Palm Springs Museums and Galleries

We’ve long been admirers of Janssen Artspace, which closed its doors in 2010 after years of great exhibitions and events. Now, nearly a decade after its first opening party, artist and owner Steven Janssen brought the space back to downtown Palm Springs permanently. Twice a month, the gallery hosts a drawing workshop where participants have the opportunity to draw a nude model while getting feedback from Janssen as they work. During the day, you’ll find Janssen’s own work on display in the light-filled, open environment (as well as many other artists to come).

If you have a plane-obsessed child, or any interest in military history, this is a pretty great way to pass a couple of hours. Occupying several hangars—and staffed by some pretty wonderful and knowledgeable military veterans—you can explore any number of planes (you can climb into the cockpits of several). There are also some great exhibitions lining the walls.

The fact that Sunnylands serves as the Camp David of the West Coast kind of does this stunning estate a disservice: And while it's still frequented by many presidents and politicians, it's open to the public. Designed for the Annenbergs by A. Quincy Jones in the '60s, it is one of the more stunning examples of mid-century architecture, and it's situated on meticulously manicured grounds. Book well in advance for tours, though you can always stop by to see the permanent exhibition, which offers a great survey on some of the home's big moments over time.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that this well-cultured city of 50,000 has an art museum that rivals something you'd find in New York or LA. The building is architecturally significant (of course), there's an ongoing calendar of great events (it has a 400+ person theater), and the gift shop is excellent, too.