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Palm Springs, California has been a hot destination since the early 1900s when visitors and many movie stars flocked to the area for the privacy and health benefits of the desert. Today people still gravitate to this sunny destination, especially in the winter.

Many guides to the best things to do in Palm Springs focus on the surrounding area or at least places you need a car or a taxi to visit. This post only includes the best things to do in downtown Palm Springs and the surrounding neighborhoods. Whether you are visiting without a car or prefer walking, you’ll be happy to know you can do everything in this post without a car.

This desert resort city is like no place else I have visited. It wasn’t ever on my radar, but I am so glad I visited. The mid-century modern architecture along with all the pops of color make Palm Springs such a fun place to walk around in and explore.

Fun Things to Do in Downtown Palm Springs

1. Stroll Around Downtown

This is one of the most obvious things to do in downtown Palm Springs, but also one of the best. Walk north on S Palm Canyon Drive from Ramon Road through downtown and all the way north on N Palm Canyon Drive to W Vista Chino. The 2 mile walk will take you through the heart of downtown and uptown. I recommend walking up one side of the street and walking down the other.

The Palm Springs Walk of Stars is the city’s version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Walk of Stars honors famous people and notable residents. With over 400 stars they cover quite a few blocks in downtown and uptown. Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, and Ginger Rogers are among the famous stars.

2. Check Out the Street Art

As you walk around you’ll notice all the street art scattered around downtown and uptown. Make sure to veer off the main road onto Museum Way to see the art in front of the Palm Springs Art Museum. You can’t miss Marilyn Monroe!

3. See How Many Painted Benches You Can Find

Murals are really big these days and you’ll see a few around town, but not as many as other cities.

That doesn’t mean Palm Springs is lacking in artwork. On almost every block you’ll see painted benches. Look for the bacon and eggs bench. Of course the food related bench is my favorite!

4. Browse the Art Galleries

Uptown is full of art galleries that include everything from fine art paintings to unique retro art.

Two of my favorite galleries were Nat Reed and Shag. They are both southern California artists that paint retro-inspired scenes that are mostly set in the southwest.

5. Visit the Palm Springs Art Museum

One of the best things to do in downtown Palm Springs is visit the city’s most popular museum, the Palm Springs Art Museum. The main collection includes modern and contemporary works of art. There’s also Native American art and artwork from the West. Don’t miss the outdoor sculpture garden on the ground level.

On Thursdays the museum has free admission. This isn’t a secret though. Expect a lot of people in a mid-sized museum. The Thursday night I visited had blaring, live music. It wasn’t quite the relaxing museum experience I prefer, but I could see how it would be popular for a social night out.

The Architecture and Design Center is also part of the museum. It requires a separate admission and is located on the southern end of downtown.

6. Shop the Boutiques

Along Palm Canyon drive is a mix of stores. Upmarket chain stores like Sephora, Kiehls, Francesca, and West Elm are found alongside souvenir shops and boutiques.

I love the local stores like Peepa’s that sell Palm Springs goods with that awesome mid century modern vibe the city is so known for.

Just Fabulous is another fun store to browse. Head out the back door to the Corridor Courtyard when you are done shopping. The courtyard is easy to miss if you are walking along N Palm Canyon Drive and don’t go into one of the stores or food places that lead out to this lovely garden oasis.

Shop Trina Turk’s colorful styles at her first retail boutique right in Palm Springs. Then see her house in the Mesa neighborhood on the Hidden Paradise tour described below!

7. Learn about Palm Springs at the Historical Society

The McCallum Adobe museum is a small, free museum downtown. It briefly covers the history of the first Native Americans and pioneers in the area. There’s also a wall of notable people who have visited Palm Springs. The rest of the space is dedicated to temporary exhibits related to the city.

Plus it’s a nice indoor activity if you have one of the few rainy days like I had one day.

