Free Things to Do in Palm Springs That Still Feel Like a Treat

The best free things to do in Palm Springs are VillageFest on Thursday nights, free Thursday evenings at the Palm Springs Art Museum, the Walk of Stars, a self-guided mid-century architecture drive and the trails that start right behind downtown. Mix a few of these into your Palm Springs weekend getaway and spend the money you saved on a better suite. Here's the local list, with timing tips so you don't end up on a hiking trail at 2PM in July.

What are the best free things to do in Palm Springs?

1. VillageFest on Thursday night

Every Thursday, a street fair takes over Palm Canyon Drive at Tahquitz Canyon Way with more than 150 vendors, local art, food and live music. It runs 6PM to 10PM from October through May and 7PM to 10PM in summer. Walking it costs nothing. Leaving without buying earrings is harder.

2. Free Thursday evenings at the Palm Springs Art Museum

The museum at 101 Museum Drive is free on Thursdays from 5PM to 8PM. It's the easy pairing with VillageFest: art first, street fair second, dinner third.

3. The Walk of Stars

More than 400 stars line Palm Canyon Drive and the streets around it, honoring the entertainers and locals tied to the city. The self-guided route covers about a mile. Somebody in the group will spend ten minutes looking for one specific name. Let them.

4. Forever Marilyn and Downtown Park

The giant Marilyn Monroe statue now stands in Downtown Park, near the art museum. It's a classic group photo, and it's free. From December through May, the park hosts Rock the Park, a free tribute-band concert on the first Wednesday of the month.

5. A mid-century architecture drive

Start at the Palm Springs Visitors Center, set in the former Tramway Gas Station at 2901 N. Palm Canyon Drive, where the welcome mural out front is a photo stop of its own. Then drive the mid-century neighborhoods: Twin Palms Estates, Vista Las Palmas, Racquet Club Estates and the Movie Colony. Admire from the street. These are people's homes, so no wandering up driveways. If design is your thing, plan around Modernism Week.

6. Window shopping in the Uptown Design District

North Palm Canyon Drive is lined with vintage furniture, mid-century décor and boutiques. Browsing is free. Our Palm Springs vintage shops guide tells you where to start.

7. Backstreet Art District

About a dozen artist-owned galleries and studios share this little district, and it hosts a monthly art walk. Go for the art, stay for the conversations with the people who made it.

Free hikes near downtown Palm Springs

The Museum Trail starts behind the Palm Springs Art Museum and climbs nearly 1,000 feet on a round trip of about 1.7 miles. It's steep, it's short and the view of the valley at the top is the payoff. The South Lykken Trail starts in the south end of town near Mesquite Avenue and Belardo Road and gives you mountain and valley views without a long drive.

For something wilder, Whitewater Preserve, a short drive west of town, is free, with trails and picnic spots. Our easy hikes guide has more options.

Two rules. Start early, because summer afternoons often top 100 degrees. And leave the dog at the hotel, because city trails don't allow dogs, to protect the bighorn sheep.

Cheap things to do in Palm Springs

A few favorites aren't free but cost about as much as a smoothie:

• Palm Springs Vintage Market: Usually the first Sunday of the month from fall through spring. Entry is $10 for the early hour and $5 after 8AM.

• Moorten Botanical Garden: A small admission for a big cactus collection. See our Moorten Botanical Garden guide.

• Free tennis and pickleball: Public courts at Ruth Hardy Park and Demuth Park.

What's free at The Muse

Here's the part we like best. A stay at The Muse comes with the courtyard pool, a six-person hot tub, an outdoor fireplace and the pergola swings, plus grab-and-go breakfast from Aspen Mills, parking and Wi-Fi. That covers most of a Saturday.

On clear nights, the fireplace is where the group recaps the day. For dark-sky spots outside town, try our stargazing guide.

A small hotel with a very good pool.

When is the best time for free things to do in Palm Springs?

October through May, when evenings are mild and VillageFest runs on its longer hours. Summer still works if you flip the day: hike at sunrise, pool through the afternoon, art museum and street fair after dark.

Free things to do in Palm Springs FAQ