You can still get tickets for these must-see Modernism Week events! Just don’t wait until it’s too late.
Modernism Week kicks off this week! Starting Thursday, February 13 through Sunday, February 23, join us in Palm Springs for more than 500 engaging programs during the 11-day festival. While some of the programs are sold out, many tickets are still available for a range of exciting programs, including many free and low-cost programs. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to modernismweek.com. Highlighted programs include:
Tours
- Modernism Week Featured Home Tour: The West House (2/14-17, and 2/21-23, $40) Tour the dynamic residence recently remodeled by Michelle Boudreau Design previously owned by actor Adam West, best known for his role as Batman.
- Modernism Week Featured Home Tour: Sackley Chase Sensation (2/14-17, and 2/21-23, $40)This stunning 70s residence was designed by the prolific Palm Springs architect Stan Sackley in 1976 and recently updated by Grace Home Furnishings.
- VIBE House Tour (2/20, $50)This charming time-capsule home tour in the Deepwell Estates neighborhood is a One Thousand and One Nights-inspired fantasy that will dazzle tourgoers with its lavish and audacious design and its unique blend of paisleys, plaids, and vibrant colors.
- Cody’s Cody X PKS3: Art and Architecture Experience at the Cody Family Home (2/14, 2/15, 2/21, and 2/22, $50) This tour of Desert Modernist architect William Cody’s personal 1954 residence will feature an immersive light installation created by internationally acclaimed artist Phillip K. Smith III.
- Midcentury Sunny Cycle Tour by PS ModCom (2/13 – 2/23, $90) This enjoyable 2-hour (cycling optional) tour offers a unique opportunity to explore the work of the renowned architects that defined Palm Springs.
- Morse House Tour (2/21, $50) Tour the stunning Palmer and Krisel-designed Morse Residence, built in 1961. It was the first home in the Vista Las Palmas neighborhood of Palm Springs to be designated a Class 1 Historic Site.
- The Lautner Compound Tour (2/14-16, 2/21 and 2/22, $60) Experience spectacular architecture at this residential fourplex designed by famed American architect John Lautner in 1947.
- A 1929 Spanish Revival Transformed Into A Modern Marvel: House Tour (2/20, $45) Showcased in Architectural Digest, this 1929 fully re-imagined home is a great example of how to blend Spanish Revival with modern design elements.
- Temple Isaiah: The Evolution of Classical to Extreme Modernism (2/13, 2/14, 2/17, 2/19 – 2/21, $75) This guided media presentation and walking tour of two sanctuaries includes the E. Stewart Williams modernist-designed 1950s Liberman Chapel and David Christian’s brutalism-designed 1980s Bochner Sanctuary.
- Limón Design Project Tour (2/14 and 2/21, $40) This colorful seven-bedroom private escape in South Palm Springs was inspired by the optimistic era and continental graphics and style of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
- Sunburst Palms Home Tour (2/15 and 2/22, $40) This quintessentially midcentury modern house features a sweeping tongue and groove flat roof and spacious rooms, glass walls, a large outdoor entertaining space, and a kidney-shaped pool with an original rock waterfall.
- Green Gables Home Tour (2/16 and 2/23, $40) Designed by Palmer-Krisel and built in 1958, this home underwent a complete renovation by H3K Home + Design in 2019.
- Growing Up Wexler: Life in the Wexler Family House – A Site-Specific Exhibition (2/17-20, $50) In celebration of the 70th anniversary of the house architect Donald Wexler designed for his family in 1955, a selection of memorabilia, including original architectural drawings and sketches, will be exhibited throughout the house.
- Joshua Tree Retreat Center: Historic Lloyd Wright Site Presentation and Self-Guided Walking Tour (2/17 and 2/17, $70) Explore the historic Joshua Tree Retreat Center, featuring the largest collection of Lloyd Wright’s architecture. The event includes a 1-hour presentation by architectural experts, a self-guided walking tour, and lunch.
Neighborhood Tours
- Villa Roma: Preserving a Moment in Time for the Future (2/15, $80) Explore eight stunning homes and the Club House in Villa Roma, Palm Springs’ newest historic district.
- The 400: Midcentury Living by H.W. Burns (2/16, $65) Experience midcentury lifestyle in this stylish Herbert Burns-deigned resort living complex in the Historic Tennis Club Neighborhood.
- CoCo Cabana: Designed for Gracious Living (2/17, $65) Discover desert leisure living at this former resort hotel bult in 1955. It is one of the best intact examples of midcentury garden apartment design in Palm Springs.
- Destination Park Imperial South (2/15, $75) Tour six iconic midcentury homes in the first GE Gold Medallion-awarded development in Southern California, designed by renowned architect Barry Berkus.
- Beyond the Gates of Seven Lakes Golf & Country Club Home & Walking Tour (2/17, $95) Explore the midcentury marvels of Seven Lakes Golf and Country Club, “The Gem of the Desert,” featuring distinctive homes, an iconic clubhouse, an 18-hole executive golf course, lush grounds, and stunning views.
- Sunrise Lanai: A Miracle in the Desert (2/15, $70) Tour seven thoughtfully preserved and restored condos and the beautifully landscaped grounds of this Palm Springs compound, often described as “A Miracle in the Desert.”
- El Rancho Vista Estates Modernism Home Tour (2/22, $85) Explore the midcentury modern charm of these eight Wexler/Harrison-designed homes with original floor plans, stylish upgrades, and mountain views.
- Da Vaal Estates Home Tour: Midcentury Modern Marvel (2/16, $65) Explore this iconic midcentury modern complex designed by Val Powelson in 1960. These unique, star-shaped condos offer stunning architecture and rich history.
