15+ Things To Do In Palm Springs, California
There is no shortage of things to do in Palm Springs! It’s one of my favorite places in California because of its unique architecture, lively and colorful culture, and desert charm.
Palm Springs is a desert oasis set against the majestic San Jacinto Mountains and about an hour from Joshua Tree National Park. It’s known for mid-century modern architecture, colorful hotels with fabulous pools, and eccentricity that can only be found in Palm Springs
If you’re visiting in the off-season (summer), many things are closed on the weekdays, including museums, restaurants, and shops. Some places even close for the entire summer: June-August, or even September.
Check the opening hours of places you want to go before you visit!
This post contains affiliate links that earn me a commission. For more information, read my disclaimer.
Where To Stay in Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a very seasonal destination and most things are more budget-friendly in the hot summer months and go up in price during the cooler months.
These are a few of the highest-rated, most iconic places to stay in Palm Springs!
Luxury:
The Portrait House: Stay in a quintessential Palm Springs mid-century modern three-bedroom/two-bathroom home with a pool and hot tub.
Mid-range:
Hotel California: Is there a better name for a hotel? Hotel California is a well-known place to stay in Palm Springs with a Spanish-style facade and rustic-yet-modern interiors.
The Saguaro Palm Springs: This hotel is famous for its rainbow exterior and rooms that look out to the central pool. They offer a free transfer service to both downtown Palm Springs and the airport, so no need to worry about car rentals or rideshares.
Budget:
Inn at Palm Springs: A colorful, simple inn with free bikes to ride during your stay, a pool to cool off in, and breakfast.
Bonus:
Twin Palms Resort: This is a resort specifically for gay men! Palm Springs is a haven for the LGBTQIA2+ community and there are a few hotels and resorts that cater just to gay men. If that’s you — this one gets stellar reviews!!
Moorten Botanical Garden
I love visiting botanical gardens wherever I travel! Palm Springs has a small botanical garden with an Instagram-famous succulent/cactus greenhouse. It’s not a large garden, but it has a nice variety of plants.
Cost: There is a small fee to enter, which you can pay at the entrance.
Parking: Small parking lot across the street or street parking.
Address: 1701 S Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264
Palm Springs Art Museum
This three-level art museum has paintings, sculptures, and other artwork in different mediums. When we visited, they had a temporary exhibit of incredible light installations.
When you walk up to the front, you’ll see a giant sculpture of a vintage car standing vertically on its nose.
There are also two outdoor sculpture gardens that you can walk through — one of them even has a pool!
Cost: $16 per adult (discounts for children, students, teachers, and seniors)
Parking: Nearby parking garage.
Address: 101 Museum Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262
Marilyn Monroe Statue Palm Springs
You’ll know you’re at the art museum when you see the giant statue of Marilyn Monroe out front! This statue is called Forever Marilyn designed by Seward Johnson. There are often people around the base taking photos with it, but most people take turns to let everyone get their photos.
Cost: Free
Parking: Nearby parking garage.
Address: Museum Wy, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Door Tour
One of the things Palm Springs is most famous for is their incredible mid-century architecture. Take yourself on a tour of the neighborhoods to admire the gorgeous houses with colorful doors.
If you have access to a bike, these neighborhoods are best explored via bike!
Keep in mind that these are real neighborhoods where people live. Don’t be disruptive, stay off the property, and be courteous to any neighbors you come across. Respect all signage—you cannot take photos in front of the pink door.
If you want to get a tour of famous people’s houses (like Frank Sinatra), you can take a Legends and Icons tour!
Cost: Free
Parking: N/A - do not park in neighborhoods.
Address: Doors are on a few different streets, including E. Sierra Way, S. Alhambra Drive, and S. Yosemite.
Don’t Worry, Darling Houses
I watched this movie, starring Harry Style, for the first time while I was in Palm Springs. The next morning we went out on bikes (provided by our Airbnb) and biked to the houses that were used in the movie!
It was surreal to be in the same court where Alice and Jack lived in Don’t Worry, Darling.
