Palm Springs HISTORY
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...
Explore Palm Springs: El Mirador Hotel Becomes an Army Hospital
The U.S. government invested money to convert the El Mirador Hotel in Palm Springs into an...
Cool Runnings
In 1952, Bella Roy realized a mobile ice cream vending business would be an ideal venture...
Explore Palm Springs: Della Lindley
An abandoned Southern Pacific Railway boxcar became a temporary school for 17 students, who excelled thanks...
The Mystery of Frank Sinatra’s Grave
The Frank Sinatra grave marker at Desert Memorial Park has changed recently, and it may be...
The Prince of Palm Springs
In 1966, Prince Philip made a stop in Greater Palm Springs and "loved every minute," including...
Lasting Impression: House of Tomorrow
The former Elvis Presley Honeymoon Hideaway in Palm Springs was recently purchased by a buyer who...
Life Among the Stars
In the 1960s, Palm Springs was like a version of Hollywood East featuring movie stars like...
Architectural Alliance
A pair of developers joined forces with architect Richard Harrison to create the fairway cottages at...
Angels in Palm Springs
Sixty years ago, owner Gene Autry brought professional baseball to Palm Springs Stadium when the Angels...
Explore Palm Springs: Harriet Cody
Harriet Cody helped begin a movement of significant pioneer women who created a community that later...
Explore Palm Springs: King Camp Gillette
King Camp Gillette, inventor of the safety razor, first came to Palm Springs as a hotel...
Against All Odds
Paul Revere Williams, the first licensed African-American architect west of the Mississippi, put his modernist mark...
Lasting Impression: Rancho Super Car Wash
The giant pachyderm perched above Highway 111 has unofficially welcomed visitors — and dirty cars —...
Lasting Impression: Sunnylands Center & Gardens
Sunnylands, the palatial 200-acre retreat that has hosted eight U.S. presidents, just might make it nine...
Explore Palm Springs: Community Christmas Tree
Nellie Coffman began a tradition that made sure every child in Palm Springs was part of...
How the Desert Played a Role in Classic Christmas Songs
The desert may not conjure up Christmas, but it has played a role in some of...
Making La Plaza
A shopping center with charming stores and popular eateries, La Plaza has been the heart and...
Explore Palm Springs: Ruby’s Dunes
Ruby's Dunes became a celebrity hangout thanks to Frank Sinatra encouraging his friends to join him...
When Edward S. Curtis Met the Cahuilla
A century ago, legendary photographer Edward S. Curtis documented the Cahuilla people on the Agua Caliente...
A City of Immigrants
In the book, Coachella, author Jeff Crider recalls how generations of foreign laborers put this little...
Explore Palm Springs: La Plaza and Harry J. Williams
Architect Harry J. Williams scratched the design for La Plaza shopping center in Palm Springs on...
Explore Palm Springs: Summer Baseball
During the 1930s and '40s, summer baseball brought a welcome diversion from the summer heat and...
The Curious Case of Casa Chiquita
A nearly 90-year mystery about the historical roots of the oldest known farmhouse in Rancho Mirage...
Explore Palm Desert: Shadow Mountain Resort
A unique figure-eight pool highlighted the Shadow Mountain Resort including high dives, water slides, and a...
Explore Palm Springs: Lawrence Crossley
Credited as the first African-American resident in Palm Springs, Lawrence Crossley built companies and developed land...
Explore Palm Springs: First Sign of Water
John McCallum was the first to bring water to the desert by constructing a stone-lined ditch...
The Self-Determined Sixties
By the 1950s, Agua Caliente leaders had cleared the way for future Tribal development, ultimately shaping...