palm springs interior tour

Blast from the Past

Midcentury modern tours in greater palm springs.

Butterfly rooflines, colorful front doors and A-frame facades galore: Few places in the world feature such a treasure trove of midcentury modern architecture as Greater Palm Springs. Travel back in time and see some of these architectural gems for yourself on one of several midcentury modern tours offered year-round.

Knowledgeable guides share in-depth history behind the buildings as well as the artists and architects who created them—all you have to do is keep an open mind and your camera ready. A few iconic homes you won’t want to miss include:

• Elvis’ Honeymoon Hideaway (aka the “House of Tomorrow”)
• Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms Estate (known for its piano-shaped swimming pool)
• Albert Frey House II (built into the side of a massive boulder)
• The Kaufmann House (site of the famous Slim Aarons “Poolside Gossip” photograph)

View a Donald Wexler original from inside an air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz coach with Five Star Adventure Tours . Cruise through historic neighborhoods on a group bicycle tour with PS Architecture Tours . Explore the interiors of fabulous midcentury modern homes with Palm Springs Mod Squad . Visit former celebrity estates with The Modern Tour , the official tour of the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture & Design center. Or use digital tablets to compare a home’s vintage and contemporary photos on an outing with MidMod Design Tour.

Regardless of which midcentury modern tour you choose, you’ll find a whole new appreciation for the arts and culture scene in Greater Palm Springs.  

An inside look at Desert Modernism

Join Chill Chaser, Amy Yerrington, and Kurt Cyr of Palm Springs Mod Squad for a tour of local homes that showcase the iconic midcentury architectural style Greater Palm Springs is known for internationally. Look for the four distinct elements that characterize Desert...

Architecture

Modernism week 2023, oasis of art, highlights. greater palm springs, discover everything, greater palm springs has to offer.

• VISIT GREATER PALM SPRINGS  
• Toll-free: 800.967.3767 
• p: 760.770.9000
• Visitor Center:  
• Monday – Friday  8:00 am to 5:00 pm
• 70100 Highway 111
• Rancho Mirage, CA 92270

© 2024 Visit Greater Palm Springs. All rights reserved.

We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, serve personalized ads or content, and analyze our traffic. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to our use of cookies.

Privacy Policy

• Palm Springs Convention Center
• LGBTQ+ Travel

• Health & Happiness
• Aerial Adventures
• Arts & Culture
• Attractions
• Bike & Scooter Rentals
• Hiking/Rock Climbing
• Off Road Adventures
• Parks & Recreation
• Spa & Beauty
• Sports & Fitness
• Bars & Lounges
• Continental
• Italian/Pizza
• Mediterranean
• Mexican/Latin
• Vegetarian/Vegan/Organic
• Large Hotels
• Mid-Sized Hotels
• Small Hotels & Inns
• Vacation Rentals
• Gay Resorts
• Art, Galleries & Supplies
• Cannabis & Tobacco
• Clothing Accessories
• Department & Hardware Stores
• Floral Design & Shop
• Gifts, Collectibles & Souvenirs
• Grocery & Pharmacy
• Health, Nutrition & Beauty
• Home Décor & Furniture
• Pet Stores & Services
• Shipping & Printing Services
• Specialty Food & Wine
• Sporting Goods
• Vintage Shopping & Antiques
• Order Visitor Guides
• Getting Here
• Visitor Information
• Eat & Drink
• © Copyright 2024 Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism. All rights reserved.
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Site by Vrrb

The Modern Tour

• Description

Join Michael Stern , The Modern Tour owner and author of the Rizzoli publication “Julius Shulman: Palm Springs”, as he escorts you on a private tour of Palm Springs’ amazing collection of midcentury modern architecture . His new book, “Hollywood Modern” was recently released and focuses on the relationship between celebrities and works of an extremely high architectural caliber, all done in the modern style. It is the oldest architectural tour in Palm Springs.

View the work of Richard Neutra, John Lautner, Donald Wexler, Albert Frey and William Cody. Celebrity homes include Frank Sinatra, William Holden, Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Lawford and numerous others.

Private, residential interiors of some of Palm Springs most fabulous homes are featured on the tours . Tour parties will be in separate vehicles (guests’ own vehicles, or we can arrange luxury transportation for an additional fee) with two-way audio communication between the tour guide, who will lead the tours, to all parties.

Corporate and group tours are a specialty of The Modern Tour.  Tours have been done for as many as 150 guests, as well as groups of 10.  Some of the corporate clients include Nike, Amazon, NBC, Cadillac, The Getty, YPO, Louis Vuitton, Volkswagen, Dior, Buick, Ligne Roset, Loro Piana and many others.  Many group tours are done in coordination with conferences in the area for both participants and spouses.

The Modern Tour is the official tour of the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture + Design Center! A portion of all fees supports the mission of the Center. To date, over $200,000 has been donated to the Architecture + Design Center .

Location on Map

Palm springs newsletter.

Receive news and announcements from Palm Springs straight to your inbox

THE MODERN TOUR is the luxury architectural tour of Palm Springs.  We are the oldest architectural tour in Palm Springs.   The historical (including Hollywood) and geological context provide a perspective on the tours in which to view Palm Springs' astonishing collection of high-caliber MidCentury Modern architecture and design, and we will have a lot of fun doing it.

