The House of the Monkey Lords
Bringing Original Muscle Beach culture to Black Rock City
Who We Are
We are a Burning Man theme camp bringing the swinging monkey culture of the Original Muscle Beach (OMB) in Santa Monica, California, to Black Rock City.
Our History
Swing City was founded by Robert Chapin and Jessica Cail in 2010. It grew out of the community at the Original Muscle Beach (OMB) in Santa Monica, California. Our goal was to take the vibe, sharing culture, and acrobatic fun we have on the beach to Black Rock City.
As Black Rock City (BRC) operates on a gift economy, where goods and services are given without any explicit agreement for immediate or future rewards, we were inspired to gift what those of us love about our beach home to the greater community of "The Playa." Robert and Jess corralled ten more of us to help them build this playground in the desert, and some of us have kept it going for over a decade.
The Heart of Swing City
Robert Chapin's ingenious rig structure is the heart of our camp, allowing us to share the sheer joy of swinging and aerial activities with the Black Rock City community. The rig has morphed and evolved as other voices have spoken and shown us other paths, but the initial purpose has stayed strong: to bring the Original Muscle Beach to Black Rock City.
The goal has always been to create a sort of hanging city, where we can camp in the rig with hammocks, play in the rig with rings and aerials, etc., while getting shade from the intense sun at Black Rock City. But really, the structure itself is only incidental to what the camp brings to the burn. We, by accident, created a perpetual motion machine where visitors become so animated by our offering that the playground runs itself. Visitors arrive, realize what is being offered, and have such a great time that they take ownership of ensuring everyone else has fun, is safe, and feels supported.
Our Vision
At Swing City, we believe in continuous evolution. Each year, we strive to expand and refine our vision, drawing from our first-year experiences. We've been doing this for over 14 years now and have learned a lot. But, our unwavering goal remains to share our community and amplify the fun, inspiring others to join us on this exciting journey.
The camp has become much more than was initially envisioned. It has changed lives and created an entirely new community that stretches across the planet.