10 best things to do at Cabot’s Pueblo Museum

Book a tour of Cabot’s Pueblo Museum in Desert Springs, a 30-minute drive from Palm Springs.

Cabot Yerxa was one of the founders of the small community of Desert Springs in Coachella Valley. When he first homesteaded the land in 1913, he discovered both the hot and cold springs on Miracle Hill, later establishing this area as a hot springs resort town.

His constructed his stunning pueblo on Miracle Hill over a 20-year period, and intended it as a museum to house his Native American artifacts and artwork. Cabot had studied at the Academie Julian in Paris in the 1920s, and was an accomplished artist. He also housed visiting artists in his adjacent Studio House.

Cabot left for WWI in 1917, and eventually returned to the desert in 1948 at age 60 to start work on the pueblo. He lived there until his death in 1965, at the age of 81. This 5,000 square foot, 4-story dwelling has 35 rooms, and was built using reclaimed materials from old phone poles and cabins, and handmade adobe bricks.

Tours are available of the living quarters, with the original kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room intact. The rooms are filled with native artifacts and Cabot’s own art. There’s also a gift shop, Cabot’s Trading Post and Gallery, with plenty of local art and books.

Check hours & admission at Cabot's Pueblo Museum.

10 best things to do at Cabot’s Pueblo Museum

1. Start at Cabot’s Trading Post, Gallery, Ticket Office and Visitor Center.

Purchase your tickets at the Trading Post.

2. Book a 45-minute tour of the Cabot's Pueblo Museum.

A tour guide will take you through two levels of Cabot's Pueblo Museum, including the kitchen, living room, dining room, and upstairs bedrooms and living quarters.

3. Learn about Cabot's early life.

Cabot was born on a reservation in the Dakota Territory, selling cigars in Alaska at age 16 during the gold rush, living as a property developer in Cuba, then becoming postmaster in Sierra Madre.

4. Admire Cabot’s original artworks and Native American artifacts.

5. Walk up the hill to the Well House, where Cabot bathed in mineral waters.

6. Wander through the exhibits at the Studio House to learn about Cabot's connections to Hollywood and the nearby celebrity B-H-Ranch.

During the 1940's, celebrities visited Cabot's Trading Post on horseback to purchase items like artworks and jewelry, and observe rattlesnakes in his snake pit.

The B-H Ranch was popular with celebrities, politicians and bankers in the 1940s, and had a pool, cocktail bar, ballroom, tennis courts, badmington and golf course.

7. Wander through the lower courtyard at Cabot's Pueblo Museum.