Special Events
- Palm Springs Modernism Show (2/14-2/17, $30) This popular event showcases more than 138 premier national and international exhibitors featuring vintage furniture and decorative and fine arts and compelling 21st century original designs for modern living.
- 2025 Modernism Week Vintage Trailer Show (2/22 and 2/23, $30) This thoughtfully curated collection of vintage trailers, campers, buses and motor homes is arguably one of the largest and most attended vintage trailer shows in the United States.
- “Hunka Hunka Burning Love:” An Elvis Presley fashion tribute (2/16, $80) This fun fashion show will pay tribute to Elvis Presley by featuring fashions that reference Elvis Presley movies and hit songs.
- Curated Vintage Event (2/22, $15 and $30)Retailers and private dealers will showcase exceptional vintage fashion and accessories for vintage fashion lovers.
Talks
- Keynote Presentation: Dr. Raymond Neutra: Survival Through Design (2/15, $35, $100)Dr. Raymond Neutra is the youngest son of renowned architect Richard Neutra. He will share memories of his father and recount stories from his unique upbringing at the Neutra VDL Studio and Residence, designed by his father in 1932.
- Honoring a Local Legacy: Midcentury Modern Inspiration at Cotino, the first Storyliving by Disney community (2/17, FREE) Disney Imagineers and Pixar artists discuss how the midcentury modern architecture legacy of Palm Springs and the animated Disney•Pixar film Incredibles 2 influenced the community’s design.
- Curated Landscape: Monuments, Sculpture, and Other Built Delights on the Grounds of Sunnylands (2/18, $15) Anne Rowe, Director of Heritage at Sunnylands, will share the intriguing provenance of the sculpture and unique “follies” chosen by Walter and Leonore Annenberg for their estate’s landscape.
- Iwan Baan: Rome – Las Vegas: Bread and Circuses (2/19, $18) Photographer Iwan Baan will present a talk on his latest publication “Rome – Las Vegas Bread and Circuses” (2024, Lars Müller Publishers), which offers a visual comparison of two cities often perceived as architectural opposites.
- Leedy Legacy: The Sarasota School of Architecture (2/19, $18) Max Strang, AIA, provides an in-depth exploration of Gene Leedy’s pivotal role in the Sarasota School of Architecture, highlighting his works journey from post-and-beam structures to Brutalism.
- The Lives of a (Modern) Building – The Edith Farnsworth House in Chicago: Architecture, Preservation and Stewardship (2/16, $18) This talk will detail the Edith Farnsworth House, a 1951 Modernist masterpiece designed by van der Rohe.
- Garry Knox Bennett: Crafting the Counter Culture (Film Screening and Talk) (2/22, $15) Garry Knox Bennett was an important Bay Area designer/craftsman whose singular vision, finely crafted furniture and sculpture influenced the counterculture of California in the 60s and 70s and beyond.
- Italian Modernism: Carlo Scarpa and the Architecture of Geometry, Water and Light (2/17, $18) The extraordinary work and legacy of Venetian modernist architect Carlo Scarpa, will be discussed in this fascinating renowned for his masterful fusion of modernist principles with artisanal techniques. His career was marked by a masterful fusion of modernist principles with artisanal techniques, resulting in buildings that were both functional and poetically evocative.
- Working in Tranquility: Landscapes, Interiors and the Modernist Corporate Campus (2/18, $18) Many modernist corporate campuses, designed by some of the world’s most renowned designers, incorporating landscapes and furnishings as integral components, are at risk in our post-pandemic world.
- Blurring the Lines: Studio AR&D Architects (2/19, $15) This presentation by Studio AR&D Architects will explore the studio’s design process of crafting modern desert homes that blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces, creating seamless living environments.
- The Legacy of Disney’s Monsanto House of the Future (2/14, $18) This presentation takes attendees on a fascinating journey through the conception, construction, opening and ultimate closure of an iconic Disneyland attraction that captured the imagination of countless visitors during its 10-year run (1957-1967).
- Glass or Not Glass? That’s the Lina Bo Bardi Question (2/20, $18) This engaging talk is a close look at Lina Bo Bardi’s Glass House in Brazil, revealing that it is a hybrid project and reflects on the multifaceted ambiguity of modern architecture.
Parties
- Modernism Week 20th Anniversary Opening Night Extravaganza (2/13, $350).Modernism Week celebrates its 20th anniversary with great live music and an unforgettable night at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
- Preview Party for the Palm Springs Modernism Show (2/14, $125) This party is the prime opportunity for participants to shop directly from dealers before the show opens to the public on Saturday.
- Step Into the Time Capsule: A Groovy 60s Party at The VIBE House! (2/20, $225) At this one-of-a-kind evening guests will teleport to the late ’60s and explore a world where bold design, iconic music, and endless fun come alive.
- Cocktails and Conversations: An evening touring The Lautner Compound with architectural photographer Andrew Pielage (2/15, $100) Discover how Wright mentored a young Lautner, whose bold, futuristic designs would go on to reshape modern architecture.
Live Entertainment
- Shelton Sings Sinatra: A Very Romantic Affair (2/16, $65 rear orchestra and $85 front orchestra)Acclaimed as the leading dramatic interpreter of Frank Sinatra, Richard Shelton honors Sinatra’s timeless legacy with an unforgettable performance, showcasing the legendary singer’s most romantic classics.
- Hey, Hey…We’re the Monkees! Mod Music and Cocktail Party (2/16 and 2/17, $95) This Mod 60s cocktail party and live multimedia concert celebrates the music of the Monkees with the Gand Band, voted “Coachella Valley’s Best Band.”
