Outdoor museum, dedicated to showing the work of Noah Purifoy, a late 20th century LA artist who…read morespent the last years of his life on this property, making sculptures out of recycled everyday materials. His workshop and living trailer are still there, surrounded by his artwork. The grounds are unfenced, and there is a dedicated parking area on both side of the dirt ride, towards the West part of the exhibit (coming from the East, important to keep going until you see a small parking area on the south part of the road...otherwise, you will be parking on private property.) You can get up close and personal, and touch whatever you like (since it's part of how the exhibit's age). But it can also be dangerous, with many pokey and sharp things, so need to watch out while wandering. Art is a subjective thing, and I would not have guessed that I would have enjoyed his exhibit as much as I did (especiallyl the exhibits involving bowling balls and/or toilets as the main materials). But as I continued to look at his pieces, kept wondering 'What was he thinking?....How did he envision this would look 20 years after creation, as the desert enveloped?', both from an overall macro level, but also from a detailed, day-to-day accomplishment perspective. The setting of the desert is as integral as the recycled material itself. And I couldn't help but think...'is this what a end-of-the-world scenario would look like?'. And as certain parts of the exhibit degrades, will the foundation fix it...or is that the natural progression of his art? There is a handout near the entrance that tells the fascinating story of the artist's life. It's well worth reading.

This place is awesome! It's an outdoor art gallery of large sculptures and installations out in…read morethe middle of the desert. You have to drive out a little, but it's located in a neighborhood with a couple houses so close by, there are signs telling you it's private property. You can spend quite some time out here, immersing yourself in the artwork. My favorite is the toilet temple. It's built out of toilets, and you can walk through the archway made out of toilets. There are multiple structures built that you can walk through and feel as though you are walking through a place that is forbidden, including a shack, complete with bed and clothes hanging on a line. The artwork spans decades. He's a prolific artist. The majority of the sculptures have cables holding them down, so you have to be careful not to trip on them accidentally when walking up close, I'd you're not paying attention. I highly recommend visiting this place. Admission is free! Parking: Plenty of free designated parking.

What a cool, (well our visit was actually scorching hot), little "town"…read more Basically, a movie set / location out in the middle of nowhere. A place where some of the Cisco Kid episodes were filmed. Gene Autry films. Roy Rogers films. Judge Roy Bean, etc. You get my drift... A dozen or so quaint little shops now line the "street" along with the rather festive "Red Barn Saloon". Also, there is a small "petting zoo" area for the littles to enjoy and ours sure did!'! Fun little excursion minus the excessive heat. Plan accordingly...

Stopped here on our way back from Joshua Tree and so glad we…read moredid. It was as if we had walked into the past! This was a great spot to stretch our legs and walk around looking at all the quaintness! There was a lasso for people to try and hook onto horns. There's also a small petting zoo. Great stop for kids There were restaurants too but we didn't end up eating here. Got some great pictures.

What a fun experience…read more My lady & I enjoy Palm Springs for its many great spots for Dining, Shopping, and History. We visited this museum on Sunday and were greeted very warmly by two young men who were very polite and informative. Amazing to see what Cabot built with all these buildings in the middle of nowhere! I highly recommend this interesting museum.

Despite my frequent visits to Desert Hot Springs, I was unable to explore this museum due to…read morelimited tour schedule. Guided tour times for the main season (October 1 - May 23): 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday. * During the summer (May 27 - September 30): guided tours at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Tuesday through Thursday. I slept until 12pm check out time at nearby hotel and slowly made my way here. Upon entering the trading post to purchase ticket, a gentleman offered me a guided tour, which was to commence in 10 minutes. Though it wasn't in my plan but I eagerly accepted, and we began. Turned out, it became one of the highlight of my trip! Located at above sea The tour started in a small room with public exhibitions providing an introduction to Cabot Yerxa's life, including his discovery of water in the desert with the aid of his Native American friend. As we progressed, I gained a deeper understanding of Cabot's diverse talents as an adventurer, pioneer, and self-made artist, writer, and photographer. The Pueblo house, constructed from entirely recycled materials, showcased his resourcefulness, with each door and window uniquely crafted. Cabot's decision to relocate to Desert Hot Springs was motivated by an offer of 60 acres of land for homesteading. The guided tour provided an intimate perspective, allowing us to step back in time and observe the lives of Cabot and his family. I found myself pondering the type of woman who could complement a man of Cabot's character, and it was revealed that his second wife, whom he met at 60, shared similar interests and assisted him in giving museum tours. in return , he built a room on the 2nd floor for her comfort, it has. Bathtubs , he jokingly said that's probably the only thing that's mail ordered in this house

First time here it's a nice vibe! Staff very friendly! Will definitely come again!!!!read more

Smith's Ranch Drive In brought back so many memories! We were visiting Joshua Tree and found this…read morelittle gem. Everyone there was amazing and we had a wonderful evening under the stars.

