Palm Springs Modernism Architecture & History Bike Tour
Description
This is a small group 3-hour bike tour of 3 architecturally & historically significant neighborhoods in south Palm Springs. Quiet streets, no hills, constant sunshine, & very little traffic make for a great ride for novices or expert cyclists alike. (This is not an athletic tour, fear not!) We'll explore Deepwell Estates, Twin Palms, & Indian Canyons, making frequent stops for photos & to learn details about specific homes & architects. NOTE: BIKES ARE NOT INCLUDED! Discounted bike rentals at Big Wheel Tours. They have colorful retro cruiser bikes & e-bikes. [ I've designed this tour for serious architecture & history fans, with academic-level information & detail. So, it may not be the most enjoyable tour for some children. ]
Tour Options
Itinerary
We'll visit three distinctive and historic neighborhoods in south Palm Springs: Deepwell Estates, Twin Palms, and Indian Canyons.
Home to many luxury midcentury houses built starting in 1950.
Twin Palms Estates is a historic neighborhood built by the Alexander Construction Company and designed by William Krisel.
Condo community designed by William Krisel in 1961 -- the location where "Don't Worry Darling" was filmed.
More luxury vacation homes, built starting in 1960.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(398)
This tour was so fun! Brennan was fantastic. He took us to some amazing houses and taught us a lot about Mid-Century Modern architecture. The ride was leisurely and the scenery was gorgeous. I cannot recommend this tour enough!
We rented bikes at the Big Wheel store where we met and they were very accommodating, allowing me to choose their only bike with coaster brakes as I wished. The tour itself was so much fun and Brennan was a fantastic guide. He was super knowledgeable and fun. In fact, it was my adult daughter’s second time touring with Brennan and she is the one who recommended it to me.
Do it! This bike tour is a great way to see some awesome mid century modern residential architecture and get a good understanding of the historical influences at various periods. Brennan is an awesome guide . He provides lots of great information about history and design, fun and amusing stories about former and current inhabitants of many of the homes as well as Palm Springs in general. The pace is leisurely Brennan keeps everyone engaged in the conversation. We highly recommend this tour. My husband and I felt it was the best of all the cool things we did in PS over our long weekend.
The tour was awesome. Easy bike rental. Your guide was fun and informative. The ride was easy and the day was beautiful. Highly recommended.
The guided bike tour was warm, welcoming, and highly professional! Brennan is an excellent guide. He provided a wide range of fascinating insights into Desert Modernism, even showing us iPad images of the interiors of some homes. We can only highly recommend this splendid architectural bike tour, beautifully orchestrated by Brennan.
What a great tour! Brennan is incredibly knowledgeable about Palm Springs modernism, and shared his enthusiasm in a thoroughly entertaining way. He augmented his presentation with funny anecdotes and incredible photographs, including the interiors of some of the homes. His depth of knowledge and preparation was obvious. We couldn’t have enjoyed the tour more - learned a lot, and saw a lot of fabulous homes. Bicycles were the perfect way to see the neighborhoods. If you are considering this tour, just go on and book it. You won’t regret it.
Brennan is clearly passionate and knowledgeable about Palm Springs architecture, history, and culture. He was so friendly and willing to answer our many questions. The pace was relaxed but we still saw and learned so much! I’m so glad we did this tour early in our trip! We rented bikes from the bike shops where the tour started. That worked really well. A+ all around!
One of the best things to do in Palm Springs! Don’t miss out on this experience! Brennan was the absolute best! His knowledge of the area and of architecture was amazing!
3hours went by quick! Brennan was charming , witty, and very knowledgeable. Equipped with an iPad to turn history to life!
My husband and I throughly enjoyed our Architecture and history bike tour. Our guide gave us lots of interesting information and made it a very fun day.