This is also a real neighborhood where people live, so please be respectful and do not trespass or be disruptive.
Cost: Free
Parking: N/A - do not park in neighborhoods.
Address: Canyon View Estates in Azul Cir.
Indian Canyon Palm Springs
There are a few hikes you can do within Indian Canyon. They’re all different lengths and take you through different areas of the park.
We actually just stayed in the parking lot to admire the palm trees and take photos since we had already hiked Tahquitz Canyon that morning.
Cost: $12 per adult (discounts for children, students, teachers, and seniors).
Parking: Parking lots within the park entrance.
Address: 38520 S. Palm Canyon Dr.
Palm Canyon Trail
This is a 15-mile trail that takes you down into the canyon where you’ll find a stream.
Andreas Canyon Trail
This is a 1.2-mile scenic walk through palm trees and rock formations. If you’re only able to do one trail during your trip, this is the one to do!
Murray Canyon Trail
This trail is 4.7 miles long and is the least visited of the three. You’ll also have a somewhat easy walk through palm trees since this is just south of Andreas Canyon.
You’re more likely to see larger wildlife on this trail as well, like big horn sheep and mule deer.
Tahquitz Canyon Palm Springs
This is a 1.8-mile round-trip hike that passes a 60-foot waterfall halfway through. It is a more strenuous hike with a decent amount of uphill, rocky trail.
The waterfall was gushing when we hiked this in April 2023! I imagine it may dry up during the hot summer months.
Go early in the morning to avoid the sun beating down on you during the day and bring lots of water. There is no restroom or water fountains once you leave the visitor center.
Cost: $15 per person (free for military).
Parking: Large parking lot.
Address: 500 W Mesquite Ave Palm Springs
Trixie Motel Lounge
If you aren’t able to stay here as a guest (though I HIGHLY recommend it if you get the chance), you can still visit the gift shop and lounge!
The gift shop is tiny but has some really great Trixie-themed items. The lounge services drinks—both alcoholic and non-alcoholic—and has a small food menu that changes seasonally.
You’ll also get to see the pool, though you cannot sit by it or swim if you are not a motel guest.
Cost: Depends on what you order. Cocktails are about $15 each.
Parking: Street parking.
Address: 210 W Stevens Rd.
Aerial Tramway Palm Springs
Take the aerial tramway 2.5 miles up to the very top of the San Jacinto Mountains! This is such a unique thing to do in Palm Springs.
Temperatures at the top are often 30ºF cooler than Palm Springs weather, so it’s a great place to escape the heat.
When we visited in April 2023, there was 6ft of snow at the top! It was a winter wonderland just a 15-minute ride from the desert. There is a lodge at the top with food, a bar, and cozy vibes.
Book tickets online in advance to avoid long wait times at the station. Each tram holds 80 people (!!) so they’re pretty large and do fill up all the way.
The aerial tramway closes for annual maintenance around August. Check the website for current information.
Cost: About $30 for adults (discounts for children and seniors).
Parking: Parking lot at the tramway station.
Address: 1 Tram Way
Palm Springs Walk Of Stars
The Walk of Stars is in downtown Palm Springs and is very similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
As you walk around downtown, make sure to look down as you walk over the stars!
The stars here are all names of famous people who lived in Palm Springs, like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Marilyn Monroe.
Cost: Free
Parking: Various parking lots and street parking downtown.
Address: Palm Canyon Dr.
Downtown Shops
Palm Springs has some incredible local shops downtown for you to peruse, in addition to larger stores like Sephora, Free People, and West Elm.
My favorite places to stop in are:
The Shag Store for some classic Palm Springs art.
Peepa’s for amazing gifts, art, clothing, and jewelry.
Big Bud Press for incredible clothing, including their famous jumpsuits.
Windmill City Super #1 for incredible souvenirs from small businesses, like candles, clothing, and art.
Cost: Free (unless you buy things!)
Parking: Various parking lots and street parking downtown.
