Celebrate America 250 in Palm Springs

The first visitors arrived in the late 19th century, drawn by promises of warm, dry air and restored health. They built small hotels and inns. The rest followed quickly.

By the 1930s, Palm Springs had become a winter retreat for Hollywood stars and the wealthy, and neighborhoods like the Movie Colony, old Las Palmas, and the Tennis Club quarter were taking shape around that reputation. The hotel you're staying in is part of that era. Designed in 1935, the Movie Colony Hotel was the first hotel Albert Frey ever designed, and for architecture enthusiasts who make the pilgrimage to Palm Springs every year, it remains an important touchstone. Originally known as the San Jacinto Hotel, it became a hideaway for Golden Age Hollywood stars through the 1940s and 1950s. Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, and Jim Morrison all spent time here. The building they knew is still standing.

The postwar years brought a second wave. Between 1945 and 1975, architects like Richard Neutra, Albert Frey, E. Stewart Williams, and Donald Wexler built hundreds of structures here, using geometric lines and sleek facades to reflect the optimism of the era against the desert's open skies. The result was a city that became, in the words of its own cultural identity, the world's mecca of modernism. That reputation has only grown since.

What's happening in 2026

The national America 250 celebration runs July 1 through 5, with fireworks, concerts, and community gatherings across the country, including America's Block Party on July 3rd and 4th. The Coachella Valley marks the occasion with events across multiple cities, from Desert Hot Springs to Palm Desert, so there's no shortage of ways to spend the holiday weekend in the desert.

Beyond July 4th, Palm Springs rewards the curious traveler year-round. The Palm Springs Art Museum, the self-guided architecture tours through downtown, and the historic Movie Colony neighborhood all tell a distinctly American story about design, ambition, and reinvention. The Palm Springs Historical Society, housed in some of the city's earliest surviving buildings including the McCallum Adobe (1884), keeps the deeper history accessible for anyone who wants to go further back than the Rat Pack.

The offer

Movie Colony Hotel is marking America's 250th with 25% off stays of two nights or more, available through the end of 2026. With just 17 rooms, it fills quickly. If a Palm Springs trip has been on your list, this is the year to book it.

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FAQ

What is there to do in Palm Springs for America's 250th anniversary? July 4th celebrations run across the Coachella Valley, and the city's mid-century modern architecture, the Palm Springs Art Museum, and the historic Movie Colony neighborhood are all worth your time.

Is the Movie Colony Hotel a historic property? Yes. Designed by Albert Frey in 1935, it was the first hotel he ever designed and one of the oldest examples of Desert Modernism still operating today.

How far is Palm Springs from Los Angeles? About two hours by car, making it a natural weekend trip or a stop on a longer Southern California drive.