Michael Stern is the Author of the best-selling Rizzoli publication "Julius Shulman: Palm Springs, and the Director and Producer of the film "Julius Shulman: Desert Modern" which has aired on PBS.  He curated the exhibition "Julius Shulman: Palm Springs" which is the largest exhibition of Shulman's work that has ever been done, and the largest exhibition exploring Palm Springs' amazing collection of MidCentury Modern architecture and design.  He has lectured extensively, has appeared on "The Today Show" and has made numerous film and television appearances  discussing the joys of modernism and the Palm Springs modern style.  His new book, "Hollywood Modern" was recently released  and focuses on the relationship between celebrities and works of an extremely high architectural caliber, all done in the modern style.  He was close friends with several of the notable Palm Springs architects, including E. Stewart Williams, Donald Wexler, William Krisel, Hugh Kaptur...

• Skip to the primary navigation.
• Skip to the content.

Details  here

• Search for: Search Search
• Retreat Login

Guided Tours

Tickets not available for the following dates:.

• Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
• April 24 & 28 (no House Tours, only Open-Air available, Center & Gardens open)
• April 25—27 (no tours, Center & Gardens open)
• May 5, 10 & 11 (no House Tours, only Open-Air available, Center & Gardens open)
• May 8 & 9 (no tours, Center & Gardens open)
• May 31 & June 1 (Center & Gardens closes at 12:30 pm; morning tours only)
• Advance ticket sales are online only (no phone, email, or in person purchases)
• Tickets go on sale on the 15th day of each month starting at 9 am Pacific time for the following month’s tours .
• The minimum age for tour guests is 10 years.
• Tours are wheelchair accessible. Learn more
• No waiting list for sold out tours.
• Group tours are not available .

Guided 90-minute tour | $55 per person | 7 guests per tour

Explore the Annenbergs’ historic winter home—a 25,000 square-foot midcentury modern masterpiece. Walk through the spaces where history took place, including extravagant New Year’s Eve parties, nationally and globally important meetings, and intimate moments spent with the Annenbergs’ family and close friends.

Guests ride an electric shuttle to the house; walk and stand for a sustained period inside the home.

JUNE TICKETS WILL GO ON SALE MAY 15 AT 9:00 AM PACIFIC TIME.

Guided 45-minute shuttle tour | $28 per person | 7 guests per tour

Take a guided shuttle ride throughout the 200-acre estate. Learn about the Sunnylands landscape, outdoor sculpture, nine-hole golf course, and sustainability efforts. This tour brings guests to the doorstep of the historic house but inside access is not permitted.

Walking is not required on this tour; passengers must be able to board a shuttle.

Guided 90-minute shuttle tour | $39 per person | 7 guests per tour

Join an experienced local birder for this birding tour on the estate. Discover the variety of birds that prompted the Annenbergs to dedicate 25 acres of the estate as a sanctuary for resident and migratory birds.

This tour does not include access to the historic house.

OFFERED NOVEMBER THROUGH APRIL

Guided 60-minute walking tour | $26 per person | 12 guests per tour

Meet a knowledgeable guide and take a leisurely walk onto the estate. This one-mile walk focuses on the history of Sunnylands, the Annenbergs and their guests, midcentury modern architecture, and design.

This tour includes close-up outdoor views of the historic house. It does not include access to the house interior.

Virtual Tour: The Room of Memories

Virtual tour: the game room, yellow room, and pink room, the historic house.

Dining Room

Trellises provide shade

The Statement Roof

The Game Room

A modernist estate

In the mid-1960s, Walter and Leonore Annenberg hired interior designer William Haines and Los Angeles-based architect A. Quincy Jones (1913-1979) to create a midcentury modern residence in Rancho Mirage.

Integrated into the Landscape

As with most midcentury modern buildings, the house’s architectural structure is exposed rather than hidden. Trellises, steel beams, and coffered ceilings are all evident. Mexican lava stone walls on which were hung the Annenbergs’ collection of art create a bold style. And that statement roof? An iconic pink pyramid. The color was chosen in accordance with Leonore Annenberg’s wish to match the pink glow seen at sunrise and sunset on nearby mountains.

Many key figures of the 20th century enjoyed Sunnylands as guests of the Annenbergs. The list includes seven U.S. presidents, the British royal family, and Hollywood icons like Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Stewart, Ginger Rogers, and many others.

The Annenberg tradition of being gracious hosts and extraordinary philanthropists extended to their final gift of Sunnylands to the public.

An Historic Course, Famous Golfers

Dick Wilson, a highly regarded golf course designer in the 1950s and ’60s, designed the Sunnylands course in 1964 in a parkland style. Golf course designers Tim Jackson and David Kahn, responsible for the course’s 2011 restoration, used painstaking research into Wilson’s original concept and created greens that average 8,000 to 9,000 square feet, allowing for a double-looping, 9-hole, par 72 course. Moreover, the course’s irrigation system was upgraded for efficiency and environmental sustainability and roughly 60 acres of turf grass was removed then to reduce water use.

The Sunnylands course is unique for its distinctive landmarks. A magnolia tree sits on the seventh hole, given to the Annenbergs in 1972 by President Richard Nixon, who kept a set of clubs on the property. The gift was cut from a magnolia tree planted on the White House grounds nearly 200 years ago by President Andrew Jackson. On the fifth fairway is a 30-foot Kwakiutl totem pole. A visiting Canadian official suggested the piece in 1976, and the Annenbergs then commissioned it from Canadian First Nations artist Henry Hunt. 

Be in the know. Get the latest news in your inbox and never miss an event.

• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

A place of history, hospitality, and diplomacy in the California desert.

