The desert’s cultural identity is larger than midcentury houses, although we are certainly not asking anyone to stop admiring the breeze blocks. Use this guide to choose among fine art, Indigenous culture, architecture, historic sites, sculpture, gardens, and performance.
Start with these cultural anchors
Palm Springs Art Museum
Best for: a broad museum visit downtown. Its collections and exhibitions span modern and contemporary art, architecture, design, photography, and the art of the Americas. Start with the full guide.
Agua Caliente Cultural Museum
Best for: Indigenous history and contemporary cultural understanding. The museum is part of the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza in downtown Palm Springs and should be treated as foundational, not an optional historical footnote. Read the museum guide.
Architecture and Design Center
Best for: visitors specifically interested in architecture and design. It occupies a restored 1961 bank building and operates as part of Palm Springs Art Museum. See the Architecture and Design Center guide.
Sunnylands, Rancho Mirage
Best for: architecture, gardens, diplomacy, and a carefully planned outing. The estate and public gardens have different access models, and tours can be limited. Use the Sunnylands guide before driving over.
Cabot’s Pueblo Museum, Desert Hot Springs
Best for: eccentric, hand-built desert history outside the polished modernist lane. Cabot Yerxa’s Hopi-inspired pueblo is unlike the valley’s conventional museums. Read the visitor guide.