The Institute, Bombay Beach

Travel guide · California

Palm Springs & the Coachella Valley

Palm Springs is where mid-century modern architecture met the California desert and found its natural home. Anchored by the San Jacinto Mountains at the northwest end of the Coachella Valley, hosts describe it as holding the largest collection of preserved mid-century modern architecture in the world — butterfly rooflines, clerestory windows, and pool terraces designed to dissolve the line between inside and out. The valley stretches east to Indio, where the Empire Polo Club hosts Coachella each April, southeast to La Quinta, Indio and Coachella, where most of the valley's homes are. Joshua Tree National Park is about 50 minutes away via Highway 62. This guide covers the architecture, the mountains, the music, and the stays worth coming for.