Category: Attractions

  • Araby Trail

    Araby Trail

    2049 RIM ROAD
    PALM SPRINGS

    Looking for a stellar hike? Araby Trail offers adventurers a 3.4-mile trek through the Santa Rosa Mountains, complete with mesmerizing panoramas of the Coachella Valley skyline and unobstructed glimpses of the exclusive Southridge neighborhood, home to Bob Hope’s famous John Lautner-designed flying saucer residence. While thoroughly worthwhile, the hike is challenging, with steep inclines, rocky terrain and narrow footpaths, and can take upwards of four hours to complete, so come prepared with plenty of water, sunscreen and snacks. (The address listed denotes a small parking area at the trail’s head.)

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  • Palm Springs Windmill Tours

    Palm Springs Windmill Tours

    62950 20TH AVENUE
    PALM SPRINGS

    The 2,000 windmills that crown the hills leading into Palm Springs have affectionately become known as the gateway to the Valley. The colossal structures, some of which stretch nearly 500 feet in the air, may seem rather unworldly, but the Palm Springs Windmill Tours company grants guests up-close-and-personal access via both guided and self-driving excursions. The tours also lead visitors through a fabulous outdoor installation consisting of all manner of turbine parts, as well as providing a plethora of information on the history and future of renewable energy.

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  • Palm Springs Air Museum

    Palm Springs Air Museum

    745 NORTH GENE AUTRY TRAIL
    PALM SPRINGS

    An exciting destination for both kids and adults, the Palm Springs Air Museum is dedicated to the history of U.S. aviation. Spread across a whopping 10 acres, the facility boasts one of the largest collections of planes in the world, with everything from a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk to an F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighter to Walt Disney’s personal Grumman Gulfstream I displayed throughout five hangars. Visitors can even venture through a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress via tours guided by men who actually flew aboard the massive craft during World War II, affording a truly unique and personalized experience. The museum also features a gift shop, a theater, a canteen, multiple flight simulators and a library stocked with every “Life” magazine ever published.

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  • Robolights

    Robolights

    1077 EAST GRANVIA VALMONTE
    PALM SPRINGS

    Easily the desert’s most unique attraction, “Robolights” is a massive art installation on the grounds of a private residence in the exclusive Movie Colony neighborhood. The brainchild of artist Kenny Irwin, who began building robot displays as a youngster in the yard of his family’s home using trash and scrap materials, the exhibition has grown to encompass an entire two-acre plot. Though it is no longer open for tours during the holidays as it once was, Kenny’s vivid creations can still be seen from the roads surrounding the Irwin home and are a true sight to behold!

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  • Moorten Botanical Garden

    Moorten Botanical Garden

    1701 SOUTH PALM CANYON DRIVE
    PALM SPRINGS

    Initially established as a nursery in 1938 by actor-turned-horticulturalist Chester Moorten, this botanical garden is one of the city’s most popular sites. In fact, its cactarium (pictured) has been dubbed “the most Instagrammed greenhouse in the world!” While the grounds measure just one acre, there is plenty to see and do. Home to more than 3,000 plant varieties, nine geographically-themed gardens, a gift shop, and a menagerie of desert animals, Moorten is an idyllic spot to spend a free hour or two on a sunny afternoon.

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  • Palm Springs Vintage Market

    Palm Springs Vintage Market

    2300 EAST BARISTO ROAD
    PALM SPRINGS

    Held the first Sunday of the month each October through May, the Palm Springs Vintage Market makes for a splurge-worthy weekend excursion. With countless vendors hawking fabulous mid-century, retro and antique finds, it is easy to get lost in the stalls, the wide array of historic memorabilia on display providing wistful walks down memory lane. From purses to clothing to barware to furniture to artwork, if it’s vintage you’re seeking, this is the place to find it!

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  • Bobo Palm Springs Mural

    Bobo Palm Springs Mural

    750 NORTH PALM CANYON DRIVE
    PALM SPRINGS

    If you’re looking for an Instagram-worthy backdrop to document your Coachella Valley travels, head straight to Bobo Palm Springs and make a beeline for the stationery shop’s perfectly pink “Greetings from Palm Springs” mural. Hand-painted by store owner (and artist/journal-creator extraordinaire) Angie Chua, the charming display is the ideal spot to strike a pose and even boasts a “shelfie stand” for your selfie-snapping convenience.

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  • “Forever Marilyn”

    “Forever Marilyn”

    MUSEUM WAY & BELARDO ROAD
    PALM SPRINGS

    This 26-foot-tall steel and aluminum statue, which captures Marilyn Monroe mid-dress-billow in the iconic scene from 1955’s “The Seven Year Itch,” was unveiled by prolific sculptor Seward Johnson in 2011. In the years that followed, it called many different places home but was relocated to Palm Springs permanently in 2021 and now stands proudly in Downtown Park as one of the city’s main fixtures and central attractions.

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  • Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

    Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

    1 TRAMWAY ROAD
    PALM SPRINGS

    One of the city’s most beloved attractions – and the world’s largest rotating tram! – the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway transports passengers nearly 6,000 feet up the face of the San Jacinto Mountains. At the top, visitors are granted jetliner views of the entire valley, as well as access to hiking trails, a gift shop, an informational movie and two eateries, including Peaks Restaurant, a unique top-of-the-tram fine dining experience. Tickets do book up fast, so plan accordingly. And those who experience motion sickness, should take note – the gondolas spin ever so slowly as they make their ascent and descent.

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  • Palm Springs Visitor Center

    Palm Springs Visitor Center

    2901 NORTH PALM CANYON DRIVE
    PALM SPRINGS

    Designed by Albert Frey in 1965, this gas station-turned-visitor center is a true desert icon, its signature hyperbolic paraboloid roofline dramatically tilting skyward, beckoning out to all who pass by. Inside, you’ll find a plethora of historical information, as well as souvenirs, postcards, maps and desert-inspired trinkets. Be sure not to miss the Palm Springs signage situated just north of the center, It’s an ideal spot for photo ops.

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