The 12 best things to do in Palm Springs

Most of Palm Springs’ postcard-worthy views are from poolside, looking up towards the mountains. But if you want the ultimate view? It’s obviously the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, a huge rotating gondola ride (the largest of its kind in the world) built in 1963 that connects the Coachella Valley with San Jacinto Peak. Jump on the tramway and—after about 10 minutes and a double-digit temeprature drop—stop off for lunch at the top of the mountain, or use it as transport to get you deep into the hills for a magnificent hike. Wait times can easily top out at a few hours during peak season, so secure a reservation in advance.

Flowing water in the middle of the desert? Indeed, this two-mile loop leads to a 50-foot waterfall tucked into Tahquitz Canyon. The falls are located within the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians reservation, so you’ll need to pay an admission fee. On the plus side, the cost keeps the trail impeccably maintained, unlike the sometimes-trash-and-graffiti-filled waterfalls in nearby Los Angeles. Ranger-led hikes are also available.

You can barely walk a block along Palm Canyon Drive without stumbling upon an eye-catching gallery, antique or furniture showroom. Palm Springs and mid-century modernism go hand in hand, and you’ll find plenty of galleries (notably a showroom from retro-inspired artist SHAG) and furniture stores dedicated to the jet-setting aesthetic. The northern stretch of the street is a bit more design-forward than the touristy but highly walkable downtown section to the south.

The Palm Springs Art Museum houses a vast collection of contemporary art—from paintings to glass and sculpture—but often with a desert theme. You’ll find pieces of Native American art and Modernism, plus plenty of others inspired by the American West, laid out in a stone-colored complex on the edge of town. There’s an architecture-focused sister site a few blocks away in the middle of downtown, plus occasional access to the stunning Frey House II.

Craggy peaks, climbable boulders and those beloved yuccas are barely an hour’s car ride away. Joshua Tree National Park is a popular destination for overnight campers, but you can explore plenty in a single afternoon, from an easygoing hike around Hidden Valley to vistas from 5,000 feet up at Keys View. If you’re coming from Palm Springs, you’ll want to enter from the northwest entrance in Joshua Tree; if you’re staying farther east into the Coachella Valley, you can use the south gate, but it’ll put you—for better or worse—in a more desolate area that’s farther from the park’s main attractions.

Even if you don’t need any information from the official Palm Springs welcome center, this distinctive spot is worth a stop to admire its treasured architecture; the Space Age structure opened in 1965 as a gas station, but when Albert Frey and Robson Chambers’s retro design was slated for the wrecking ball in the ’90s, it was saved and turned into a visitors’ center. If you need some guidance, you can book a tour of Palm Springs right here.

This air museum primarily showcases World War II and combat aircraft from the wars in Korea and Vietnam. You’ll find more than 40 flyable and static planes across three warehouses, from the B-17 flying fortress to the F-4 fighter jet, and a couple of aircraft on the tarmac, like the C-47 and PBY Catalina Flying Boat. The museum also offers limited high-priced flights aboard a half-dozen warbirds, including the C-47 Skytrain and P-51 Mustang.

Though only an acre in size, this botanical garden is packed with prickly varieties of cacti and other desert plants. The family-owned park dates back to the 1930s and harbors more than 3,000 specimens of desert plants from around the world, grouped by region. There’s also a nursery if you want to take some plants back home with you—a lively souvenir if you ask us.

True to its name, this zoo looks just like a living slice of the Sonoran Desert. Located a couple of miles outside Palm Springs, the primarily outdoor locale is broadly split into North American and African environments. Explore the grounds to find an assortment of wild cats and hoofed mammals. You can also feed the giraffes, which is an experience and a half.

Sunnylands (the former winter retreat for the wealthy Annenberg family and a popular summit space for decades of U.S. Presidents) resides on a 200-acre plot of irrigated desert in Rancho Mirage. A nine-hole golf course occupies most of that space, but 12 acres are dedicated to public gardens and a visitor center with a rotating selection of artwork from the Annenberg collection. Tours of the mansion are available but regularly sell out months in advance. Sunnylands is closed between June and September.

Palm Springs is brimming with gorgeous mid-century modern homes. Remember that most of these are private abodes, so you can’t exactly knock on the front door. But cruise around some notable neighborhoods, from Tennis Club to Araby Cove, and you’ll spot plenty of architectural gems along the way. Highlights include the Del Marcos Hotel and the Edris House.

The 100-ton Brontosaurus and T. Rex sculptures once beckoned motorists on their way to Palm Springs to a 24-hour diner. Today, they guard the entrance to a very kitsch dino museum (and a familiar landmark for Pee-wee’s Big Adventure fans). At the very least, pose for a photo with Mr. Rex and walk into the gift shop housed inside Dinny the Brontosaurus’s belly—but maybe consider saving some cash for a delicious date shake at nearby Hadley Fruit Orchards instead.