Greer's OC

Recognized as the home of Ole Hanson, Founder of the city of San Clemente, Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is a Southern California major cultural institution and arts destination that will celebrate 95 years of honoring art, culture, and community this September. 

Celebrations will take place all month long amongst the stunning Casa Romantica estate and gardens overlooking the beautiful San Clemente Pier. Featuring special programming including Endless Summer art exhibits and events, the 20th Annual Toast to the Casa gala, free family activities, live music, coffee concerts, dance classes, art workshops, and more, there is something for everyone to enjoy at Casa Romantica.

Culminating this milestone occasion, Casa Romantica invites the community to join the nonprofit organization for its D. Yoder Family Sunday on September 4th with FREE admission to all from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 

Learn history with docents placed around the property, how Ole Hanson’s 1927 home was turned into the cultural center it is now, and enjoy celebratory cake along with a tile crafting activity to commemorate 95 years of Casa Romantica as a home and gardens.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Casa Romantica estate is living history. The estate was built for the San Clemente city founder Ole Hanson and his family, which became the building blocks for the development of the rest of the city. The home was built as a “Spanish Village By The Sea” by notable architect Carl Lindbom to represent the California dream lifestyle in 1927-28. After the estate was foreclosed during the Great Depression in 1934, the property passed through many hands throughout the twentieth century until the late 1980s, when a group of forward-thinking individuals took responsibility for Casa Romantica to make it a treasured destination once again. 

In 1991, the estate was registered on the National Register of Historic Places, restored to its original beauty through a major capital campaign, and transformed into a cultural arts center as well as an architectural, arts, and botanical destination. 

For nearly twenty years, Casa Romantica has served Southern California with over 100 multi-cultural events every year, hosting a variety of educational programs, maintaining 2.5 acres of diversified water-wise coastal flora from all over the world, and welcoming over 40,000 visitors annually. Alongside its 95th anniversary, Casa Romantica is excited to share its upcoming Casa Captivating programming for the fall and winter season. 

In addition to visiting Casa Romantica during business hours, the historical venue offers themed cultural connections for their many events throughout the year that everyone can enjoy.The calendar includes live music, art exhibits, dance and music classes, movie nights, and special events. September kicks off with Casa Romantica’s Endless Summer series, highlighting the surf culture of Southern California, with events like Coffee Concerts with High Tide Coffee, Surf Jazz Dance Class Series, and a special Endless Summer Art Exhibit Opening Reception to meet the three featured artists. This fall will also see the esteemed Toast to the Casa fundraising gala, monthly free and family-friendly activities, community events, Casa Kids activities, and so much more across the beautiful estate and gorgeous gardens.

For a complete list of events, more information, or to purchase tickets to upcoming events visit CasaRomantica.org.