8. Explore the Past on a Walking or Bicycle Tour

The historical society also offers paid walking and biking tours. Multiple tours take place in different neighborhoods and focus on various topics. Most tours are about the movie stars and well known people who have or do call Palm Springs home. They also cover architecture and are full of interesting and historical stories.

The Heart of the City tour takes place downtown. As I had spent a lot of time walking around downtown I opted for the Hidden Paradise tour in the Mesa neighborhood. This neighborhood just south of downtown is easy to reach on foot.

It’s a beautiful neighborhood with interesting architecture and famous residents! You’ll have to take the Hidden Paradise tour to find out whose house is shown in the photo above!

Another option for a tour is the Legends and Icons bus tour. This tour is not run by the historical society, but is a good choice if you prefer not to walk as much. You’ll also be able to see more within one tour.

9. Discover Cacti at Moorten Botanical Gardens

If you take the Hidden Paradise tour in the Mesa neighborhood you will be close to Moorten Botanical Gardens. This little privately owned arboretum is a hidden gem south of downtown.

The small gardens include thousands of varieties of cacti and other desert plants. Pathways weave through the different plants with some descriptions and names. A cactarium holds an assortment of small cacti. Seeing the different varieties up close was fascinating.

There’s also birds, tortoises, mine relics, pottery, and plants for sale. It’s a small place, but very peaceful. There are even a few benches around to take a break and savor the gardens. A restroom is available at the back of the gardens.

10. Eat al Fresco

The only thing better than eating outside on a nice day, is eating outside on a nice day in winter! At the beginning of January, one of my favorite things to do in downtown Palm Springs was dining outdoors. Most restaurants in downtown Palm Springs have indoor and outdoor seating.

Sammy G’s Tuscan Grill is an Italian restaurant. The outdoor seating tucked between the buildings with bistro lighting between the palm trees and a fountain created a lovely romantic feel. There are tableside fireplaces and heat lamps for chillier winter nights. The rich white wine lemon cream sauce over breaded chicken was a delicious entree to enjoy in the ambience.

For brunch visit Wilma and Freida’s. They serve classic brunch dishes including scrambles, sweet dishes, and other savory favorites. I ordered one of the house specialities, the biscuits and gravy that comes with sausage and gravy. As it is also served with a side it is a hearty meal, but it is so good I easily ate it all. Enjoy your meal on the balcony overlooking a little courtyard set back from the main thoroughfare.

11. Lounge Around the Pool

Lounging around your hotel pool is one of the top things to do in downtown Palm Springs. Almost every hotel has a pool. The pools are open year-round, but are packed to the gill during the hot summer months. On warmer winter days you may be able to take a swim as well.

I was drawn to the bright colors at Delos Reyes (pictured above), but I stayed at the Vagabond Motor Inn. While both hotels are south of downtown they are a little cheaper and it’s easy to hop on a bus or walk downtown.

Talking about color, the Saguaro is a bright hotel known for its pool. Kay from the Awkward Traveller gave me a lot of tips before my first visit and she wrote an awesome review of the Saguaro. The hotel is a little further from downtown, but with the free bike rentals you’ll be downtown in no time!

Two other highly rated spots directly downtown where you will enjoy lounging around the pool include Kimpton Rowan and Best Western Plus Las Brisas.

12. Go Back in Time at the Modernism Museum

Out of all these things to do in downtown Palm Springs, visiting the Modernism Museum was the only one I haven’t been able to do yet. You’ll experience mid-century modernism first hand as you walk through exhibits designed to showcase the 50s through the 70s.

From what I understand you’ll feel like you stepped back in time to experience different settings from a beauty salon to a living room. One of the reasons I didn’t visit yet is I think it’s best to visit with someone else and have fun taking a lot of photos. The museum was designed to be very instagrammable!

As you can see there are plenty of things to do in downtown Palm Springs! If this post helped you plan your time in Palm Springs please consider showing your thanks by Buying Me a Coffee!