Open Wednesday–Sunday, 8:30 am – 4 pm

760.202.2222 [email protected]

37977 Bob Hope Dr. Rancho Mirage, CA 92270

• Buy Tickets
• Administration
• Accessibility

Midcentury Preservation

Mid Century Modern Tours

Nothing like seeing in person how seamlessly Mid Century Modern art and furniture fit into a Frank Lloyd Wright, E. Stewart Williams or Richard Neutra designed home. If you live in a smaller city and can’t find an organized tour, consider connecting with your local American Institute of Architects (AIA) organization. If there’s not one for your city, there will be for your state.

Modern Architecture & Design Society Tours (MA+DS) – This organization conducts home tours throughout the year in the following cities: Austin, TX, Boulder, CO, San Diego, CA, Washington, DC, Houston, TX, Vancouver, BC, Portland and Seattle, WA.

You pay for tickets online, print out your tickets or save it to your mobile device. On the tour day, you arrive at the homes listed on the website. You’re allowed entry to all the homes listed on the tour. The architects, interior designers and possibly even the homeowners will be there to meet you and explain how they used Mid Century Modern Design to meet homeowners’ needs and aesthetic preferences.

Sacramento Mid Century Modern Home Tours (June) – Lasting just one day, Sacramento Modern Association facilitates a self-guided tour showcasing a variety of mid-20th century living throughout South Land Park, Land Park, and Hollywood Park neighborhoods. The tour stops on examples from minimalist to kitsch, ranch and modern homes. Tickets include a guidebook with the history of these homes and the Mid Century Modern movement. The event also includes modern and vintage products from local designers and vendors.

The Modern Tour Palm Springs – This company leads groups of six or less through Palm Springs homes designed by Richard Neutra, Donald Wexler, E. Stewart Williams and William Krisel. During the two-and-a-half hour tour, visitors enter the homes of Hollywood icons, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Lawford and William Holden. The $200 fee isn’t cheap, but it includes a copy of the KPBS documentary Julius Shulmun: Desert Modern.

Chicago Architecture Center – Interested in the commercial buildings created by Modern architects? The Chicago Architecture Center runs a tour for private groups covering buildings by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Bertrand Goldberg and Harry Weese. The tour includes Marina City, the Daley Center, and the IBM building.

More Activities for Mid Century Modern Enthusiasts

Mid Century Modern Auctions

Mid Century Modern Events

Mid Century Modern Shows

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy

Signature Home Tour: Morning Tour - Modernism Week

Palm Springs has always been a haven for architects and residents who have been attracted to the unique qualities of the desert landscape and lifestyle. This self-driven home tour will take visitors inside a myriad of iconic architectural homes by some of the areas most noted architects. The featured homes, chosen for their architecture, interiors, gardens and grounds, epitomize Palm Springs and what makes life and architecture in the desert unique. The tour will explore different neighborhoods and will feature a variety of architectural styles, which might include Midcentury Modern to Desert Contemporary and “New-Century” Modern. All homes are carefully chosen to appeal to the Modernist and will capture the unique interpretation of architecture and lifestyle this desert oasis affords. A keepsake tour program and map is included. The photos featured are representational of the homes on the tour from previous years. The Signature Home Tour is produced by Modernism Week.

There will be different homes featured on each Sunday's Signature Home Tour.

Things to Know

There are  five (5) homes  on this tour. Tickets are per individual. Photos are representative of past tours. Check in time is from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Tickets must be picked up between 8:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. Check-in Closes at 9:45 a.m., and tickets cannot be picked up after 9:45 a.m. You must come to check-in to receive your tickets and home addresses. This is a self-driven tour and takes approximately 3 to 3-1/2 hours to complete. Some homes may have limited parking, and may require some walking from available parking to houses. Comfortable, slip on style shoes suggested. Admittance is limited to 16 years of age and older. No animals. Rain or shine. The organizer of this event is Modernism Week . 

Event Check-in Location

CVEP, 3111 E Tahquitz Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262 View Map

Photo Credits:   

©2023. All Rights Reserved. MADE is a California 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Privacy Policy

Need assistance? We're happy to help! Frequently Asked Questions I have a question for Customer Service about an event, tickets, or orders. I have a question for Tech Support about a technical issue with the site.

Need assistance? We're happy to help!

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

TravelAwaits

Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

5 Incredible Mid-Century Modern Homes To Visit In Palm Springs

• Destinations
• Palm Springs
• United States

Palm Springs is a time capsule of Mid-century Modern architecture. The city has the most extensive collection in the world. If you are an architecture fan, it’s a thrilling experience to explore the neighborhoods and view the spectacular homes reflecting the modern design of the late 1930s to 1970s.

It was a time of post-war optimism and Hollywood glamour. Palm Springs was a playground for the rich and famous who escaped to the desert for the winter months. Hollywood stars were under strict rules from their studios to stay within 120 miles of their lots. Palm Springs was within the limit. Photographers were under the thumb of the studios and were not allowed to photograph any movie star without their consent. In Palm Springs, the stars could relax and let the good times roll. 

The inspiring natural surroundings drew modernist architects because of the stunning mountains and the Coachella Valley desert. These creatives embraced the dramatic landscape in their sleek designs, a variation on Bauhaus or International Style but desert-inspired. One of the first architects was Albert Frey, referred to as the founding father of Desert Modernism. The famous Swiss architect worked in New York, but after a visit in 1934, he fell in love with the area. He returned in 1939 and never left. 

