Midcentury homes in historic neighborhoods including Country Club Estates, Firebird Estates, Vista Las Palmas and Racquet Club Estates will be open to the public during Modernism Week 2026.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
11 Midcentury home tours we’re most excited about at Palm Springs’ Modernism Week
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A few years back at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York, designers from all over would ask me, once they found out I was from Los Angeles, “What should I do at Modernism Week in Palm Springs?”
I remember spending weekends by the pool in Palm Springs as a kid, so I get why someone from New York or Rhode Island would want to fly out to the desert in February.
From industrial warehouses to unassuming strip malls, shopping for vintage Midcentury Modern furniture in Palm Springs is a delightful treasure hunt.
But Modernism Week offers much more than just warm weather and beautiful views of the magical San Jacinto mountain range. The 11-day festival, running from Feb. 12-22, features double-decker bus architecture tours, talks with designers and preservationists, the Palm Springs Modernism Show and tours of iconic Midcentury Modern homes that still feel fresh and current, even though they were built in the 1950s and ’60s.
As in past years, many home tours have already sold out, including Twin Palms, Frank Sinatra’s former home, Sunnylands and Richard Neutra’s famous Kaufmann Residence. Still, plenty of tours are available at the time of writing. And heads up: Tickets for the fall version of Modernism Week, running Oct. 15-18, go on sale Aug. 1 at noon PST.
Here’s the list of homes not to miss next month.
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The Lautner Compound Tour
Desert Hot Springs Modernism Week
(Modernism Week)
John Lautner fans will want to drive to Desert Hot Springs for this once-a-year opportunity to tour Tracy Beckmann and Ryan Trowbridge’s award-winning Lautner Compound, which includes four simple concrete, redwood, glass and steel units designed by innovative architect Lautner, who studied as an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright. Each unit in the 1947 fourplex, formerly known as the Hotel Lautner, has slanted roofs and expansive windows overlooking a cactus garden. The tour includes an open-air event space, a 1957 California Bungalow and a clubhouse, which is available for events.
Dates with ticket availability: Feb. 13 and 14; Feb. 20 and 21. (The owners will also host a twilight reception with craft cocktails and small bites at 5 p.m. each day. Tickets are $100.)
Ticket: $60
Dates with ticket availability: Feb. 13 and 14; Feb. 20 and 21. (The owners will also host a twilight reception with craft cocktails and small bites at 5 p.m. each day. Tickets are $100.)
Ticket: $60
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Frey House ll Tour + Museum Day Passes
Palm Springs Modernism Week
(Dan Chavkin)
In a breathtaking introduction to Palm Springs architect Albert Frey, the Palm Springs Art Museum offers self-guided tours of Frey House ll, Frey’s residence perched atop a hillside at the west end of Tahquitz Canyon Way.
Like renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Frey was fascinated by the interplay between nature and architecture and the allure of the desert. He incorporated the desert terrain, including a large boulder that juts in through the living room and bedroom glass walls, into his 800-square-foot home, which features a corrugated metal roof, simple concrete slab floors and glass windows overlooking the desert.
After the tour, guests can visit the Palm Springs Art Museum and the Architecture and Design Center (300 S. Palm Canyon Drive).
A shuttle van will transport ticket holders from Palm Springs Art Museum’s Buddy Rogers Box Office to the house for the tour.
Dates with multiple times available: Feb. 12-17, Feb. 20 and Feb. 22.
Ticket: $75 (A twilight tour and champagne reception for a limited number of guests at Frey House II are available at 4:30 p.m. each evening. Tickets are $125.)
Like renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Frey was fascinated by the interplay between nature and architecture and the allure of the desert. He incorporated the desert terrain, including a large boulder that juts in through the living room and bedroom glass walls, into his 800-square-foot home, which features a corrugated metal roof, simple concrete slab floors and glass windows overlooking the desert.
After the tour, guests can visit the Palm Springs Art Museum and the Architecture and Design Center (300 S. Palm Canyon Drive).
A shuttle van will transport ticket holders from Palm Springs Art Museum’s Buddy Rogers Box Office to the house for the tour.
Dates with multiple times available: Feb. 12-17, Feb. 20 and Feb. 22.
Ticket: $75 (A twilight tour and champagne reception for a limited number of guests at Frey House II are available at 4:30 p.m. each evening. Tickets are $125.)
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Modernism Week Featured Home Tour: the Marquee at Twin Palms
Palm Springs Modernism Week
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Howard Hawkes and Kevin Kemper of H3K Home + Design are well-known to Modernism Week fans, with their remodeling projects often featured at past events, including their personal residence in 2023, shown above. This year, visitors can explore the newly restored Marquee at Twin Palms, a 1957 post-and-beam home with concrete-block construction, high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass walls that showcase sunny views of the mountains, pool and spa.
Dates: Feb. 13-16 and Feb. 20-22.
Ticket: $40
Dates: Feb. 13-16 and Feb. 20-22.
Ticket: $40
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Palmer & Krisel’s Ocotillo Lodge: Talk & Tour
Palm Springs Modernism Week
(Ocotillo Lodge)
Tour five units in the historic Ocotillo Lodge, a former hotel-turned-condo, designed by Palmer & Krisel in 1957. Once owned by singer-actor-cowboy Gene Autry and Lakers owner Jerry Buss, the complex features uniquely designed 525- and 590-square-foot units that include concrete block, tongue-and-groove ceilings with exposed beams, clerestory windows, and walls of glass and shared grounds originally designed by noted landscape architect Garrett Eckbo.
