California’s Laguna Beach usually conjures images of sleek mansions and sun-drenched shores, so discovering a hidden gem like this felt like a real treasure. It’s well tucked away and not easy to reach. First, you have to score a parking spot, then track down the secluded staircase that winds down to the private beach below.
Known to some locals as “the pirate tower,” this mysterious, enchanting structure looks more like something from a storybook than anything you’d find in the OC.
Rising like a castle turret from the shoreline, the tower at Victoria Beach captivates visitors who wonder about its mysterious purpose. Known as the enigmatic Pirate Tower, it stands as a fascinating oddity along this sun-soaked stretch of rugged California coast, just a short distance from Laguna Beach. Built into the rocky cliffside, the 60-foot tower stretches from the water’s edge up to the top of the bluff where the house perches. Ocean breezes whistle through small openings covered by rusted metal grates on the tower’s sides, while a large, weathered door at its base reveals a wooden spiral staircase winding up to the ledge above.
So what exactly is the story behind the Victorian turret? Was it a lookout for Spanish pirates? Is there treasure buried nearby? Should I bring my metal detector?
In 1926, William E. Brown, an LA State Senator and well-known Christian Science lecturer, built the tower as a private passage to help his family travel from their cliff-top home down to the beach below. In the early 1940s, retired Naval officer Harold Kendrick bought the property—and it was he who gave the tower its playful pirate reputation. According to local lore, Kendrick would dress up as a pirate and hide coins and candy in the tower’s rocky crevices, inviting neighborhood children to embark on treasure hunts along the shore.
So it’s not the pirate history I had hoped for, but still worth the trouble to find parking.
The estate has changed hands numerous times over the years, but was most recently owned by Bette Midler.
Many will remember Midler’s turn in the 1988 film Beaches, which featured scenes filmed a few miles north at Crystal Cove State Park’s historic cottages. The quaint little dwellings were built in the ’30s as a movie set and a seaside colony followed.The buildings were spared from the bulldozer’s blade in the new millennium through the efforts of the Crystal Cove Alliance and are available for weekend getaways.
Victoria Beach, situated just south of Main Beach, is renowned for its pristine white sand, stunning blue-green waters, and distinctive mix of historic and modern homes. The beach offers a tranquil and secluded atmosphere, though parking is extremely limited.
When was the last time you felt a sense of magic? I promise you, it still exists, if you know where to look for it.
Location: 2700 Victoria Dr, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
If you visit, don’t hesitate to explore around the base of the tower—who knows, there might still be some treasure waiting to be found.
Note: The Pirate Tower can only be accessed at low tide.
Wander Woman 