Esalen Institute

Founded by Michael Murphy and Dick Price in 1962, the Esalen Institute is a center for humanistic alternative education. It is well-known for its blend of Eastern and Western philosophies as well as its experimental workshops. The institute attracts philosophers, psychologists, artists, and religious thinkers. Some early teachers included Linus Pauling, Ansel Adams, and Timothy Leary. Joan Baez was an early resident and Henry Miller a frequent visitor of the institute. The institute offered a Soviet-American exchange program and was involved in a schizophrenia research project and a publishing project.

The Esalen Institute is located about 45 miles south of Carmel and 9 miles north of Lucia along Highway 1. It is named after the Esselen Indians, the Native American tribe who used to live there. The institute is located on 27 acres of beautiful Big Sur coastline with the Santa Lucia Mountains rising above the Pacific Ocean. Esalen includes hot springs, which Thomas Slate, the original owner, used to treat his arthritis back in the 1870s. In 1910, he sold the land to Dr. Henry Murphy. The site was opened to tourists in the 1950s.

Mailing Address: Esalen Institute, 55000 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920
Reservations: (831) 667-3005
Reservation Hours: Mon - Thurs, 9 AM - 7 PM; Fri - Sun 9 AM - 5 PM
Website: www.esalen.org

LANGUAGES: French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese