Time recognized the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza as one of the World’s Greatest Places for 2024. The plaza is one of a hundred destinations on the list, with only two in California. Last year’s list consisted of only 50 destinations.

Editors called the plaza’s fall 2023 debut in downtown Palm Springs a “Native American awakening.” The magazine mentions the sacred site’s 5.8-acre complex is one the largest Indigenous cultural centers in the country and allows visitors to learn the traditions and history of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians through its spa, museum, and gathering plaza.

The list also highlights the museum’s curved architecture, which takes inspiration from the tribe’s traditions of basketmaking. The museum features artifacts that date back thousands of years, a theater, Native art, and a gift shop. Museumgoers can learn about the Native culture through the museum’s permanent gallery, which includes five exhibitions: Our Home; Creation and Migration; Our Land; Change, Adaption, Self-Determination; and Into the Future. The gift shop sells handcrafted goods by Native artists.

Adjacent to the museum is The Spa at Séc-he, named after the 12,000-year-old hot mineral spring that feeds an outdoor pool and several private baths. The spa provides a host of treatments and amenities, including two salt caves, quartz treatment beds, cryotherapy, water-cupping massages, and zero-sensory flotation.

This recognition shows that the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza is not only a local treasure, but also a global destination. Whether drawn by the rich Native culture or the variety of healing spa experiences, all visitors are sure to enjoy their time at the cultural plaza.