According to architecture expert and founder of Palm Springs Mod Squad , Kurt Cyr, “Palm Springs was a resort community. Residents only lived here for a part of the year, and because of that, they were open to new ideas and modern designs for their second homes.”

Cyr explains four distinct elements of Mid-century Modern homes; the first is the cantilever roof, an unsupported roof section that extends out past the roofline. The second is the clerestory windows installed at the roofline to add light. The third is Brise soleil (French for sunscreen) that allows in light but reduces heat. The shadow block or raised pattern walls was the fourth element. It allowed for privacy, and decorative flair as changing shadows created designs from the sun’s rays.

The following examples are five architecturally significant homes. Two are designated as Class 1, “the highest, most prestigious historic designation available in Palm Springs.” These homes are excellent examples of the modernist movement. They should be on your list when visiting the Capital of Mid-century Modern architecture. Still, luckily due to historic preservation, there are many examples to see. Taking a tour to view them is a must when visiting Palm Springs.

I was a guest of Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels for the PSModSquad Tour, but all opinions are my own.

1. Twin Palms – Sinatra House Architect E. Stewart Williams

Twin Palms on Alejo Road was Frank Sinatra’s primary residence from 1948 to 1957. He walked into the Williams design firm, licking an ice cream cone. He had just signed a movie contract with MGM Studios, and the newly minted millionaire wanted a Georgian-style mansion. Back home in Hoboken, New Jersey, a home-like that meant you made it. But, in the desert, that wouldn’t have worked at all. E. Stewart Williams drew plans for two homes, the Georgian and one of his designs. He explained to Mr. Sinatra why his Desert Modern concept would be the better choice. The long horizontal lines and sliding glass windows would allow for stunning views of the mountains, blurring the outside and the inside. The sprawling home allowed plenty of space for his wife Nancy and his three children (each had their own bedroom) and a private master suite for the couple. The courtyard included a long-covered walkway, a patio, and a piano-shaped pool. Two palm trees, a signature part of the landscaping, become the namesake for the home. The exterior neutral color blended into the surroundings. Frank was sold and employed the architect in May of 1947, requesting Twin Palms be ready by Christmas. He delivered. Frank threw legendary parties and signaled cocktail hour by hoisting a flag between the palms. He had a landing strip outside to hop into his private plane and return to the studio. His was the first “shed roof” house in Palm Springs and was designated a Class 1 Historic Site by the city in 2011. When he lived at home with Ava Gardner, his second wife, they fought so bitterly that Ava threw a champagne bottle at Frank. The bottle left a crack in a bathroom sink and was never repaired. The house is available to rent for parties or special events. 

2. House of Tomorrow — Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway Architect William Krisel

The House of Tomorrow on Ladera Circle was Bob Alexander’s estate. The local real estate developer had it built for his own family in the Vista Las Palmas neighborhood. Based on four circles on three levels, the design looks like it’s launching from the enormous boulder. It was called the House of Tomorrow because of its futuristic shape, and it’s one of the most interesting Mid-century homes in Palm Springs. It has terrazzo floors, stone-clad walls, and four circular wings that total 5,000 square feet. Other features include a sunken living room with a ring of clerestory windows and a fireplace hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room with built-in couches. There are five bedrooms and bathrooms in the funky home. The backyard features a lot of lush landscaping with a chevron-shaped pool. The home sheltered Elvis and Priscilla Presley, who hid out here during their courtship and famous wedding in Las Vegas. The noted couple wanted to escape the public eye when they spent their honeymoon here. Still, they didn’t know that gossip columnist Rona Barrett resided in the home across the street. This home recently sold for 2.6 million dollars and is undergoing significant renovations.  

3. Kaufmann House — Site of  “Poolside Gossip” Architect Richard Neutra

The Kaufmann House became the home of Edgar Kaufmann, the owner of the Kaufmann Department store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Kaufmann loved modern homes and hired Frank Lloyd Wright to build Fallingwater in 1936. Ten years later, Kaufmann wanted to create a vacation home in Palm Springs in the style of a Desert Modern home. He chose architect Richard Neutra because he felt Wright didn’t understand desert design. After its completion in 1947, even Wright agreed that it was beautiful. Neutra used glass, steel, and stone to create a home with multiple wings branching off from the center of the house, much like a pinwheel. There is a second-story outdoor living room where subsequent owners have enjoyed cocktails alfresco. The building is internationally famous for its design and a photograph from the 1970s by photographer Slim Aarons. The iconic photo “Poolside Gossip” became a symbol of modernism. The image was of a group of casually dressed socialites sitting by a rectangular swimming pool. They were sipping drinks against the backdrop of the mountains and the gorgeous modern home designed by Neutra. It is considered one of the 10 most important residential designs in the world.

4. Edris House — Architect E. Stewart Williams

The Edris House on W Cielo Drive was built seven years after Twin Palms in 1954. William and Marjorie Edris were friends with the Williams and wanted Stewart to make them a winter home. They chose a rocky plot in the Tuscany Heights neighborhood and gave their friend free rein with no budget. The result was spectacular, and it’s still relevant. Williams only moved a few boulders and used the natural landscape in the design. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room allow that blur between the indoor and outdoor spaces allowing stunning views of the Coachella Valley and plenty of gorgeous light to flood the home. Natural materials like wood and rock create that same blur on the exterior of the house. Williams designed the home to look “As if it grew out of the ground rather than falling out of the sky. ” 

5. William Holden Estate — Architect John Porter Clark, Master Builder Joseph Pawling

The William Holden Estate (also known as the Barrett Residence) is a one-acre “through lot” in the desirable Deepwell neighborhood built in 1956. Through lot means the home has frontage on more than one street. Actor William Holden purchased the 4,559 square foot home in 1966 and lived there with actress Stephanie Powers until 1977. The main house has three bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, and there are two guesthouses attached to the main building, making it a five-bedroom five-and-a-half-bathroom home. The entire compound has a flat, cantilevered roof. Forty-seven floor-to-ceiling glass walls pivot to the enormous backyard, which has a 55 by 21-foot pool along with incredible views of the San Jacinto Mountains. It was designated as a Class 1 Historic Site by Palm Springs in March of 2018.

Pro Tips: The best time to visit Palm Springs is from February to April when the temperatures are around the mid-70s. In February, be sure to experience Modernism Week , it’s an 11-day festival with architecture tours, garden tours, parties, special events, and informative talks. All the events are open to the public, and many are inexpensive or completely free.  There are festivals and events throughout the year. Check here for a full listing.

Want to immerse yourself in Mid-century style? Check out our list of the best Airbnbs in Palm Springs , which features some classic Mid-century modern homes that you can rent for your desert getaway.

Learn more about Palm Springs with these articles:

• 9 Most Luxurious Vacation Rentals In Palm Springs, California
• How To Spend A Fantastic Day In Palm Springs
• Weekend Getaway In Palm Springs

Jeanine Consoli is a freelance travel writer, photographer, and foodie based in Washington Crossing, PA. A retired elementary school teacher, she used her summers to feed her passion for travel and kept journals of all the destinations she explored. Today, Jeanine is working as a writer full-time. She loves uncovering the history and understanding the culture of each location, including the local flavors of each unique place. She has traveled extensively in the United States and Europe and is excited to keep adding to the list, finding special places that are off the beaten path both at home and abroad. Follow along with her travels on Jeanine Consoli Travels .

A star's escape

Midcentury modern architecture at its best

Peek Inside: The Kirk Douglas House

Along with the city’s population growth and architectural influence came “Desert Modernism” architecture, later becoming known as “Modernist” and “Palm Springs Modern,” with flat roofs, glass interior walls, and wide-open floor plans.

Kirk Douglas, who died at the age of 103, purchased his Palm Springs home in the historic Old Las Palmas neighborhood in 1959 from the movie actor Andrea Leeds, and her husband Robert Howard. Douglas owned the post and beam styled home for 40 years.

In 2016, Michael Budman, a long-time friend of Michael Douglas, noticed a newspaper story about the Kirk Douglas home in Palm Springs being for sale. After speaking with Douglas, who had no interest in owning the home himself, Budman decided to make an offer. He and his wife Diane soon became the new owners of the house where Michael Douglas recalls meeting Dean Martin, Liberace, Kitty Carlisle, and Dinah Shore.

Diane Budman, being an architect, quickly knew that the Kirk Douglas residence was worthy of preservation. Budman’s restorations have made the indoor space brighter as might be expected in today’s Palm Springs. They removed a wall in the entryway so that guests could immediately see through to the pool and yard. More light enters the central living area now, too, with the opening of ceiling beams.

During the renovation two mosaic tile walls that were covered by layers of paint for many years were discovered. Of course, the paint was carefully removed to expose the feature that Donald Wexler was known for in his time.

With the Class 1 historical designation comes benefits and expectations. There is eligibility for reduced property taxes, but the owner must maintain the property for historical integrity and civic beauty. Being a historical landmark, occasional upgrades may also be required.

Want to see homes like this, and many others? Check out one of our self-guided Celebrity Home Tours.

Modernism Tours .

Tpno hosts modernism week tours ..

The TPNO has been hosting highly successful Twin Palms Modernism Week tours since 2014. Tour participants have come from around the county–and the world–to experience the first truly mid-century modern housing tract in Palm Springs designed by William Krisel and built by the Alexander Construction Company.

2024 Tour .

Tpno 2024 tour brochure ., 2023 tour ..

All 400 tickets for 2023 were sold out in record time. The tour featured two Krisel designed homes and 1 Ocotillo Lodge condo, all built by the Alexander Construction Company. Four additional homes by other acclaimed mid-century architects/builders highlighted the architectural diversity of the neighborhood. The tour also included four unique neighborhood landmarks, the  William Krisel’s Twin Palms  multi-media exhibit at the Ocotillo Lodge, and vintage cars displayed along the way.

TPNO 2023 Tour Brochure .

2022 tour ..

After skipping the 2021 tour due to Covid, the Twin Palms Neighborhood Home Tour returned bigger and better than ever in 2022. All 300 tickets were sold out by early January. In addition to tours of five Krisel designed and Alexander Construction Company build homes, for the first time the Tour highlighted seven unique neighborhood landmarks. Participants were also able to experience the  William Krisel’s Twin Palms  multi-media exhibit located next to the registration area at the Smoke Tree Racquet Club.

TPNO 2022 Tour Brochure .

Tpno 2022 tour handout ., 2020 tour ..

2020 set a new high quality benchmark for the Twin Palms Neighborhood Home Tours. The 2020 Tour sold out all 400 tickets and included the following firsts for our Twin Palms Tour: all 7 homes on the tour were never included in prior tours; over a dozen vintage cars were displayed along the tour route; and the expanded William Krisel’s Twin Palms exhibit on display at a home in the neighborhood included a video featuring Mr. Krisel thanking TPNO and the City for naming a street in his honor.

TPNO 2020 Tour Brochure .

2019 tour ..

The 2019 Tour featured the Ocotillo Lodge which served as the registration site. The expanded William Krisel’s Twin Palms Exhibit was on display in the clubhouse with its iconic view of the unique shaped pool framed by snow capped mountains. Three beautiful condo units at the Lodge were open for the tour. Rounding out the tour were four distinctive thoughtfully restored William Krisel designed homes located throughout the neighborhood.

TPNO 2019 Tour Brochure .

2018 tour ..

Our best attended neighborhood tour to date, the 2018 Modernism Week tour featured 7 houses and the debut of the William Krisel’s Twin Palms Exhibit.

TPNO 2018 Tour Brochure .

2017 tour ..

The 2017 Tour was another sell out with over 500 tickets sold. The tour featured 4 William Krisel designed homes and 3 units at the Ocotillo Lodge. A highlight was the chance to tour the historic Ocotillo Lodge clubhouse.

TPNO 2017 Tour Brochure .

Ocotillo lodge brochure ., 2016 tour ., tpno 2016 tour brochure ..

© 2024 All rights reserved | Twin Palms Neighborhood Organization

Made with Love by Crown Internet LLC

Find anything you save across the site in your account

10 Midcentury Modern Airbnbs to Book on Your Next Palm Springs Trip

By Kristine Hansen

All products featured on Architectural Digest are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

When it comes to the architecture of Palm Springs, California, the architects who most contributed to the city’s acclaim as a midcentury modern architecture destination are William Krisel , Don Palmer, Richard Harrison, and Donald Wexler . They designed about 2,220 homes between 1957 and 1966 throughout the Coachella Valley in partnership with the Alexander Construction Company. Just a short drive from Los Angeles, Palm Springs quickly became one of Southern California’s top destinations for Hollywood stars looking to buy a midcentury modern home.

Common features are a single-story layout; an open kitchen, living room and dining area; three-quarter walls to divide rooms; a lack of trim or molding; and usage of patterned brick and concrete block for the interior walls. Also on the property: in-ground pools and breeze-block walls. Crafted from post-and-beam construction steel atop a concrete slab, the homes feature exposed roof planks, whether a flat roof or a center- or side-vaulted version. Some even flaunt a butterfly-style roof.

Often included on local architecture tours, many of these modernist homes are actually available for short-term rentals through Airbnb. They don’t hold back on the furnishings and design that define the 20th-century era of desert modernism, letting visitors capture a piece of peak American architecture.

With Palm Springs Modernism Week just around the corner (this year’s dates are February 15–24), get a glimpse at Palm Springs area’s signature architectural style and see what drew stars like Frank Sinatra and Elvis and Priscilla Presley (whose honeymoon house, House of Tomorrow, was designed by Palmer and Krisel in 1960) to the area. There’s no better time to shine a spotlight on the uniquely designed vacation homes this desert city has to offer. Happy renting.

West Elm House 1 - The Alexander

Included on Modernism Week tours in 2017, 2019, and 2023 and one of the marquee examples of midcentury architecture in the Palm Springs area, this three-bedroom, two-bath home popped up in partnership with West Elm circa 2017. To match the refreshed interior, West Elm furnishings and lighting in perfect pitch with the home’s 1958 completion date—such as olive green plush chairs in the living room and Huron outdoor lounge chairs with matching ottomans—were added. Among the alfresco areas hugging the pool and its waterfall spa are three outdoor showers, fire features, a pavilion (with a wet bar and electric heaters), an outdoor tub, and a bocce ball court.

Las Palmas Alexander

Featuring a kitchen updated with Viking appliances, this two-bedroom, two-bath home—built in 1962—has two gas fireplaces: one in the living room (flaunting gorgeous fieldstone) and another in the media room. An atomic chandelier hovers above the dining area. In the backyard are a saltwater pool, hot tub, BBQ area, fire pit and ample space for outdoor dining.

Racquet Club Resort - Iconic Alexander!

Yellow-and-white striped umbrellas, yellow chaises, and fire pits with surrounding seating all add vibrancy to the backyard pool area of this three-bedroom, two-bath home designed by Krisel. Inside, a dining table can seat six people. Smart design choices with wallpaper and art, plus kitchen cabinetry and bathroom-tile updates, keep this home snug in the middle of the last century.

Retro Chic Oasis: 2023 Modernism Showcase House

Featured on a tour during 2023’s Modernism Week, the three-bedroom, two-bath restored home designed by Palmer and Krisel is stocked with vintage furnishings. In each bedroom are Casper mattresses and Brooklinen sheets. Off the primary bedroom is a private courtyard. A saltwater pool, jacuzzi spa, bocce-ball court, fire pit, and BBQ grill are perfect for a group and the indoor dining table can accommodate up to 10.

The Alexander | Mid-century Modern Minimalism

Marked by a dusty-blue door and concrete breeze-block wall, this three-bedroom, two-bath home designed by Palmer and Krisel boasts a Bosch-outfitted kitchen, floating fireplace and—in the bedrooms—600-thread-count sheets and Casper mattresses. An adorable 1971 Shasta camper is parked near the pool, fire pit, and hammock tree swing.

Alexander Mid-Century Modern

With pops of bright orange throughout the home’s façade, including the concrete breeze-block wall, front door and exterior outline of the fireplace, this three-bedroom, two-bath home also features a kidney-shaped swimming pool in the yard.

Alexander on Bedford-Quintessential Palm Springs

A covered outdoor pavilion, BBQ grill, mini golf and turquoise- and lime-green striped umbrellas near the pool firmly plant this four-bedroom, three-bath home near the time it was built. Inside it’s just as sweet, with period-specific wallpaper and furnishings honoring the era and Palmer and Krisel’s design.

Upscale Alexander Home

Anchoring the backyard is a saltwater pool, outdoor kitchen and fire pit, while the interior of this three-bedroom, three-bath home beyond its bright yellow door is light and bright and airy. Furnishings carry designer status, sourced from Stephen Kenn and MiroHaus.

PS Alexander on Modernism Home Tour

Whether it’s Gucci’s Tiger Face Print wallpaper or neon-hued geometrics, each room’s wallpaper resembles a gallery all its own. Also, a framed Slim Aarons-esque photo hangs in one bath of this three-bedroom, two-bath home designed by Krisel and is another inclusion on last year’s Modernish tour. Surrounding the pool are a cabana, fire pit, BBQ, giant Jenga and dining area.

Citron Oasis - Classic Alexander Home!

Contrasting with its whitewashed interior are bursts of bright yellow, also depicted on striped poolside umbrellas at this three-bedroom, two-bath home dubbed Citrus Oasis that was built in 1959. A fire pit, outdoor dining space and BBQ are also outside and one bedroom has a desk in case one is on a work-cation, while the kitchen has been upgraded with stainless-steel appliances and a natural quartzite breakfast bar.

Craving an escape? From colorful carry-ons to cleverly designed packing cubes (how did we ever travel without them?), shop everything you need to make the journey in style—and as streamlined and stress-free as possible.

By Katie Schultz

By Alia Akkam

By Mayer Rus

By Sarah Archer

America's first all-metal-and-glass house is reborn in Palm Springs

A n immaculate metal box built in 1931 to symbolize the future bounced around the East Coast for decades until recently landing in Palm Springs for all to see.

The first American home composed entirely of metal and glass was once an experimental housing prototype in New York. Now, the three-story, 1,100-square-foot Aluminaire House is the newest and oldest structure designed by Albert Frey in Palm Springs. The Swiss architect has been hailed as the father of Desert Modernism since he first took residence in Palm Springs in 1934.

“Here in Palm Springs, we often associate modern architecture with luxury, style and elegance,” Adam Lerner, executive director of the Palm Springs Art Museum, told an audience of 1,000 recently at the grand opening of the structure as a permanent exhibit. “But with the Aluminaire House, we are reminded that modernism is not just a style but an embodiment of ideas. Modernism is about making good design available to a wide audience.”

Rather than adapt the home to comply with current fire safety codes and the American Disability Act, the interior has been restored to its original condition but is inaccessible to the public.

“This is a little bit disappointing to us,” Lerner said, adding that the museum is raising funds to offer a virtual reality experience of the interior. The home sits on a gated site that is open during museum hours.

After the ribbon cutting, visitors packed through the gate to get a closer look at the Aluminaire House. Many tested the door handles and pressed their faces up against the glass along the ground floor in vain attempts at a peek inside, while others opted for the upward view into the stairwell — a gloriously abstract composition of steel beams against pastel-hued walls — visible through the double-height windows on its southern elevation.

“When Frey was in Paris working for [architect] Le Corbusier in the late 1920s,” says Joseph Rosa, a historian and author of Albert Frey’s eponymous 1990 monograph, “he was enamored by the methods of architectural prefabrication and standardization on display throughout Sweet’s Catalog,” an American building material and product periodical that had sent shock waves through European architecture firms for its highly rational approach toward mass-produced design.

In the hopes of combining European modern design ideals with American manufacturing capabilities, 27-year-old Frey set sail for New York in 1930 and found a creative partner in A. Lawrence Kocher, managing editor of Architectural Record magazine, who was then organizing the Allied Arts Exhibition — held the following year in the Grand Central Palace in Manhattan. “Kocher did the writing and publicizing while Frey did the design,” says Rosa of their collaboration on the Aluminaire House for the landmark event.

Frey wrote in 1988 that he and Kocher “had been discussing the need for low-cost housing in those Depression years. We thought that a small, single-family house, using the new methods of prefabrication and maintenance-free materials, would be both popular with visitors to the Exposition and offer a solution for the housing shortage of the times.” Aluminum was a lightweight yet durable cladding material, and its cost had dropped considerably following the end of World War I.

During the eight-day event, more than 100,000 visitors poked around the features of its multi-functional interior, which included built-in radios, overhead garage doors and a roll-away dining table. Surfaces were partly unfinished to reveal the steel frame and other novelties unique to the structure. Visitors peered into the interior from the second-floor balconies of the exhibition space circling the house.

Architect Wallace K. Harrison paid for the model to be disassembled, relocated to his Huntington estate on Long Island, and reconstructed as a second home for his family. Frey, meanwhile, took his passions to Palm Springs, where he designed several modernist structures across the region while cruising around town in a convertible sporting a license plate that read "ALUMI."

The Aluminaire House now sits at Museum Drive and Tahquitz Canyon Way, at the bottom of the long, winding road to Frey House II, the spartan home Frey built for himself in the foothills in 1964 and bequeathed to the Palm Springs Art Museum upon his death in 1998.

Following Harrison’s death in 1981, the Aluminaire House was on the path to demolition before gaining the attention of New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger, whose 1987 article championed the timelessness of its principles, if not its aesthetics. “There is nothing, at first glance, particularly appealing about the Aluminaire House,” Goldberger wrote. But here, “the dream that modernism would show a new way of life to the masses actually had a flicker of reality to it.”

The New York Institute of Technology was soon called on to relocate the home to its campus in Islip, Long Island. “We decided to make it part of the teaching curriculum,” said Michael Schwarting, a former professor at the institute who, with a state preservation grant of $131,000, brought architecture students to the site to disassemble the house before cataloging the elements and transporting them within a storage container. “A screwdriver and a wrench is pretty much all you need to take it apart,” said Frances Campani, a former institute professor who, with her husband, Schwarting, established the Aluminaire House Foundation. For many years, Schwarting’s design studios approached the Aluminaire House as a hands-on, full-scale case study for historic preservation.

In 2004, the home was taken apart once again following the dissolution of the Islip campus. As they struggled to attract New York-based institutions to erect their kit of parts, Campani and Schwarting were invited by organizers of Modernism Week, an annual celebration of the Mid-Century Modern architecture across Palm Springs, to not only lecture on the Aluminaire House but also to consider the city as its permanent home. A truck filled with building parts headed west in 2017, and a capital campaign seeking $2.6 million inspired local philanthropists to chip in.

“The entire structure we received is original to 1931, along with the doors, windows and stairs,” says Leo Marmol, a museum board member and managing partner of the Los Angeles architecture firm Marmol Radziner, who coordinated the design team on site. Among the more challenging tasks were refabricating parts of the interior and the exterior aluminum siding and choosing its location near the main museum building. The design team decided on a former parking lot on the southern edge, where its front elevation now glows every morning at sunrise.

Two blocks south, the exhibition “Albert Frey: Inventive Modernist,” on display at the museum’s Architecture and Design Center until June 3, lovingly depicts Frey as the creative lifeblood of 20th century Palm Springs while gesturing to the first energetic sketches of the Aluminaire House.

“I can't think of any other town that has such a complete timeline of an architect's work from the very first house he did in America to his very last,” said Brad Dunning, the curator, during a public tour of the exhibition.

As an image, the Aluminaire House is, and will remain, as pristine as it did the day it was unveiled in 1931. But as a meaningful attempt to build dignified affordable housing — an amenity severely lacking in Riverside County — it's unclear whether Palm Springs will feel the full weight of its new aluminum box. The Aluminaire House was more than an impenetrable monument to a style, and Frey knew that its purpose would be tough for the masses to internalize but could be accepted with instruction. “Appropriate education and explanation of form evolution will speed up the process of assimilation,” Frey wrote in his 1939 treatise, “In Search of a Living Architecture,” “and make possible the simultaneous creation of modern means and respective forms.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .

From The Magazine

The Coolest Shopping In Palm Springs, According To TikTok's Kellie B

The interior stylist behind @deeplymadlymodern thinks the best way to get to know Palm Springs is through its thrift and vintage stores.

Whether you’re coming down from Coachella or just need a weekend escape, the new issue of NYLON has the ultimate guide to making a Palm Springs getaway, according to the insiders who know best — like Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent and drag mogul Trixie Mattel . Up next: Kellie B, the content creator and interior stylist behind @deeplymadlymodern on TikTok and Instagram , who thinks the best way to get to know the city is through its thrift and vintage stores.

Architecture and design is a big part of the city’s personality, so generally people who live there have good taste. There’s good stuff recirculating in the secondhand market, and prices are really approachable. There’s a lot of mid-century, but there’s also a lot of really cool unique pieces that you don’t see elsewhere.

I love to peek into The Shops at Thirteen Forty Five right off one of the main strips, Palm Canyon Drive, because it’s super curated and a good kickoff for being inspired. I love Market Market because the people who have stuff there change it out frequently. Normally with these places, a person sets up their booth and whatever sells, sells, but when I go, it always feels like it’s updated.

“As soon as you’re there, you can just imagine what kind of incredible debaucherous parties were happening.”

Palm Springs Vintage Market , which happens the first Sunday of the month from October through May, has vendors come from all over. There’s larger furniture, smaller decor, bric-a-brac — everything. And there’s a place called Misty’s Consignments in Rancho Mirage that I went to so often when I was furnishing my Airbnb house, Deeply Madly Palm Springs . It has tons of art, tons of furniture — I found the most epic four-foot Roman bust sculpture there.

Palm Springs is not a rage city. If you want to go out and go to bars, there’s that. But after you do that once or twice, you mostly want to lie by the pool and hang out — do a little shopping, grab some food, visit a museum. I always end up ordering from Rick’s Restaurant and Bakery to start things off. It’s an unassuming, eggs-potatoes-bacon kind of place, but it’s bomb. My No. 1 favorite is probably Norma’s at the Parker Palm Springs hotel. The entire menu is amazing, and the portions are so big, so it’s fun to share and try different things. For dinner I love to pop into Mr. Lyons Steakhouse because they have the best onion rings on the face of the planet. Their sides are really good, and they have a really great martini.

I’m a New York transplant in L.A., so I’m very partial to Palm Springs’ desert landscape. No matter what road you’re driving down, you’re facing mountains, so you feel cocooned. But one of my favorite things to do that’s still not old to me is to just drive around and check out the homes and architecture. I’ve done a couple estate tours, and the Frey House II is a must-see — you can get tickets through the Palm Springs Art Museum , which is also incredible and full of really sick contemporary art. The architect Albert Frey built the house into the side of the mountain, so there’s a rock inside. It’s a definite architectural marvel. As soon as you’re there, you can just imagine what kind of incredible debaucherous parties were happening in the sixties.