Palm Springs Desert Museum - Palm Springs, CA - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

"The Palm Springs Desert Museum is situated at the foot of Mt. San Jacinto just west of Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs. This important cultural institution was completed in 1976 with a major expansion occurring in 1996. Its design emerged from New Brutalist ideas that Williams had refined a few years earlier at Crafton Hills Community College. Raised above ground level, the museum building houses art galleries, natural hi story exhibits, and a performing arts center. A tranquil sunken garden imparts a sense of visual lightness to the overall composition. The building’s design embraces the New Brutalism in its massive scale and reinforced concrete construction. Williams clad the building in a natural material—volcanic cinder —to reflect the rugged textures and colors of the mountain while producing dramatic textural effects that distinguish the museum’s presence. The noncontributing resource is the freestanding Williams - designed Marks Administration Building completed in 1981 and located north of the museum . The Williams -designed second story museum addition completed in 1996 is not visible when viewed from Museum Drive because it rises from the rear half of the original building. The addition features a smooth surface with an incised grid pattern that differentiates it from the original concrete surfaces of hammered or ribbed aggregate and volcanic cinder cladding. The Palm Springs Desert Museum possesses sufficient historic and architectural integrity necessary to convey its significance." (visit link)

Street address: 101 Museum Dr. Palm Springs, CA USA County / Borough / Parish: Riverside Year listed: 2016 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1942-1960 Historic function: Recreation And Culture Current function: Recreation And Culture Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   03/22/2023 bluesnote visited it