In the 1920s, William Randolph Hearst built an oceanside estate for actress Marion Davies. Architect Julia Morgan oversaw development of the estate, which included several guest houses, a grand swimming pool, and a 110-room mansion. From 1929 to 1942, when Hearst and Davies used the estate, it was the hottest spot on Santa Monica's Gold Coast, with guests ranging from Charlie Chaplin to Winston Churchill.

In the 1940s, the estate became a luxury hotel and the members-only Sand & Sea Club. The mansion was demolished and the property sold to the State of California in 1959. The site continued on as the Sand & Sea Club for decades, until its lease expired in 1989. The property languished for years and suffered severe damage in the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

The City and residents of Santa Monica then seized the opportunity to re-envision the role of the property, collaborating to create a visionary site use plan. The project stalled for lack of funding until 2005, when the Annenberg Foundation committed $27.5 million to turn this vision into reality.

Through vast collaboration, public input, grassroots advocacy, creative vision, and technical prowess, the property was transformed from a fenced-off ruin into a remarkable public asset. The project team meticulously rehabilitated the sites two remaining original features, the Marion Davies Guest House and the swimming pool. They skillfully integrated new construction that honors and reinterprets the long-lost mansion. An interpretive master plan creatively engages and informs visitors, and the general public can now enjoy the beach-club experience, no membership required.

The Annenberg Community Beach House opened to the public on April 25, 2009, with thousands in attendance. Docents from the Santa Monica Conservancy have since hosted thousands more, and the Cultural Affairs Division hosts regular cultural events. This project exemplifies how privately held historic properties can become an important public asset, as well as demonstrating the value of public-private partnerships in historic preservation.