Every September, there are little signs that the Coachella Valley is beginning to wake up from summer. Restaurants reopen, calendars start filling with fall events, and some of our favorite seasonal attractions welcome visitors back.
One reopening we always look forward to is Sunnylands Center & Gardens in Rancho Mirage, which returns from its annual summer hiatus on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
Sunnylands is difficult to describe as simply a museum, garden or historic estate because it is really all three—and quite a bit more. The former winter home of Ambassadors Walter and Leonore Annenberg has welcomed U.S. presidents, British royalty, entertainers, business leaders and international dignitaries since the 1960s. Today, the estate continues to host high-level diplomatic gatherings while opening much of the Sunnylands experience to the public.
For those of us who live in the desert, Sunnylands is also one of those places that reminds you why Rancho Mirage is so special. You can spend a morning wandering through beautifully designed desert gardens, have lunch overlooking the San Jacinto Mountains and learn about some remarkable moments in American history—all without leaving the middle of the Coachella Valley.
If you're looking for things to do in Greater Palm Springs in September 2026, Sunnylands deserves a spot near the top of your list.
Why Sunnylands Is Such an Important Part of Rancho Mirage
To understand Sunnylands, you have to go back to the early 1960s.
Walter and Leonore Annenberg commissioned Sunnylands in 1963 as their winter residence, with the estate completed in 1966. Spread across approximately 200 acres in Rancho Mirage, it became much more than a private desert getaway.
For more than four decades, the Annenbergs entertained an extraordinary collection of guests here, including U.S. presidents, British royalty, celebrities and international leaders. President Ronald Reagan was a particularly frequent visitor, spending New Year's holidays at Sunnylands during every year of his presidency. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited in 1983, while Frank Sinatra and Barbara Marx were married at Sunnylands in 1976.
Its role in diplomacy didn't end with the Annenbergs.
Walter and Leonore Annenberg established a trust with the vision that Sunnylands would continue serving as a private setting where national and international leaders could gather for meaningful discussions. That mission has earned the estate its well-known nickname, the “Camp David of the West.”
One of the best-known modern examples came in 2013, when President Barack Obama met Chinese President Xi Jinping at Sunnylands. The estate continues to host leaders and experts for high-level discussions today.
That's part of what makes a visit so fascinating. You're not touring a historic property frozen in time. Sunnylands remains a working place of diplomacy.
Sunnylands Center & Gardens: The Part You Can Visit for Free
Here's something first-time visitors sometimes don't realize:
You don't need to purchase an estate tour to enjoy Sunnylands.
Sunnylands Center & Gardens is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and both admission and parking are free. Reservations are not required to visit the Center & Gardens.
That makes it one of our favorite easy outings in Rancho Mirage.
The Center & Gardens occupies a 15-acre site adjoining the historic estate. The contemporary Center includes rotating exhibitions, multimedia displays about the Annenbergs and Sunnylands, a café and gift shop. Outside, visitors can wander through beautifully designed desert gardens filled with native and arid-adapted plants.
More than 70 species of plants are represented in the gardens, creating a great example of how desert landscaping can be both water-conscious and visually striking.
There are also several self-guided audio walks available for visitors who want to learn more while exploring at their own pace.
But you don't necessarily need an agenda.
One of the pleasures of Sunnylands is simply walking the paths, finding a quiet bench and taking in the desert landscape and mountain views.
A Local Tip
September in Rancho Mirage is still hot—sometimes very hot.
If you're visiting Sunnylands soon after it reopens, go early in the morning. You'll have a much more comfortable walk through the gardens, the light against the mountains is beautiful, and you can retreat inside the Center as temperatures rise.
Sunnylands also recommends bringing water, a hat and sunscreen when exploring the property.
Touring the Historic Sunnylands Estate
The gardens are worth visiting on their own, but if you've never been inside the historic estate, consider booking one of Sunnylands' guided tours.
This is where you get a much deeper look at the architecture, history and stories behind the property.
Historic House Tour
For the complete Sunnylands experience, this is the tour we'd choose.
The 90-minute Historic House Tour takes just seven guests at a time from the Center to the Annenbergs' approximately 25,000-square-foot midcentury modern residence.
You'll walk through the home while learning about its architecture, art, family history and some of the remarkable people and events associated with the property.
For September 2026, the Historic House Tour is listed at $58.19 per person.
