Exploring Palm Springs Care/Free

They say that time is money, but we disagree. Time is way more valuable than cash! Precious moments with loved ones can’t be quantified; filling your days and nights with revelry is worth a king’s (or queen’s) ransom.

There are lots of free things to do in Palm Springs that will break your boredom without busting your budget.

Let’s Start At The Very Beginning

Lounging by the pool is the #1 free thing to do in Palm Springs. It all starts here and helps set that stress-free, relaxing stay you won’t want to leave.  This is quality time everyone deserves.

Listen to Live Music

Let’s begin our tour in an unexpected venue: the Agua Caliente Casino. Sure, you can shell out beaucoup bucks for an upscale meal or gambling galore, but you can also flex your frugality with Latin night at the Cascade Lounge. Every Sunday, the top-notch talent fires up a spicy blend of salsa sounds and banda bravura, so dip in and groove out!

Live music is the gift that keeps on giving in Palm Springs. Tunes flow freely throughout our hip hometown.

Check your calendar and check your inhibitions at the door because there are always hip happenings at Ace Hotel & Swim Club. From live DJ sets to livelier jazz ensembles, dive into live music.

Keep the party going at Palm Springs Cultural Center until the weekend reaches a crescendo. Sundays through Tuesdays, their talent spans the spectrum from soul to cabaret and back to R&B. There is no cover, just a two-drink minimum. Cheers!

Feast At Our Fests

Where are you going? The Cultural Center offers much more affordable fare, so stick around! Turn the page with a book club, gab it up with a discussion panel, or get fresh every Saturday at their fabulous Certified Farmers’ Market. Local vendors flood the outdoor lot with a harvest of goodies, so stroll and nosh to your healthy heart’s delight! They also have chef demonstrations, music, and kid programs.

Keep the vibes vrooming through VillageFest, the must-experience street fair on Palm Canyon every Thursday night. Artisans unveil innovative wares in the open air as succulent street food sizzles its way to perfection all around you. Enjoy a beverage and a show as various bands entertain passersby for the princely sum of zero dollars!

Art & About

Maximize your freedom every Thursday. Not only is VillageFest the talk of the town, but the Palm Springs Art Museum also offers free admission from 5 pm-7 pm. Modern and contemporary exhibits mingle with the vibrant traditions of Native American artifacts. Set your designs on the signature architecture that makes our berg so brilliant, and plan your next visit to experience all the museum has in store. This truly is the intersection between tradition and expression.

Backstreet Art District is a great way to visit working artist studios. It is a unique community of artists’ studios and galleries. The first Wednesday of each month is their Art Walk, which begins at 5pm.

Walk This Way

If you prefer to keep your feet on the ground, traverse the terrain of our majestic landscapes, whether urban or mountainous.

There are several free things to do in Palm Springs.  Click a picture of you with the 26-foot-high Marilyn Monroe statue in front of the Palm Springs art museum. She was discovered in Palm Springs and returned to where she began.

Right next to Marilyn is the Palm Springs Downtown Park. Pack a lunch and enjoy a relaxing afternoon with the beauty of the San Jacinto mountains as a backdrop. Free concerts and movies are scheduled in the park during certain months of the year.

Once your passion for the past has been ignited, kick it with our Historical Society. It is located in the McCallum Adobe house, one of the oldest in Palm Springs. Exploring the museum is free. Next door is the newly restored Cornelia White House, another Palm Springs pioneer. Her home is open on the weekends. Their walking tours are endlessly affordable; after you’ve been sufficiently inspired, you can bring your friends and family on a pedestrian path of your blazing.

Walking is your passport to Palm Springs in its many incarnations. If you’re a shopaholic, check out the storefronts in our Uptown Design District. Cinephiles will swoon at the celebrities lining our esteemed Walk of Stars, peppered with legends of the silver screen.

We’re not done! There are lots of walking trails throughout Palm Springs.  Some more popular include the North and South Lykken Trails, named after the owner of the first retail store in Palm Springs who loved to hike. Another with great valley views begins right downtown behind the Palm Springs Art Museum called museum trail.

Palm Springs Hiking Guide

Enjoy a Self-Guided Bike Tour

A great way to see Palm Springs is to explore the neighborhoods, and what better way than on a bike? Most hotels and resorts now offer complimentary bikes. When you check in, consider reserving a bike for a morning ride.

Deepwell Ranch Estates Bike Tour

South Palm Springs Bike Tour

Palm Springs Bike Trails

Explore our Midcentury Architecture

If you want to learn more about our famous midcentury architecture on your own, a great way to do this is on a self-guided architecture drive tour we have curated for you. This is another excellent way to get to know the neighborhoods and learn about the architects and developers who helped make Palm Springs so unique.

Self Guided Midcentury Architecture Tour

Play at a Park

The park life in Palm Springs is playful and plentiful. Demuth Park is the capital of keeping active, with everything from Pickleball courts for the athletes in your life to bird-watching events for the dreamers among us.

Ruth Hardy Park is also a great location close to downtown with a large lawn, tennis courts, and adjacent wellness park. This park is loved by locals and hosts many events throughout the year.

There really are no limits to the free (or practically free) attractions here in town. So invest in the best, which is you and your time in Palm Springs!

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Free Things To Do in Palm Springs