Visiting Sunnylands

About Sunnylands

Walter and Leonore Annenberg's winter estate, with a 1966 pink-roofed house by A. Quincy Jones, has hosted presidents, royalty and summits. The visitor centre and its desert gardens are free to visit, while house tours and longer estate tours are paid and limited in size.

Tip: The free gardens are a calm stop in themselves; the estate usually closes for part of the summer, so check its calendar.

Plan your visit

• Time needed: 1–3 hours.
• Cost: Free — no ticket needed for the main area.
• Book ahead: House tours sell out quickly in winter; book online as soon as tickets are released.
• Where: Rancho Mirage, large spa resorts, golf clubs and the Annenberg estate at Sunnylands.

Best time to visit Sunnylands

To avoid the biggest crowds, aim for the quietest of the good months:

• May: 36°C (97°F) highs, almost no rainy days, moderate crowds.
• October: 33°C (91°F) highs, about 1 rainy days, moderate crowds.
• December: 20°C (68°F) highs, about 3 rainy days, moderate crowds.

When to visit Palm Springs has the full month-by-month picture.

Fit it into your trip

Sunnylands is not on our short itineraries, so plan it as an extra once you have seen Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and Mid-century modern homes drive.

• No. 14 of the 16 sights in our Palm Springs things-to-do list.
• Listed in free things to do in Palm Springs.
• One of the picks in historic sites in Palm Springs.

If you like Sunnylands

• Mid-century modern homes drive — Vista Las Palmas and Twin Palms, 2–3 hours
• Architecture and Design Center — Downtown Palm Springs, 45 minutes
• Palm Springs Visitor Center (Tramway Gas Station) — North Palm Springs, 30 minutes
• Cabot's Pueblo Museum — Desert Hot Springs, 1.5 hours

Staying near Sunnylands

Stay in Rancho Mirage ($$$$) to walk here: large spa resorts, golf clubs and the Annenberg estate at Sunnylands. All areas to stay in Palm Springs.

Questions travellers ask