Explore Midcentury Icons, Celebrity Homes, and Modernism Week
Palm Springs is a living museum of midcentury modern architecture, where glass walls, clean lines, and desert-adapted designs reflect a golden era of style and innovation. The city's unique architectural identity — shaped from the 1940s through the early 1970s — owes much to visionary architects like Albert Frey, Richard Neutra, E. Stewart Williams, and Donald Wexler, as well as to the developers who brought these designs to life.
From star-studded celebrity hideaways to experimental desert retreats, Palm Springs' architectural treasures can be explored year-round through guided tours that blend history, design insight, and insider stories. Here's your ultimate guide to the top experiences.
Architecture Tours by Modernism Week
Trevor O'Donnell, founder of PS Architecture Tours, is a leading voice in Palm Springs' modernism revival. Trevor brings an insider's perspective to his small-group coach tours.
When: October - May
Highlights of Trevor's Tours:
- Kaufmann Desert House (1946) — Richard Neutra's modernist masterpiece, commissioned by the same family behind Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.
- Alexander Construction Company neighborhoods — Over 2,000 midcentury homes by builders George and Robert Alexander, with designs by William Krisel and Charles DuBois.
- Historic landmarks — From the Coachella Valley Savings & Loan (E. Stewart Williams, 1961) to a surviving fragment of a Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. hotel.
- Insider finds — Little-known architectural "oddballs" and ruins that tell lesser-known stories of the city's evolution.
Trevor also played a key role in expanding architectural programming beyond the annual Modernism Week, working in partnership with the event's organizers to bring tours to visitors year-round. His focus remains community-centered, spotlighting both historic preservation and contemporary architects who continue the modernist tradition.
Where: The tour begins at the Palm Springs Visitor Center - 2901 N Palm Canyon Drive
Learn more: Discover Palm Springs' Modernist Gems: Architecture Tours with Trevor O'Donnell
Palm Springs Mod Squad Tours with Kurt Cyr
For an intimate, conversational take on Palm Springs' architectural scene, designer and storyteller Kurt Cyr offers Palm Springs Mod Squad Tours — small-group excursions with a maximum of five guests. Touring in a sleek, air-conditioned minivan, Kurt takes visitors deep into the city's most photogenic neighborhoods.
Essential Palm Springs Tour
A 90-minute, $80 exterior tour highlighting the six local architects who defined Palm Springs' Desert Modern style: William Cody, Albert Frey, Hugh Kaptur, William Krisel, Donald Wexler, and E. Stewart Williams. Showcases both residential and commercial works, emphasizing how desert light and landscape shaped their designs.
Interior Tour
A 90-minute, $130 guided look inside three mid-century homes. Each features unique, lived-in interiors that reflect Desert Modern principles, originally built for the post-war middle class rather than celebrities. Homes vary depending on availability.
Martini & MCM Architecture Tour
A 90-minute, $90 exterior "Rat Pack" tour visiting 1960s celebrity hangouts and homes tied to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Marilyn Monroe. Ends with a stop for a martini and a lesson on its history and preparation.
Kurt's tours combine architectural details with stories about the people who built, lived in, and preserved these homes. He credits Palm Springs' unusually high level of architectural preservation to the city's seasonal-use history — homes were left largely untouched for decades, preserving their original features.
Learn more: Mod Squad Tours: Experience Palm Springs Architecture Up Close
The Modern Tour with Michael Stern
Founded by author and architectural historian Michael Stern, The Modern Tour offers in-depth, private or small-group tours that give visitors rare access to some of Palm Springs' most celebrated and often inaccessible midcentury properties. Stern, co-author of Julius Shulman: Palm Springs, brings extensive scholarly knowledge and personal relationships with homeowners to create an insider experience.
What Makes The Modern Tour Unique
- Private home access — Opportunities to step inside two architecturally significant residences that are not typically open to the public.
- Tailored itineraries — Each tour is customized to guest interests, whether that's star-owned estates, rare prototypes, or architectural photography highlights.
- Scholarly storytelling — Stern's background ensures deep dives into the social, cultural, and design history behind each structure.
- Notable properties — May include Frey-designed residences, Alexander-built tract homes, and iconic works by William Cody, Donald Wexler, and E. Stewart Williams.
Tours are conducted in comfortable, air-conditioned transport and typically last around 2 hours, and begin at 10 am and 2 pm.
The Albert Frey House II Experience
No architectural journey through Palm Springs is complete without visiting Frey House II, the personal home of Swiss-born architect Albert Frey. Perched high in the San Jacinto foothills and built in 1964, this 800-square-foot residence is a masterclass in harmonizing design with nature. The Modern Tour is now showing the Albert Frey House II on select tours.
Key Features
- Integration with the landscape — The home is built around a massive boulder that forms part of the living room wall.
- Color palette & materials — Turquoise metal walls to match cholla cactus, pale pink concrete to blend with the mountains, and bright yellow curtains reflecting desert wildflowers.
- Innovative solutions — Sliding cabinet doors in the galley kitchen prevent collisions in narrow spaces; perforated block walls lighten the carport's visual weight.
- Environmental design — East-west orientation for passive heating and cooling; floor-to-ceiling glass for natural light and panoramic views.
Frey House II is owned by the Palm Springs Art Museum, which offers limited public access, often during Modernism Week and on Saturdays. As the highest residence in Palm Springs when built, it remains an iconic example of desert modernism.
Walking Tours with the Palm Springs Historical Society
If you prefer to explore on foot, the Palm Springs Historical Society offers expertly guided walking tours that blend architecture with rich local history. These tours are ideal for visitors who want to take in details up close while strolling through some of the city's most storied neighborhoods.
When: October – April
Duration: Approximately 2 hours
Popular Historical Society Walking Tours:
- Midcentury Modern Icons — A walking overview of the city's signature architectural style, highlighting key buildings and the architects behind them.
- Historic Inns and Neighborhoods — Explore the city's early Spanish Colonial Revival and Mediterranean-style hotels and residences.
- Indian Canyons & Deepwell Estates Walks — Neighborhood-focused tours that reveal how architectural styles evolved from the 1930s through the modernist boom.
- Twin Palms Estates – View stunning modern architecture with its iconic soaring "butterfly" rooflines in the first midcentury neighborhood built by the Alexander Construction Company.
- Giants of Architecture – Stroll through South Palm Canyon Drive and see the most photographed and historically significant concentration of midcentury modern commercial buildings.
Modernism Week
Every February, Palm Springs hosts Modernism Week—an 11-day celebration of midcentury modern architecture, design, art, and culture. The festival draws enthusiasts from across the globe with hundreds of events, including:
- Home and neighborhood tours
- Walking and bus tours
- Films
- Lectures
- Swanky social gatherings and parties
It's a rare chance to step inside some of the city's most iconic private residences and experience the architecture that made Palm Springs a modernist icon.
Modernism Week – October
Held each fall, Modernism Week – October is a more intimate, four-day version of the celebrated festival. Featuring a curated mix of architecture tours, design talks, and special events, it offers visitors a relaxed way to enjoy Palm Springs' modernist gems—without the February crowds. The cooler autumn weather makes it an ideal time for exploring, whether you're joining a guided tour or taking in the desert's distinctive design scene at your own pace.
Together, these two events are cornerstones of Palm Springs' year-round celebration of architecture, complementing the city's many walking, biking, and bus tours that showcase its world-famous Desert Modern style.