By Denise Ortuno Neil
Ever since Palm Springs was discovered in the 1853, it has been a source of fascination for both visitors and residents alike. The history of this desert oasis has the makings of a sizzling novel or block buster movie ten times over, and the best part of it is, is that the stories that line Palm Springs past are true. One of the best ways to step back in time is with the many Walking Tours offered by the Palm Springs Historical Society, which have gained phenomenal success since its inception making it a top Palm Springs attraction.
The Palm Springs Historical Society Walking Tours began 4 years ago and was the brain child of long time Palm Springs resident and one their volunteers and now board member Kathy Leonard. Leonard came up with the idea while on vacation in Mexico, visiting the lovely town of San Miguel de Allende. The town offered Walking Tours of their own and sparked an interest in Leonard for her to do the same in her own beautiful town of Palm Springs. When she returned home, she proposed the idea to the PSHS board and they gave her the green light to move forward with the Walking Tour. Leonard sprang into action and research, sifting through the history of Palm Springs creating a script to guide visitors through the past. Leonard was amazed at what her research uncovered about her beloved PalmSprings, “I thought I knew a lot about it, when I actually knew nothing, it’s a learning experience every day,” said Leonard.
The first tour was The Heart of the City tour, which incorporates the Village Green, and goes up to charming La Plaza and works its way up to the Welwood Murray Memorial Library and finishes up at the former spot of the Oasis Hotel. It is a well-rounded tour and gives a solid base of the history of Palm Springs. The tour became an instant success and gave inspiration to create more tours.
The PSHS Walking Tours have grown since it’s humble beginnings 4 years ago and now has a rotation of 19 dedicated docents and offers 8 tours in total including, The Heart of the City, Golden Era of Hollywood Homes in Old Las Palmas, Inns, Architecture & Glamour, Architectural Icons of Fashion & Finance (tour available on request), Mod Goes Mass, Celebrity Homes in Vista Las Palmas, Stars & Star-chitects in Deepwell, The Historic Tennis Club Neighborhood and their newest addition, The Movie Colony “Frank Sinatra’s Neighborhood”. The tours take anywhere from 1 ½ to 2 hours depending on the size of the group and cost $15 per person. The days and times vary for the tours.
The tours have been a great fundraising source for the non-profit organization since the beginning. The tours have allowed them to make much needed upgrades to their museum which is located in the McCallum Adobe, the oldest standing building in Palm Springs built back in 1884 for pioneer John McCallum. The funds have also enabled them to expand the exhibits and have eliminated the entry fee to the museum for visitors. The Walking Tours have been a great benefit for visitors and for the PSHS, “We’ve had so much positive feedback,” said Leonard.
Although the Walking Tour season has come to end for the PSHS in May, they are excited and gearing up for their kick off in mid-October where they will be part of a Modernism Week –Weekend, before resuming their regular schedule at the end of October.
As a PSHS docent myself, I can say that the tours continue to fascinate me every time. It is exciting to see visitors so enamored with the past of our magical city, making each tour given a bit surprising with different comments or questions asked by them, “You never know what’s going happen,” said Leonard.
With the world rushing by in hurried pace, it is more important than ever to preserve our history. For us in the Coachella Valley, the Palm Springs Historical Society is diligently at work to do just that, not only with the museum, but thanks to Kathy Leonard and all the docents, with the Walking Tours as well, allowing us all to take look back in time while strolling down the streets of Palm Springs.
For more information about the Palm Springs Historical Society visit, www.pshistoricalsociety.org
