Things To Do
Coachella Valley Museum & Cultural Center82-616 Miles Ave, IndioNominal admission fee, call for hours760-342-6651
Open Wednesday - Sunday September - June
Permanent collection of historical artifacts in 1926 adobe home.
Desert Holocaust Memorial
73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260
760-325-7281
Located within Civic Center Park in Palm Desert, The Desert Holocaust Memorial memorializes lost parents, children, loved ones, and millions of innocent people. It is surrounded by cobblestone and lighting influenced by that at the Auschwitz Extermination Camp.
El Paseo Drive
El Paseo Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260
Toll Free Info: 1.877.735.7273
The world famous El Paseo Shopping District features over 150 world-class shops, clothing boutiques, art galleries, jewelers, and restaurants, along a beautifully maintained mile long drive of trees and flowers.
Joshua Tree National Park
74485 National Monument Dr. Twenty Nine Palms, CA 92277
760-367-5500
Open every day, year round. Visitor Centers are open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily.
The nearly 800,000 acre park encompasses some of the most interesting geologic displays found in California's deserts. Arroyos, playas, alluvial fans, bajadas, pediments, desert varnish, granites, aplite, and gneiss interact to form a giant desert mosaic of immense beauty and complexity.
A variety of hikes, birding events, campfires, tours and other activities are conducted by park rangers regularly.
Jude E. Poynter Golf Museum
Fred Waring Drive & San Pablo Avenue Palm Desert, CA
760-341-2491
Dedicated to the Coachella Valley's most popular sport.
Open daily 8am - 8pm or by request at driving range.
La Quinta Historical Society Museum
77-885 Montezuma
La Quinta
760-564-1283
September - June 15 open Wednesday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Admission free
Housed in the city's oldest commercial building (1937) with Cahuilla Indian artifacts, famous visitor and movie memorabilia.
Living Desert
47-900 Portola Avenue
Palm Desert, CA 92260
760.346.5694 Breathtaking botanical gardens. Stroll, hike, dine and shop amid 1200 acres of scenic trails and exhibits. A fascinating journey into the deserts of the world.
Moorten Botanical Garden
1701 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs
327-6555
Open daily 9 a.m. - 4:40 p.m.
Internationally famous living museum with nature trails, 3000 varieties of cacti, succulents and flowers.
Palapas of Araby Cove
3255 E. Palm Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs 416-1818
14 acre "hands on" artists' village and garden center with demonstrations, workshops and tours.
Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
Beautifully lined with majestic palm trees continuously lit in a wrapping of sparkling lights, Palm Canyon Drive contains art galleries, restaurants, pubs and every kind of shop. Thursday nights the street is closed to all but pedestrian traffic. Home of the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Tramway Road, Palm Springs
325-1449. Recorded information: 760-325-1391
Open year-round 10 a.m weekdays, 8 a.m weekends and holidays.
Cars depart at least every half hour. Last car down 9:45 p.m.
Aboard the world's largest rotating tramcar, riders experience a journey up the sheer cliffs of Chino Canyon. In winter, the tram becomes a ski lift, taking passengers to the site of cross-country skiing, snowshoe or snowtube trails. In summer, camping and guided tours are available. Enjoy spectacular views of the desert below from the restaurant. Open year-round.
Palm Springs Air Museum
745 North Gene Autry Trail
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-778-6262
The Palm Springs Air Museum is dedicated to the restoration, preservation and operation of America's legendary fighters, bombers and trainers. It contains one of the world's largest collections of flying WWII airplanes, including the Robert J. Pond Collection.
Palm Springs Desert Museum
101 Museum Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-325-0189
Open year-round. Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 5pm, Sunday Noon - 5 , closed Monday and major holidays.
Admission: Free to members and children under 6 when accompanied by an adult. Fee charged for others.
The largest and most popular museum in Palm Springs features art, natural science and the performing arts. Set at the base of Mt. San Jacinto in the heart of downtown Palm Springs, the Museum's outstanding architecture is in harmony with its desert surroundings.
Palm Springs VillageFest
Featuring a variety of vendors displaying quality arts & crafts, food, live entertainment and a Certified Farmers Market
Every Thursday evening except holidays 6 - 10 p.m. October through May, 7-10 p.m. June-September.
Tahquitz Canyon
500 W. Mesquite, Palm Springs
760-416-7044
Now open for two-hour guided tours, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., first tour at 8 a.m. last at 2 p.m. Admission charged
Village Green Heritage Center
221 S. Palm Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs, CA. 92262
In the heart of the city of Palm Springs, the Center is dedicated to the pioneers who first settled the area.
The museums in the center are:
(1) McCallum Adobe
760-323-8297
Open Wednesday; Sunday noon - 3, Thursday - Saturday 10 - 4. Closed end of May to mid-October
Nominal entrance fee
Built in 1885, the home of the Palm Springs Historical Society is also the first pioneer home built in Palm Springs. Containing the personal memorabilia of Pearl McCallum McManus, the McCallum Adobe provides a glimpse into the frontier days of Palm Springs.
(2) Miss Cornelia White's House
760-323-8297
Open Wed; Sun. Noon - 3, Thurs – Sat. 10 - 4. Closed end of May to mid-October
Nominal entrance fee
Alongside Palm Springs first telephone, Miss White's Bibles are displayed in this home built in 1894, from railroad ties.
(3) Ruddy's General Store Museum
760-327-2156
October - June Thursday - Sunday 10 – 4; July - September Saturday & Sunday 10 – 4.
Nominal entrance fee
Featuring 6,000 unused items, Ruddy's General Store is an exact replica of a
circa 1939 dry goods shop.
