Palm Springs HISTORY

Lasting Impression: Parker Palm Springs
Gene Autry, the Singing Cowboy, bought property in 1961 to house his Major League baseball team,...
Be Inspired
Soak up some culture during your stay with a stop at a museum, view a mural,...
Paradise Lost
During Easter week in 1969, hippies, bikers, concertgoers, and college kids rolled into Palm Springs and...
Among the Stars
Since arriving in Palm Springs in 1941, Barbara Foster Henderson has seen it all, and she...
The Stage is Set
This week's Oasis Music Festival begins the process of bringing the historic Plaza Theatre back to...
Preserving the Past
The allure of Andreas, Palm, and Murray canyons in Palm Springs, collectively known as the Indian...
Off the Beaten (Art) Path
How about this for staying cool when the temps rise. Here are five out-of-the-ordinary museum exhibits...
Saving Architectural History
The City of Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board 's annual preservation symposium focuses on historical...
Plaza Theater Restoration Efforts Receive Another Boost
Restoration efforts for the historic Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs has gained a $2 million pledge...
Everyone Knows it’s Windy
In Greater Palm Springs, the same gusts that turn windmill turbines also upturn semis. But hold...
Lasting Impression: Empire Polo Club
Although now the venue of Coachella and Stagecoach, the Empire Polo Club started in Indio to...
LGBTQ+ History: First Lesbian Hotel in Palm Springs
A column devoted to promoting the LGBTQ+ history of the Coachella Valley starts by honoring National...
Spring Breakdown
Palm Springs was once a vacation haven for college students until a violent riot and a...
Lasting Impression: Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa
Former top-ranking tennis player Charlie Pasarell is responsible for the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort &...
The Castle Keeper
Twenty years ago this month, Cole Eyraud reopened Cabot’s Pueblo Museum in Desert Hot Springs after...
Lasting Impression: Temple Isaiah
While several synagogues across the country carry the name Temple Isaiah, the one in Palm Springs...
We Are The Cahuilla
Through rich narratives passed down over thousands of years, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians...
Beneath the Surface
The discovery of thousands of artifacts at the site of the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza adds...
Anything Went
Hollywood's "2-hour rule" brought celebrities to Palm Springs trying to escape from the press and changed...
Power Play
In 1995, 3 U.S. presidents including Bill Clinton at Indian Wells Country Club and made PGA...
Lasting Impression: M.H. Whittier Water Tower
Made of galvanized steel, the M.H. Whittier Water Tower was originally constructed more than a century...
The Reagans at Sunnylands
For two decades, President Ronald and Nancy Reagan celebrated New Year’s at Sunnylands as houseguests of...
Lasting Impression: Festival of Lights
One of the biggest holiday light parades in Southern California, the Festival of Lights changes Palm...
Lasting Impression: Cavanagh Adobe
The Cavanagh Adobe is one of the oldest such homes still standing in the Coachella Valley,...
Fit to a ‘T’
The Coachella Valley is where the classic Thunderbird car took its name, lured celebrities, and created...
Explore Palm Springs: Jack Dempsey
The Howard Manor in Palm Springs became the hangout for heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey, who...
Lasting Impression: El Mirador Tower
Opened in 1927, the glamorous El Mirador Hotel included a 68-foot-tall Spanish revival tower that was...
The Ballad of Frank Bogert
Charming in his own gruff way, Frank Bogert played a starring and sometimes controversial role in...
We’re the Dawsons!
Johnny Dawson transformed a failing dude ranch into the Thunderbird Country Club, while his wife Velma...
Where Were You on 9/11?
Palm Springs Life editors share their stories as the nation marks the 20th anniversary of the...
When the Lounge Act Ruled the Nightlife
Sunny Palm Springs became the unofficial capital of the lounge act, an entertainment phenomenon featuring name...
Explore Palm Springs: Sonny Bono
As Gov. Gavin Newsom faces a recall election, a group of Palm Springs residents circulated petitions...
Explore Palm Springs: Edom Hill Oil Well
The Fowler Drilling Company erected an oil drilling rig on the top of Edom Hill in...
Explore Palm Springs: John Jacob Raskob
John Raskob, the builder of what was once the tallest building in the world, the Empire...
Explore Palm Springs: Santos De Jesus
Santos De Jesus catered the parties of Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra while making...
Explore Palm Springs: Palm Springs Water Company
Alvah Hicks, a master carpenter by trade, acquired the Palm Springs Water Company in 1927 until...
Lasting Impression: Rainmaker
Created by David Morris, the Rainmaker fountain was born out of a 1988 decree from then-mayor...
Lasting Impression: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Venturing to the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is more than just a way...
They Called Him Gypsy Boots
Just outside Palm Springs, Gypsy Boots and his “tribe” led a hippie lifestyle in the caves...
Explore Palm Springs: Johnny Weissmuller
Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller enjoyed visiting Palm Springs where he was more recognized for his role...