Some Favorite Things to Do In Palm Springs

Here are some of our favorite things to do in Palm Springs in addition to dining, clubbing and hanging out by the pool:

Museums:

Palm Springs Art Museum (101 Museum Drive) This small but elegant museum is worth visiting and frequently offers interesting special exhibits as well as its permanent collection. Their current special exhibit is about American art of the West which will suit you if you are in a cowboy or cowgirl mood. http://www.psmuseum.org/

Palm Springs Air Museum (745 North Gene Autry Trail)-This museum houses one of the best collections of World War II flying aircraft. http://palmspringsairmuseum.org/

City/Specialty Tours:

Captain Kirk’s Walking Tour of Old Las Palmas (515 North Palm Canyon (760) 668-2176)-Las Palmas, the oldest residential area in Palm Springs has long been a home to celebrities and Hollywood stars. This walking tour that lasts about 2-2/2 hours and is by appointment only highlights both the architecture of the homes and the stories of their owners. http://www.ps-research.com/.

Private Modern Architectural Tour– Michael Stern, author of the Rizzoli publication “Julius Shulman: Palm Springs can escort you on an intimate private tour of Palm Springs’ amazing collection of Mid-Century Modern architecture. On this tour you can view the architectural masterpieces of Richard Neutra, John Lautner, Donald Wexler, Albert Frey and William Cody. Celebrity homes include Frank Sinatra, William Holden, Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Lawford, and others.(760) 904-0904. http://www.themoderntour.com/.

Celebrity Tours (760) 208-1166 Palm Springs as noted above does have a reputation for famous residents. Celebrity Tours offers bus and other celebrity tours of various lengths and depth that let you experience the lifestyles of the rich and famous. You will probably stop by the house of Purple Light friend Olympic figure skating coach Frank Carroll as his house on Las Palmas was previously owned by gossip columnist Rona Barrett and next door to the Elvis honeymoon house. http://www.thecelebritytour.com/.

Palm Springs Tramway:

(1 Tramway Drive) Certainly one of Palm Springs more famous and popular things to do, these tramway cars are the only ones in the world to spin 360 degrees and offer amazing views of Palm Springs and the surrounding areas. The ride itself is just 10 minutes. There are restaurants (Peaks and the more casual Pines) and the top and there are also trails ranging from easy ones (1.5 miles) to expert ones of 11 miles going up San Jacinto Mountain. http://pstramway.com/.

Hiking/Active Tours:

Coachella Valley Preserve (Ramon Road to Thousand Palms) This impressive 20,000 acre sanctuary that was formed by sand dunes is home to much wildlife, trails (hiking and riding), springs, and wilderness. http://coachellavalleypreserve.org/

Aqua Caliente (South Palm Canyon Drive )-This has some great trails for hiking including the popular Palm Canyon.

Guided Hiking/Eco Tours-If you are looking to go with a guide on your active adventure, consider Desert Adventures which offers different options and is gay-friendly (888) 440-5337 http://red-jeep.com/; Or try Trail Discovery which has been in business for 20 years

Free Things to Do:

Follow the Stars on the Sidewalk-Palm Springs has its own “Walk of Stars” just as Hollywood does in the downtown section of Palm Canyon Drive.

Tennis-There is free tennis time available at DeMuth and Ruth Hardy Parks.

Window shopping- Check out the windows of the shops on Palm Canyon Drive.