Visit Mid-Century Modern masterpieces in stunning desert settings.

If you're a fan of Mid-Century Modern design, Palm Springs could be your Mother Lode. Stars of the silver screen who made their homes here could afford to pay the architectural stars of their time, and in the region's 1950s and '60s boom time, that meant the region became Ground Zero for the sleek, minimalist designs of iconic architects like Albert Frey, Richard Neutra, and William F. Cody.

You can take a self-guided tour, or join various guided tours (including one on Segways). Best place to start is at the Swiss-born Albert Frey’s most famous Palm Springs design, the soaring, wedge-shape Tramway Gas Station on the edge of town. The structure, nearly torn down in the name of revitalization, is now home to the Palm Springs Visitors Center , where you can pick up a helpful guide, Palm Springs: Brief History and Architectural Guide, loaded with helpful information and destinations. Also ask about guided tours at the visitors center.

October 21, 2009 10:00 AM to October 17, 2010 5:00 PM
At least 500 years ago, pottery techniques were adopted to supplement baskets as utensils for storage and cooking. Local clays were processed and coiled in shapes to hold water, seeds, and pigments. This exhibition interprets the full spectrum of pottery from clay sources, manufacture, pigments and painting, to firing the finished product.