The Mountain Mermaid is a
declared California historical, architectural, and cultural landmark.
It was originally built in 1930 as the Sylvia Park Country Club
in the mountains above Los Angeles.
It was converted into a boy’s school for a time,
and during World War II became a gambling house and brothel operated
by mobster Mickey Cohen. It was reborn as an American Legion hall, movie theatre,
and later in the 50s as a gay nightclub called The Canyon Club.
In the 70s it reemerged as the legendary
Mermaid Tavern featuring world-class music, and more.
By the late 1980s it was a ruin, structurally unsound, and destined for demolition.
In 1989, a local artist bought the property
and initiated a restoration that continues to this day.
Photographers from all over the world come to shoot at the Mermaid.
It is a local watering hole for town meetings and memorials.
The Mountain Mermaid is a horticultural garden
dedicated and the preservation of our architectural, cultural and natural history.