Palm Springs HISTORY
All Shook Up
Liberace helped Elvis feel at home on stage by advising he add more "glitz" to his...
Explore Palm Springs: A. Lawrence Kocher
Albert Frey came to Palm Springs to design a building for the brother of architect A....
Explore Palm Springs: The Chi Chi
The Chi Chi was wildly successful under Irwin Schuman, drawing such stars as Nat King Cole,...
It’s a Wonderful Resort
In an adobe cottage at La Quinta Resort & Club, legendary filmmaker Frank Capra worked out...
Written in Stone
With its majestic mountains and valleys, the Coachella Valley landscape is a canvas for indigenous peoples’...
Constructing a Kish
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians’ traditional home, known as a kish, resembles the round,...
Desert Dreamers: The Environmentalists
The Desert Dreamers series focuses on a group of dedicated environmentalists who watched over the delicate,...
Explore Palm Springs: Frank Bogert
Even before he became mayor of Palm Springs, Frank Bogert was the real deal comboy and...
Explore Palm Springs: Jimmy Van Heusen
Jimmy Van Heusen, the guy who wrote the music for Frank Sinatra's hits, may also be...
Explore Palm Springs: Tommy Towson
Tommy Tomson, the pioneer of pool design, left his mark in Greater Palm Springs at Shadow...
To Live (and not die) in the Mojave
The wide-open High Desert has few rules, but day-trippers should heed this advice before going too...
The Beat Goes On
A generation of Hollywood stars found a privileged playground in the desert that set the stage...
Pure Bliss
That aaaaaaah sensation of hot mineral springs made Palm Springs a feel-good destination, and a local...
Explore Palm Springs: Agnes Pelton
Agnes Pelton settled in Cathedral City in 1932, far removed from civilization, and painted desert landscapes...
The Supersonic Grandmother
When Zaddie Bunker turned 72, she earned herself a new nickname by breaking the sound barrier...
Explore Palm Springs: Plaza Theatre
Adoring fans lined Palm Canyon Drive in 1936 waiting for the stars to arrive for the...
From the Sky
The Desert Air Hotel in Rancho Mirage was the brainchild of prominent Los Angeles architect Hank...
The Original Sand Lot
The Redwood Pioneers moved from Rohnert Park in the mid-1980s to where Gene Autry’s major league...
Explore Palm Springs: Women’s Suffrage
In the village of Palm Springs, the women's suffrage amendment took root as Desert Inn owner...
Catcher Interference
Moe Berg wore a mask as a major league catcher, a perfect cover for his role...
Explore Palm Springs: World War II Hospital
Soldiers injured in the Pacific Theater could recover in the warm, sunny and dry climate of...
Explore Palm Springs: Dune Buggies
From the 1960s to '70s, Palm Springs was busy indulging in a new outdoor recreational vehicle:...
Explore Palm Springs: Dinah Shore Builds in the Desert
Dinah Shore and George Montgomery built their first desert home in 1952 located in the old...
Maintaining the Thread
Once central to the Agua Caliente way of life, basket weaving is being revived among a...
Explore Palm Springs: Mary Carlin, “the Maverick”
Mary Carlin pulled an upset to win a city council seat in 1958, and joins a...
Explore Palm Springs: Susan Marx
Susan Marx, wife of comedian Harpo Marx, began her political and activist career in Palm Springs...
The Death of Spring Break
Palm Springs was once the spring break destination until 1986 when the city put and end...
Pieces of the Past
The story behind the Indian Canyons gas station is shrouded in mystery. Some say it begins,...
History Comes Alive
Palm Springs Unified School District has partnered with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to...
A Spring Awakening
Pulsating along the periphery of its new forthcoming cultural center, the Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring...
Snow Day in Palm Springs!
Palm Springs has seen snow a few times over the decades, but never more than it...
Explore Palm Springs: Party Sinatra Style
The Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra, brought his entourage to Palm Springs for a little...
Explore Palm Springs: Colonial House
The Colony Palms Hotel in Palm Springs hides an infamous underground playground when booze and gambling...
“I Obey the Laws of Nature”
He wasn’t sick, but laborer-turned-hermit William Pester found many reasons to seek a cure in the...
Explore Palm Springs: Historic Site Preservation Board
In January 1978, the groundwork was laid to create the Historic Site Preservation Board to protect...
Call of the Wild
Armed with a camera and a .38 revolver, Susie Keef Smith and her cousin, Lula Mae...
Artistry of a Gourd Rattle
Gourd rattles are the most common and have been an inherent part of Agua Caliente culture...
From Here to Eternity
Walter and Leonore Annenberg appear to have delighted in bringing their circle of friends together at...
A Towering Presence
Take away your midcentury modernism and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more iconic structure in...
Treasured Gifts to the Annenbergs
Walter and Leonore Annenberg’s legendary hospitality inspired countless gifts, most of which they displayed at Sunnylands...