Sights to See: mid-century modern architecture with the Palm Springs Mod Squad, Palm Springs, California

The Palm Springs Mod Squad specializes in architecture and design tours.  The 90-minute Essential Palm Springs Tour shows you prime examples of mid-century modern architecture (it is limited to just five participants because of private car size).  In addition, it is a good opportunity to see the town’s neighborhoods and learn some movie star history, and you’ll learn more than you can possibly absorb about desert post-modernism in Palm Springs.  If you want to get good pictures, do sit on the right side--which is the right side of the car. 
exterior of Palm Springs Visitors Center, Palm Springs, California

Buildings seen on The Essential Palm Springs Tour:

Mirage house  At end of East Racquet Club Rd., past the guard house.  
guard house in Palm Springs, California
The site-specific Mirage house art installation by Doug Aiken is in the form of a ranch-style house but composed of reflective mirrored surfaces.  Minus doors and windows, it reflects and disappears into the desert landscape.  It is part of the “Desert X” art exhibition but will remain on exhibition after that closes on October 31, 2017.
exterior of Mirage house in Palm Springs, California
exterior of Mirage house in Palm Springs, California  

Robo Lights   1077 E Granvia Valmonte, in Movie Colony District, (760) 200-4143.  Open seasonally in December, daily 4-9:30pm.  By donation, $5.  Owned and designed by Kenny Irwin Jr., this colorful display of recycled “junque art” is in a neighborhood known for good Christmas lights.

Robo Lights house in Palm Springs, California

Kaufmann House  470 West Vista Chino Drive, in Old Las Palmas neighborhood.  Located in the neighborhood that is the Beverly Hills of the desert--where the Rat Pack once lived--this is one of the most famous homes in Palm Springs.  It was designed by Richard Neutra in 1946, was once owned by Barry Manilow, and now you can rent it for $8,000 per month. 
exterior of Kaufmann house in Palm Springs, California


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images ©2017 Carole Terwilliger Meyers