(4) Agua Caliente Cultural Museum Information Center
760-323-0151
Open Monday - Saturday 10am - 4pm, Sunday noon - 3pm. Free.
Features artifacts, jewelry, music and photographs of the indigenous Cahuilla Indians.
Whitewater Trout Farm
Picnic area and grills available or you can have your fish cooked for you.
Open Wednesday - Sunday, April - September, schedule change in winter.
Cafe and gift shop.
North on Indian Canyon Drive to I-10 west to Whitewater exit.
Whitewater Canyon Road, five mile to hatchery.
Tours by appointment 760-325-5570
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a resort city in the Santa Rosa Mountains, just south of Interstate 10 at the foot of 10,000-foot Mt. San Jacinto on the westernmost edge of the Sonoran Desert. The city is named for the palm trees that line its streets and for its natural hot springs. These features along with a warm climate, fashionable hotels and private homes, golf courses, parks, and swimming pools, make Palm Springs a major, upscale tourist attraction.
The entire Coachella Valley sits atop a large underground lake. Palm Springs is one of nine adjacent communities in the Valley, each offering a similar, yet unique, vacation experience. Most visitors stay in country-club-type resorts that have transformed the desert into a semitropical oasis. Recreational opportunities include golf courses and tennis courts, as well as lavish spas and horseback riding.
Excellent shopping facilities are one of the Palm Springs' greatest assets. Shops in the Desert Fashion Plaza equal those of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The Courtyard's many boutiques also provide a high-fashion image. In addition, 21 excellent art galleries, 12 antique stores, and many specialty shops line Palm Canyon Drive. There is an abundant supply of gourmet restaurants. Many that are less imposing offer Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, and other cuisine.
Palm Springs lives up to its reputation as a European style resort in an American setting. There are no billboards or “strip malls.” All of the cities in the valley have instituted master plans designed to control growth and to protect the environment. Densities have been cut back; buildings are limited to six stories with proper set backs; hillside projects are limited and open space ordinances have been put into effect. These measures assure that the continuing growth of the valley will not diminish its gentility, refinement, and natural attributes.
Among the most popular attractions are the Aerial Tramway, Oasis Water Resort, Moorten Botanical Gardens, and the spectacular Indian canyons. The Palm Springs Desert Museum presents desert dioramas and collections of art and Native American artifacts.
The Living Desert Museum is an outdoor facility that has a large variety of plants and animals native to the Palm Springs area as well as more exotic species. The Palm Springs Aerial Museum, located at the regional airport, houses fully restored World War II-vintage aircraft.
The southwestern-style Mercado Plaza in downtown Palm Springs features upscale galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Nightlife in the city includes fine dining and an assortment of bars and nightclubs, as well as gambling at nearby Native American-owned casinos.
Day trips from Palm Springs offer exciting possibilities. Close to Palm Springs is the community of Desert Hot Springs, famous for its hot-springs resorts: some the private domain of Hollywood celebrities; others open to all.
Highway I-10 leads to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway which climbs 6,000 feet up the San Jacinto Mountain Range, over Chino Canyon, providing breathtaking views from circular cars. Once at the top, enjoy a mule ride, a hike through the wilderness or a meal in the restaurant that overlooks the desert.
The scenic Palms to Pines Highway 74 south from Palm Desert leads to a pine-scented setting near Idyllwild, a popular mountain vacation area with a relaxed lifestyle. At the southeastern edge of the Coachella Valley are the communities of Indio, Coachella and Thermal, where the date palm gardens, tours, and samplings are the main attractions.
While in the Palm Springs area, consider a side trip to eastern California's Joshua Tree National Park where the Sonoran and Mojave deserts meet. In the higher, Mojave portion of the park, a forest of Joshua Trees and a number of unique granite rock formations called Inselbergs can be seen. In the lower, Colorado portion, the Pinto Basin exhibits the beautiful native plants of this hotter Sonoran Desert. This is an area gaining international recognition for its winter-season rock climbing. Hiking and mountain biking are other recreational possibilities, along with back road jeep trips.
The Nature Conservancy's Coachella Valley Preserve in Thousand Palms includes 13,000 acres of palm oases and high desert bisected by California's San Andreas Fault. Cecil B. DeMille filmed The King of Kings there, in and around the Thousand Palms Oasis. Area hiking is permitted, and visitors can also experience a covered wagon tour.
Despite the presence of celebrities in Palm Springs and the wealth that is in evidence, the area can also be affordable as a family destination. Many reasonably priced accommodations can be found year-round, and those willing to visit in the summer months can find unexpected bargains. Palm Springs is a vacation destination of rare beauty and tranquility in any season of the year.
Popular Hotels in Palm Springs
| Best Western Inn at Palm Springs - Economy |
| 1633 South Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA US 92264 |
| Comfort Inn Palm Springs - Economy |
| 390 South Indian Canyon Dr, Palm Springs CA US 92262 |
| Holiday Inn Express Indio, CA - Economy |
| 84-096 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio CA US 92201 |
| Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel - Midrange |
| 888 Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs CA US 92262 |
| La Quinta Resort & Club - Midrange |
| 49-499 Eisenhower Drive, La Quinta CA US 92253 |
| Renaissance Esmeralda Resort - Midrange |
| 44-400 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells CA US 92210 |
| Hilton Palm Springs Resort - Midrange |
| 400 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs CA US 92262-6605 |
| Doral Desert Princess Resort - Midrange |
| 67967 Vista Chino, Cathedral City CA US 92234 |
| Marriott Rancho Las Palmas Resort - Midrange |
| 41000 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage CA US 92270 |
| Caliente Tropics Resort - Midrange |
| 411 East Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA US 92264 |