Address: Palm Canyon Dr.
Sunnylands Garden
I visited this garden during Desert X 2023 since one of the art installations was here. Sunnylands Center & Garden is a gorgeous and tranquil garden that is free to visit the main area.
They offer a few different tours where you can see the historic house and more of the garden for a fee.
There is also a cafe onsite where you can sit and enjoy the gardens while you have snacks and light lunches with non-alcoholic drinks.
Cost: Tours range from $26-55 per person. Free if you don’t do a tour!
Parking: Parking lot onsite.
Address: 37977 Bob Hope Dr., Rancho Mirage, CA
Windmills
Palm Springs has a large windmill farm where you can actually take tours! You can take a self-guided tour in your car (this still costs money) or get a guided tour on a gold cart.
We just wanted to see the windmills up close and snap some photos, so we parked at the train station. The train station was empty and ended up being a perfect spot to get some cool windmill photos.
This should go without saying, but it was SUPER windy, and the sand was whipping me in the face—just a small warning so you know what to expect!
Cost: Free, unless you book a tour.
Parking: Free parking at the train station or parking at the official tour place.
Addresses:
Official tours: 62950 20th Ave, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Train station for photos: North Indian Canyon Drive and, Palm Springs Station Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Volkswagen Spider Sculpture
On the outskirts of Palm Springs at an old, closed auto-repair shop (now private property) stands this creepy 28-foot tall spider sculpture.
It’s hard to miss as you drive down Garnet Ave. since it peeks up over buildings on the side of the road.
The auto-repair/metal shop is closed, but since the property is private it’s best to park at the Jack-in-the-Box next door if you want to get out to take photos.
Cost: Free
Parking: Jack-in-the-Box next door
Address: 6545 Garnet Ave., Palm Springs, California, 92262
Cabot's Pueblo Museum
In Desert Hot Springs, just northeast of Palm Springs, is Cabot’s Pueblo Museum. It is a traditional Hopi-style building that you can actually go inside, where they have Native American art, if you purchase tickets.
We just walked around the grounds and admired the outside, which doesn’t cost anything!
Cost: $5 per person to go inside.
Parking: On-site parking lot.
Address: 67616 Desert View Ave, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
Desert X
Every other year in April, Palm Springs and the surrounding areas become an interactive art installation called Desert X. There are usually a dozen or so outdoor pieces of art sprinkled throughout the area that you can drive around to visit.
It happens during odd years and their app is the best way to find the art installations and information about each one.
In 2023 it did overlap a few days with Coachella, so if you’re heading to the area for the festival you can also add Desert X art to your itinerary!
Cost: Free (donations appreciated)
Parking: Parking is different each year and at each art installation.
Address: Art pieces are in different locations every year.
Agua Caliente Casino
If you’re looking to escape the heat, check out the casino! It’s a small casino with machines and tables. You can also grab food here or a drink at the bar.
I’m not a big fan of casinos in general, but visited to escape triple-digit heat in the evening and got a drink. Could be fun if you enjoy playing slot machines!
Cost: Free to enter — must be 21+.
Parking: On-site parking lot.
Address: 401 E Amado Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Cabazon Dinosaurs
A bit outside of Palm Springs is the land of dinosaurs in what seems to be a random parking lot. There are two giant (65ft tall!) steel dinosaurs that you’ll see from afar as you get closer.
You can even go inside one of the dinosaurs to shop in the gift shop. If you don’t recognize these from Instagram, you may have seen them featured in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985).
It’s free to visit these two dinosaurs and check out the gift shop, but you can also pay to enter the museum that has 70 other dinosaurs to see and take photos with.
Cost: Free, unless you enter the museum or buy something from the gift shop.
Parking: On-site parking lot.
Address: 50770 Seminole Dr, Cabazon, CA 92230
Looking for More Places to Stay?
Use the map below to find hotels in Palm Springs. If you cannot see the map, try turning off your ad blocker and refreshing the page.
More California Guides
Pin it for later