Date: Feb. 16
Ticket: $75
Date: Feb. 16
Ticket: $75
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Alta Revealed: Contemporary Desert Living Home Tour
Palm Springs Modernism Week
For the first time at Modernism Week, six homes in the gated Alta community will be open for public tours. These homes, designed by award-winning architect Narendra Patel, highlight bold desert Modern style with high inverted rooflines, glass walls that disappear and large indoor-outdoor spaces that connect with the landscape. The homes on the tour range from 2,875 to almost 4,800 square feet, featuring several areas for entertaining, ceilings up to 15 feet high, and private outdoor spaces. Patel will be there to answer any questions from guests.
Date: 9 a.m. and noon Feb. 16.
Ticket: $120
Date: 9 a.m. and noon Feb. 16.
Ticket: $120
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Tour With the author: Unseen Midcentury Desert Modern with Dan Chavkin
Palm Springs Modernism Week
(Dan Chavkin)
Get rare access to six homes by noted midcentury architects Donald Wexler, William Cody and others that are usually closed to the public. The self-guided tour takes approximately 2½ hours to complete and is based on photographer Dan Chavkin’s book “Unseen Midcentury Desert Modern,” featuring an audio guide narrated by Chavkin himself. You’ll hear stories from his photo shoots and his talks with homeowners, designers and architects as he shares insights and behind-the-scenes moments that didn’t make it into the book.
Date: 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Feb. 17.
Morning check-in is open from 8:45 to 11 a.m. Guests must check in between these hours. Wristbands cannot be picked up after 11 a.m. Afternoon check-in is open from 1:45 to 3 p.m.
Ticket: $150
Date: 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Feb. 17.
Morning check-in is open from 8:45 to 11 a.m. Guests must check in between these hours. Wristbands cannot be picked up after 11 a.m. Afternoon check-in is open from 1:45 to 3 p.m.
Ticket: $150
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'That Pink Door House': Villa Sierra
Palm Springs Modernism Week
(Modernism Week)
Step inside the Instagram famous #pinkdoorhouse in the Indian Canyons neighborhood where Hollywood set designer-turned-architect James McNaughton created his colorful spin on Midcentury Modern Hollywood Regency design. The 5,300-square-foot home features an impressive art collection and colorful furnishings, including a Byzantine blue leather sofa, canary yellow bistro table, pistachio green cabinets in the gourmet kitchen and a powder blue pool table.
Date with ticket availability: 9 and 9:30 a.m. Feb. 18.
Ticket: $40
Date with ticket availability: 9 and 9:30 a.m. Feb. 18.
Ticket: $40
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Discover the Midcentury Marvel of Firebird Estates
Palm Springs Modernism Week
During this year’s Modernism Week, seven of the 30 Midcentury Modern condos at Firebird Estates will be open for tours. When they were built in 1964, these homes were promoted as having “open-room” layouts and modern features for $26,500. The condos range from 1,150 to 1,450 square feet. Firebird Estates is made up of 10 buildings, each with three units: two on the ends and one in the middle that sticks out. The property covers about six acres of gardens and includes a pool and an outdoor jacuzzi. The community reflects the era’s focus on simplicity and living in harmony with nature.
Date: 10 and 11 a.m.; 1 and 2 p.m. Feb. 21.
Ticket: $80
Date: 10 and 11 a.m.; 1 and 2 p.m. Feb. 21.
Ticket: $80
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Spotlight Home Tour: Elrod Reimagined
Palm Springs Modernism Week
(Brian Chorski for IDGroup)
This Hollywood Regency home from the 1960s is in Old Las Palmas, a historic Palm Springs neighborhood known for its architecture and celebrity residents. With interiors by Arthur Elrod and later updated by ID Group, the house includes brise-soleil screens, a flat roofline and simple details. Large glass walls open the interior to views of the vintage-style pool and private courtyards. The designers kept original features like white pecky cedar paneling and travertine floors, preserving the midcentury style while making the home comfortable for modern living.
Date: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 20.
Ticket: $40
Date: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 20.
Ticket: $40
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Signature Home Tours
Palm Springs Modernism Week
(Modernism Week)
On both Sundays of Modernism Week, the self-guided Signature Home Tour will showcase five homes, with styles from early Midcentury Modern to 21st century “new Modern.” The Modernism Week website says the homes were chosen “for their architecture, interiors, gardens and grounds, epitomize Palm Springs and what makes life and architecture in the desert unique.” Each tour includes a keepsake program and map. Different homes — which are always a surprise — will be featured each Sunday.
Dates: 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Feb. 15; 9 a.m. Feb. 22
Ticket: $150
Dates: 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Feb. 15; 9 a.m. Feb. 22
Ticket: $150
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Sunmor Estates Midcentury Home Tour
Palm Springs Modernism Week
(Modernism Week)
This walking and driving tour will feature the interiors and landscapes of six homes in Sunmor Estates, a special showcase of Modernist homes designed by noted midcentury architects William Krisel and Donald Wexler and builders Smith & Rapport. Once the site of the former Palm Springs Airport and Army Airfield, the neighborhood features some of the original circular concrete pads (tie-downs) from military planes.
Date: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 16.
Ticket: $80
Date: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 16.
Ticket: $80
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