This is a cute little mini museum; but not a museum with a lot of history or diarama's…read more This museum includes a jam packed display of crochet pieces in an old photo developing booth. Admission is free and visiting is really so novel. I do crochet, and do a lot of other creative crafts and was so excited for my nerdy heart to visit the museum. If you visit their website you will also see that it's the "museum seen around the world" with photos of it popping up in airports around the world because it was featured in and HSBC advertisement. So if you like to create, or you like unique roadside attractions, be sure to visit The World Famous Crochet Musuem. The cool thing too, there are other things to see and shop at the same location in Joshua Tree. The area is really neat, and a place to add to your bucket list.

When you are in the middle of the desert, you never know what quirky and unique places you might…read moreencounter. I spent my birthday here in Joshua Tree and when I travel I often look up places to visit which are unusual for the area. This little place popped up and I knew I had to visit. This is an old converted drive thru Fotomat kiosk like they used to have that was deserted and sat on the highway for many years before it was moved and transformed into this museum. It houses a large and uncounted collection of colorful crochet items. Shari Elf is the artist and has collected all these whimsical pieces. From animals, dolls, food and other characters there is a lot to take in. It is very eclectic and cute. Shari is known as the "Art Queen" and she also has a gallery of art. She asks you not to touch, just look. Donations are accepted via Venmo. This area also houses other small businesses worth exploring.

I was staying in Twentynine Palms near Joshua Tree last weekend and decided to stop by the…read moreobservatory on a whim around 11 PM with a couple of my friends. Little did we know that this would be one of the highlights of our trip. Not only were the stars beautiful but we met a very nice and passionate scientist who decided to chat with us and teach us all about the constellations. It was such a treat. He and his wife were finishing up and packing away their telescopes and he told us that they were going to lock the gate of the parking lot that our cars were parked in, but let us know that we could move our car right outside of the gate and stay all night if we wanted to because it was open 24 hours. He also warned us about the coyotes and cougars. Coyotes stay away with noise and cougars are attracted to noise, so pick your battle lol. We definitely can't wait to come back! And it's free!

So many different little areas to put your telescope on and check out the stars. This area is just…read morefor getting together with other enthusiasts and checking out the night sky. Love that this was built just for that purpose.

The Sat Nam Fest annual event is actually three different events this review is for Sat Nam Fest…read morewest. The 2013 event was held in Joshua Tree in April (future events may or may not be held in this location or month so keep that in mind) This is a kundalini yoga event par excellence. It is a four day event with three yoga classes daily, vegetarian meals, kirtans, early morning prayer and relevant and related vendors. In addition to all that there are the like minded attendees to connect with. I would highly recommend the event to anyone interested in a complete yoga emersion retreat. We were at about 600 people and this was a two fold increase from the prior year. That means it's sure to sell out next year so bare that in mind as you make your plans.

Shocking! 3rd year, food was the same as last year, same everyday, just a little different , salad,…read moresalad, salad. Need main meal 2 or 3 different seletions, needs fresh juices, fresh fruit, strawberries, blueberries, etc.etc., cottage cheese, kobuchu, fresh squeeze oj, more selection. Tooo many people, tooo noisy!, need Peace! Quite! Classes over flowed too many in a class! Wanted to see kundalini instructors, could not because the time frame . They need to go back to the way they were 3 years ago. Great food, not so many people, and no over lapping instructors. Sat Nam great it together, or we won't be back ! Namaste !

Just next to the crochet museum, good little plaza to look around &/or buy/support small…read moreartist/buisnesses

Love this place. If you like handmade crochet, you'll love this place, too…read more It's right next to the world famous crochet museum, for which the Art Queen is obviously the owner and curator. There are a couple crochet art pieces right outside, along with a table of crochet hats. Yes, I bought one. When you step inside, there's a hanging chair I took a selfie in. Barely made the weight limit. :). The artist's working studio is adjacent to the store. The Art Queen herself. It's quite the eclectic little store. She sells crochet tops, crochet animals, crochet hearts, crochet flowers, and well, you get the picture. Along with that hat, I also purchased a heart, bear face, and a couple flowers. All for $20! What a bargain. I'm surprised I was able to stop myself from buying more. In a trailer across the way, she sells new afghan blankets. Yes, new. Those are also reasonably priced.