Explore the Desert
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway constructed in rugged Chino Canyon on the north edge of Palm Springs - about two hours by car from Los Angeles and San Diego - did not just happen. It required foresight, planning, financing and, most of all a vision. For years, it was the dream of a young electrical engineer named Francis F. Crocker to "go up there where it's nice and cool."
The Palm Springs Air Museum houses one of the nation's largest collection of World War II flying aircraft displayed in modern, well lighted, air-conditioned and clean hangars. Our Buddy Rodgers Theater shows daily documentaries about aviation in the military with an emphasis on World War II. In addition to planes and historic artifacts, the museum is host to a library of 6300 volumes primarily related to aviation and American military history.
In May 1973, a group of Coachella Valley business, education and cultural leaders organized as Friends of the Cultural Center, Inc., and committed themselves to the creation of a state-of-the-art performing arts center. Their vision was to enhance and enrich the lives of desert residents by making the performing arts available to as many people as possible.
Vision became reality in January 1988, with the opening of McCallum Theatre. Named for a pioneer desert family, the McCallum has gained acclaim as one of the country's finest presenting theatres by audiences, entertainers and peers alike.
"The McCallum Theatre is here to entertain, to educate, and to enrich."
Bob and Dolores Hope
The Living Desert is a 1200 acre facility that specializes in the plants and animals found throughout the deserts of the world. Many exotic and endangered species can be seen in natural surroundings such as bighorn sheep, oryx, cheetahs, wolves, striped hyenas, thick-billed parrots, leopards and golden eagles. The botanical gardens represent over 1500 species, indigenous to the arid areas of North America and Africa. A state-of-the-art wildlife hospital allows visitors to interact with the staff while procedures are being performed on animals. A children's desert play park, live animal shows, discovery room and many other features can be found in this unique zoo which sits in the middle of the Coachella Valley, just 15 miles east of Palm Springs.