One of the newest attractions in downtown Palm Springs, California, is arguably among its best. The long-awaited debut of the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza offers something for residents and tourists alike: an exciting glimpse into the area’s past, present and future, as envisioned by the first humans who lived here. The plaza and museum are designed to recognize the lives and work of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
Set on a sacred site, this 5.8-acre cultural plaza is dominated by two massive buildings. One houses the impressive cultural center, a museum like no other. The other building contains a state-of-the-art spa that features treatments using water from 12,000-year-old hot mineral springs. Between them is a tranquil urban hike on a concrete path. Along this winding, paved route, you find examples of native rocks, flora and fauna.
Among its many noteworthy recognitions is the plaza’s place on Time magazine’s 2024 list of World’s Greatest Places.
The cultural center, opened in late 2023, is a 48,000-square-foot museum filled with exhibits, photographs, historical artifacts and a not-to-be-missed museum store (more on this later). The cultural center’s curved and multi-hued exterior is a tribute to the Agua Caliente Band’s famed basket-making skills.
Visitors can appreciate a number of different basket-making designs when walking through the museum.
The cultural center is the result of years of research and planning. It seems as though every step through the center has been carefully orchestrated for maximum effect. A 10-minute film is the prologue to this journey. The small circular theater has been constructed much like one might find at a Disney theme park. As the animated film introduces visitors to the origin story of this tribal group, the seats may seem to quiver during an especially dramatic sequence. At times, sounds reverberate between the theater walls as the film “moves” around you.
In the first exhibit area, visitors encounter projections of realistic waterfalls that slip between tall sculpted “boulders.” Older kids and adults can read an illuminated script at various “stations.” Younger children will be especially delighted by life-size versions of the area’s animals, particularly sheep and coyotes.
In addition to exhibits featuring the tribe’s famed baskets, other areas display textiles, art and carved stone. In one corner, a series of monitors display brief videos of Agua Caliente tribal members. They tell their own stories in their own words. Another corner displays historic artifacts (some judged to be 6,000 years old) that were found during the plaza’s construction. Museum guides are on hand to answer questions and provide security for the museum space.
Visitors also encounter large wall panels that describe some of the discrimination faced by these early residents. Other panels note how cultural traditions, once nearly erased, are having a comeback in renewed interest among the younger generation in the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
Visitors will also learn about changes in tribal living conditions since the advent of Indian casinos (in fact, there’s an Indian-owned casino located just a stone’s throw from the plaza).
In this way, the museum tackles both the “bigger picture” as well as the individual stories that represent how the Agua Caliente have influenced this community over time. “This is our own story, in our own voice,” says an inscription by the current tribal chairman.
Museum Store Is Must-See Attraction
Whether or not you are interested in the cultural museum, the museum store (found via the same entrance as the museum) is a must-see attraction. The museum’s website puts it best: “a rich, immersive experience into the history, heritage and contemporary lives of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.” Each item here is carefully selected for its contribution to the spirit of Indigenous resilience and heritage. You can enter the store without paying museum admission.
All of the items are handcrafted by tribal artists, ranging from art and jewelry to blankets, hats, books and food. More than 160 Native American artists and businesses are featured on the store’s walls and shelves, representing artists from Alaska to Minnesota, and beyond. Parents and grandparents will find a whole section of books, dolls and such that are intended for young children.
Tips on Visiting the Cultural Center
Tthe museum is open daily (except on Mondays, when the museum is closed). Hours are 10am – 5pm. The museum is located at 140 N. Indian Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. Admission is $10 for adults, with special rates for seniors and children. Active duty and retired US military are admitted free. Although walk-in visitors are welcomed, advance ticket purchase for timed entry is suggested during the area’s busy seasons. (Please note that this is a popular rainy-day attraction, and plan accordingly.) Prepare to arrive about 15 minutes prior to your entry time for check-in. Final tickets are issued at 4pm. It takes about 1-2 hours to see everything in the museum, adjoining photo gallery and store.
Parking is plentiful, either in parking spots surrounding the cultural plaza or in nearby downtown lots. Handicapped parking is available, although these spots fill up quickly. For more information, visit aguacalienteculturalplaza.com.
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is an historic Palm Springs-based federally recognized Native American tribe with more than 500 members. The tribe is steward to more than 34,000 acres of ancestral land. The cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Rancho Mirage as well as portions of unincorporated Riverside County span the boundaries of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation.