Overview
Bohemian Grove is a 2,700-acre old-growth redwood campground located in Monte Rio, California, belonging to the Bohemian Club, a private men's club founded in San Francisco in 1872. Every July, the club hosts a two-and-a-half-week encampment attended by approximately 2,500 members and guests — an invitation-only roster that has historically included U.S. presidents, cabinet members, senior corporate executives, bankers, media figures, and cultural elites. The gatherings have generated conspiracy theories alleging that attendees make critical political and business decisions away from public scrutiny and engage in occult rituals.
History of the Bohemian Club
The Bohemian Club was founded on April 6, 1872, by journalists, artists, and musicians in San Francisco. Originally a bohemian literary circle, it gradually attracted wealthy and powerful members. By the early 20th century, the club had evolved into one of the most exclusive organizations in the United States. Its motto is "Weaving Spiders Come Not Here" — a line from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream — officially meaning that business dealings should be left outside the grove.
Membership is limited to approximately 2,500 men (women are not admitted as members). The waiting list for membership reportedly exceeds 15 years, and annual dues are substantial. Notable members have included every Republican president since Calvin Coolidge (and some Democrats), Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, and numerous Fortune 500 CEOs.
The Cremation of Care Ceremony
The most discussed aspect of the Bohemian Grove encampment is the "Cremation of Care" — an elaborate ritual performed on the first Saturday of the gathering. In this ceremony, conducted at the foot of a 40-foot concrete owl statue, a hooded figure carries a mock coffin representing "Care" (the burdens and concerns of the outside world). The effigy is placed on a pyre and burned while participants watch. The ceremony includes music, pyrotechnics, and theatrical performances.
Club members describe this as theatrical entertainment — a symbolic casting off of worldly concerns to enjoy the retreat. Critics and conspiracy theorists interpret it as a pagan or occult ritual with sinister undertones.
Infiltrations and Exposures
Several journalists and activists have attempted to document the grove's activities:
- Philip Weiss (1989): Writer Philip Weiss infiltrated the Grove for Spy magazine, describing it as "a two-week summer camp for the affluent" and documenting lectures, drinking, urinating on trees, and the Cremation of Care ceremony.
- Alex Jones (2000): Radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones secretly filmed the Cremation of Care ceremony and released the footage as Dark Secrets Inside Bohemian Grove. The footage showed the ceremony largely as described by members — a theatrical ritual — but Jones characterized it as an occult ceremony by global elites.
- Various media coverage: The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Vanity Fair have published articles about the Grove over the decades, generally describing it as an exclusive social retreat rather than a center of conspiracy.
Documented Political Connections
While the club officially discourages business and political dealings, significant political connections have been documented:
- The Manhattan Project was allegedly conceived during a 1942 Grove gathering, where scientists and military officials informally discussed atomic research. This claim originates from a plaque at the grove itself.
- Herbert Hoover delivered his first "presidential speech" at the Grove in 1927 before his 1928 campaign
- Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan reportedly discussed the 1968 Republican nomination at the Grove, with Nixon eventually securing Reagan's support
- George H.W. Bush was a longtime member, as was George W. Bush
Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy theories about the Grove typically allege:
- Shadow governance: That attendees make binding political and economic decisions away from democratic oversight
- Occult practices: That the Cremation of Care and other rituals involve genuine occult or satanic worship
- Global coordination: That the Grove is a meeting point for the "New World Order" or "Illuminati" to coordinate global policy
- Elitist indifference: That the wealthy and powerful party in luxury while making decisions that affect ordinary people without accountability
Mainstream Assessment
Most mainstream journalists and scholars who have examined Bohemian Grove describe it as a powerful networking venue and social retreat rather than a center of secret governance. The combination of extreme exclusivity, genuine political connections, and theatrical rituals makes it a natural magnet for conspiracy theories, even if the reality is more prosaic than alleged.