Somewhere behind an unmarked door in Los Angeles’ Lincoln Heights neighborhood, past a steep wooden staircase and a simple compass logo etched onto a heavy entrance, lies one of the most extraordinary gathering places in the entire city. The Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles has been a gathering place for those who leave the beaten path in search of adventure since 1921. What started over a century ago has quietly grown into a living, breathing monument to human exploration — and remarkably, it’s still active today.
The club traces its roots to a 1908 meeting between Teddy Roosevelt and friends in New York, with the Los Angeles chapter founded by Captain Jack Roulac in 1921 and incorporated in 1922. It has been at its current Lincoln Heights location for about 30 years. For anyone who has ever dreamed of exploration, distant continents, or stories from the farthest corners of the world, this is your kind of place.
What Makes This Club Like Nowhere Else
The club headquarters is home to many artifacts and pieces of history collected by club members from all over the globe, commemorating their expeditions to every far-flung corner of the planet. These aren’t reproductions or decorative props — every object on display carries a genuine backstory that could fill its own book. It would take weeks to examine every artifact in the rooms of the Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles.
A vast collection of artifacts — such as a shrunken head, Pre-Columbian pottery, a quiver of poison spears, a clay pot containing human remains, a stuffed polar bear, a mammoth skull, and the autographed helmet of a member whose bombing raid on Japan helped alter the course of World War II — can be found at the club’s headquarters. Each piece has its own incredible origin story donated by a member who lived it firsthand.
Among the most jaw-dropping items on display is a humble kayak resting in the dining room. Before coming to its final resting place within this treasure trove of adventurous objects, it once sailed the entire 4,258-mile length of the Nile River — its occupant, John Goddard, being the first person to ever complete that journey. It’s the kind of artifact that stops you cold and reminds you what human determination truly looks like.
Thursday Night Programs
The Adventurers’ Club hosts programs every Thursday night dedicated to the exchange and dissemination of knowledge between those who have left the beaten path. These aren’t dry lectures — they’re vibrant, first-person accounts delivered by the very people who lived them. Survival experts, documentary producers, world travelers, and record-setters have all taken the floor to share their stories with an engaged and passionate crowd.
The club provides fantastic educational programs every Thursday night, and guests are welcomed to share in the camaraderie. The evenings run from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM and include dinner alongside the program, making it a full and satisfying night out with a uniquely intellectual energy you simply won’t find at a typical Los Angeles venue.
Membership & The People Behind It
Membership in the Adventurers’ Club is open to all, though the process is highly selective — only the most adventurous souls are counted as members. All applications are considered solely on the basis of an individual’s quality of adventure, character, personal qualities, and their genuine interest in contributing positively to the Club’s mission and values. You don’t need to have summited Everest, but you do need a story worth telling.
Honorary membership is reserved for exceptional individuals who have received important awards, public acclaim, or national recognition for an unusually high degree of success in exploration, adventure, scientific discovery, military, or public service. The result is a membership body that is truly unlike any other social club in Southern California — a room full of people who have genuinely done remarkable things.
Atmosphere & Décor
Finding the door to the club is its own mini-expedition — there’s no signage for the club on the building on Broadway. Instead, you locate a heavy, unassuming door with a simple clipper ship upon a compass, open it, climb a steep wooden staircase, and enter the world of modern-day adventurers. The sense of discovery begins before you’ve even sat down.
Once inside, the space feels like a private explorer’s den transported straight from a golden age of discovery — taxidermy, relics, maps, and mementos crowd every wall and shelf in the most compelling way. The Adventure’s Club has been hosting talks for more than 100 years, and the clubhouse is welcoming, filled with history, and an incredible place to visit. The atmosphere is intimate and warm, with the kind of lived-in character that simply cannot be manufactured.
The club also features its own pub area — dubbed Petermand’s Pub/Tiki Bar — where members and guests can enjoy cocktails before or after the evening’s program. It adds a relaxed social dimension to the night and gives you more time to absorb the remarkable surroundings while swapping stories of your own travels.
Other Considerations
Can the public attend, or is it members only? Although the Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles is a private members-only club, most meetings are open to the public. It is a social club, and prospective visitors are welcome to look up a program they’re interested in — if it’s an open night, you are welcome to make a reservation and attend. Calling ahead is strongly recommended.
What does it cost to attend? Members and guests of members pay $22 for dinner and the show, while non-member pricing varies by event. For a full evening of dinner, live programming, and access to one of the most artifact-rich spaces in Los Angeles, it’s a remarkably accessible price point.
Is there a dress code? Business casual attire is requested at all Adventurers’ Club meetings. Think smart-casual — it’s a traditional gentlemen’s club environment, and dressing the part adds to the overall ambiance of the evening.
How do I make a reservation? For reservations, members should leave their name and party size by midnight on Tuesday by calling (323) 223-3948. Guests wishing to join for dinner should also call and leave their name, party size, and contact phone number. It’s worth checking the club’s website ahead of time to confirm the program schedule and whether the evening is open to visitors.
What’s the one thing to keep in mind? There are tons of exhibits marking many adventurer accomplishments, and you can dream along as you examine actual artifacts from grand and treacherous expeditions. However, some of the hunting and taxidermy displays may not be to every visitor’s taste — it’s worth going in with an open mind and focusing on the incredible breadth of human achievement on display throughout the space.
Adventurers’ Club of Los Angeles
📍 2433 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90031
Website: https://www.adventurersclub.org
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