.

Victories in Legal Challenges and Protests Against the Grove Highlight ...