Notable Sites Every History Buff Must Visit in Palm Springs

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Image by David Mark from Pixabay

Palm Springs boasts a fascinating and unique history stretching back over 2,000 years to when the Cahuilla people first settled in the Coachella Valley. Anyone interested in learning about the city’s rich history can visit a range of interesting sites that chart the development of the area from this first settlement to its place in the modern world.

#1. Tahquitz Canyon

Tahquitz Canyon, in the southwestern corner of Palm Springs, features evidence of the earliest known settlement of the area in the form of ancient irrigation ditches, petroglyphs, and stone artifacts. It is also of immense cultural significance to the local Agua Caliente Band of the Cahuilla Nation because it features in their cultural Creation Myth.

The canyon can be accessed by hiking along a 2-mile loop trail called the Tahquitz Canyon Trail. This is not an easy trail because it is rocky and steep, so dress appropriately for the weather conditions and wear hiking boots. However, your effort will be worth it. The trail features a beautiful 60-feet waterfall and other stunning views around the valley.

Interestingly, the visitor’s center on West Mesquite Avenue and the entire valley remain the property of the Agua Caliente Band. The land around the valley has remained under the same ownership for 2,000 years!

#2. The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum

At the time of writing, the new Agua Caliente Cultural Museum on the corner of East Tahquitz Canyon Way and South Indian Canyon Drive has yet to be opened. However, it will open its doors in 2020, and it certainly deserves a mention.

The museum will be a showcase for the history and culture of the Agua Caliente Band. The site is also home to the Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring, which was the original reason the Cahuilla Nation chose this location for their winter home.

Once the museum is open, visitors will be able to explore the history of the Cahuilla Nation in Palm Springs, see artifacts from their ancient past, and bathe in the natural hot springs.

#3. The McCallum Adobe-Cornelia White House Museum

This museum tells the story of the European-American settlement of Palm Springs and features the two oldest surviving European-American settler homes in the city. The McCallum Adobe-Cornelia White House Museum displays artifacts relating to the early history of the modern city, such as letters, paintings, photographs, and the earliest telephones used in Palm Springs.

The 1884 McCallum Adobe is the oldest building in Palm Springs. It was built to house John McCallum, the area’s very first European-American settler. It is also the oldest adobe house in the upper Coachella Valley.

The 1893 Cornelia White House is doubly historic. Not only is it the oldest wooden residential structure in Palm Springs, but it is constructed using railway ties originally used in the Palmdale Railroad’s tracks.

The Palmdale Railroad was a horse-drawn, narrow-gauge railroad in Palm Springs that operated from 1888 to 1893. The site of the tracks along Farrell Drive is considered a point of interest by the California Office of Historic Preservation, but the Cornelia White House is the only remaining physical sign of the railway’s existence.

You can find the McCallum Adobe-Cornelia White House Museum on South Palm Canyon Drive.

Image by RENE RAUSCHENBERGER from Pixabay.

#4. The Palm Springs Air Museum

Anybody interested in military aircraft or WWII will love this wonderful museum. The Palm Springs Air Museum boasts one of the world’s largest collection of working WWII warplanes. Many of these aircraft were manufactured in Southern California and some were used in movies during the war.

The Palm Springs Air Museum aims to educate the public about the role of American citizens, the USAF, and aircraft in winning the war. Inside you will find an education center, flight simulator, research library, theater, and 3 display hangers.

If you’re lucky, you’ll visit the museum during a flight demonstration so you can see some of these spectacular warplanes in action. There’s also an interesting collection of aviation-related paintings by Stan Stokes. You’ll find the museum on the northeast side of Palm Springs International Airport.

#5. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Not only is this the biggest rotating aerial tramway in the world, but it also played a key role in modern cultural history. It has featured in multiple TV shows and movies from the first episode of Mannix in 1967 to Life After People in 2010. A video presentation of the tramway’s history can be viewed in the Mountain Station.

This scenic tram ride takes you through Chino Canyon, which is another ancient Cahuilla settlement site, to the Mountain Station close to the summit of San Jacinto Peak in Mount San Jacinto State Park. This mountain is sacred to the Cahuilla Nation, because in their Creation Myth it was the home of their founder.

The panoramic view from the top of the mountain is said to be “the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this Earth” and provides a great opportunity for you to try out your photography skills. The temperature at the top of the tramway is 400F cooler than the bottom, so dress appropriately for cold weather. Once there, you can enjoy playing in the snow during winter or hiking along nature trails in the spring and summer.

Image by Christopher Lawrence from Pixabay.

#6. Forever Marilyn

An interesting recent addition to the modern cultural history of Palm Springs is Seward Johnson’s famous giant statue of Marilyn Monroe. At the time of writing, Forever Marilyn is in storage. However, it is due to go out on permanent public display from February 2020.

When erected, the statue will stand in the entry courtyard of the Town and Country Center. Forever Marilyn recreates one of her most iconic cinema moments from The Seven Year Itch. Prior to its permanent home in Palm Springs, the statue has traveled the world from New Jersey to Australia.

And there’s more

The above historic sites and attractions are just a selection of those found in and around Palm Springs. There are many more Native American archaeological sites and attractions relating to the development of the leisure industry and golf. And there are many fantastic hiking trails that you and your whole family can enjoy through the canyons and around the mountains.

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