{"id":2274,"date":"1999-07-04T20:23:26","date_gmt":"1999-07-04T20:23:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/huell-howser-archives\/1999\/01\/08\/muscle-beach-californias-gold-1007\/"},"modified":"2026-08-10T21:35:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T21:35:55","slug":"muscle-beach-californias-gold-1007","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/huell-howser-archives\/1999\/07\/04\/muscle-beach-californias-gold-1007\/","title":{"rendered":"Muscle Beach – California's Gold (1007)"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was one of the most famous addresses in the United States from 1934 to 1959. It’s not a house but a small plot of sand in Santa Monica, California. Muscle Beach started as a WPA project in 1934 and helped spawn the modern fitness movement that lives on today.<\/p>\n

The original Muscle Beach was a plot of sand just south of Santa Monica Pier. In the beginning it wasn’t about muscles, it was about fitness and fun. Men and women did somersaults and handstands, built human towers and threw each other around. Huell goes back to the original plot of sand to visit with some of the men and women who made Muscle Beach their playground during its heyday. We’ll see some wonderful old photos and home movies and hear some great stories.<\/p>\n

This show has a particularly good ending as there a group of people who are bringing back the original Muscle Beach in its original spot. The new Muscle Beach will have the old emphasis of fitness and fun and it’s sure to be a huge success.<\/p>\n

Note: This episode was released across Public Broadcasting Service’s (PBS) affiliated stations in California, but not necessarily on the same day for each station. The date shown represents the earliest, approximate airdate for this episode.
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