Open-Air Experience
If you're more interested in the overall estate—or would rather not spend 90 minutes on the house tour—the Open-Air Experience is an excellent alternative.
This 45-minute guided shuttle tour travels through the 200-acre estate, exploring its landscaping, outdoor art, golf course and other features, with a stop outside the historic residence.
The September 2026 price is listed at $30.11 per person.
Don't Wait Too Long to Reserve
Sunnylands tours are intentionally small, and the Historic House Tour in particular can sell out.
Tickets for the following month's tours are released online at 9 a.m. Pacific on the 15th of each month. September tickets went on sale August 15. Advance tickets are sold online, while limited same-day tickets may sometimes be available on site.
Tour guests must be at least 10 years old, and the tours are wheelchair accessible.
If touring the house is important to you, we'd recommend planning ahead rather than assuming you'll be able to get tickets after you arrive.
Stop at the Sunnylands Café
Don't overlook the café.
Located inside the Center, the Sunnylands Café serves coffee, tea, sandwiches, salads and snacks, with both indoor seating and an outdoor patio overlooking the surrounding desert landscape.
It's a particularly nice place for a light lunch after walking through the gardens.
There are even a few touches of Annenberg history on the menu, including iced tea prepared in the style Mrs. Annenberg preferred. Seating is first-come, first-served and reservations aren't accepted.
On a cool desert morning later in the season, sitting outside with coffee and the mountains in the distance is one of those simple Greater Palm Springs experiences that's hard to beat.
More Than Gardens: Events at Sunnylands
Another reason locals return to Sunnylands throughout the season is that the experience changes.
The Center & Gardens hosts community programming that can include art workshops, wellness activities, films, music and other special events. Exhibitions and programming change during the season, so it's worth checking Sunnylands' calendar before you visit.
This also makes Sunnylands a place you don't necessarily visit only once.
A morning garden walk can feel completely different from attending a special program or taking friends and family on an estate tour later in the year.
For locals, that's part of its appeal.
Planning Your September 2026 Visit to Sunnylands
If you're adding Sunnylands to your list of Greater Palm Springs events and activities in September, here's the essential information to know:
Reopening: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Location: 37977 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
Regular hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Center & Gardens admission: Free
Parking: Free
Reservations for Center & Gardens: Not required
Historic House Tour: 90 minutes; $58.19 per person as currently listed
Open-Air Experience: 45 minutes; $30.11 per person as currently listed
Pets: Not permitted
Smoking: Not permitted
Because hours, programs, tours and pricing can change, we recommend confirming current details with Sunnylandsbefore making a special trip.
What Sunnylands Tells You About Rancho Mirage
There's another reason we think Sunnylands is worth exploring, especially if you're considering making Greater Palm Springs more than a vacation destination.
It tells you quite a bit about Rancho Mirage itself.
Rancho Mirage has a long history as a desert retreat for presidents, entertainers, business leaders and people who valued privacy without being far removed from Palm Springs. Sunnylands is the grandest example of that tradition, but you can still see the same themes throughout the city today: privacy, architecture, mountain views, golf, landscaped grounds and a quieter style of luxury.
That's part of what distinguishes Rancho Mirage from some of its neighboring desert cities.
Palm Springs has its unmistakable midcentury energy and walkable downtown. Palm Desert has El Paseo, shopping and a central location. Indian Wells is known for resorts and country clubs, while La Quinta combines golf communities with a charming Old Town.
Rancho Mirage has always felt a little more understated.
Some of its best places aren't necessarily the loudest ones.
Sunnylands fits that personality perfectly.
And when you live here, attractions like this stop being something you have to squeeze into a vacation itinerary. They become part of everyday desert life—a morning in the gardens, a film or cultural program, lunch at the café, or somewhere to take visiting friends who have never experienced this side of the Coachella Valley.
That's one of the things we enjoy most about living in Greater Palm Springs. Resort living and everyday life have a habit of overlapping.
Make Sunnylands Part of a Rancho Mirage Day
If you're coming from Palm Springs, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Indian Wells, Cathedral City or elsewhere in the Coachella Valley, it's easy to make Sunnylands part of a larger Rancho Mirage outing.
Start at Sunnylands when the gardens open at 8:30 a.m., especially during September while temperatures are still high. Spend an hour or two exploring the Center and gardens—or longer if you've booked an estate tour.
Afterward, you can continue exploring Rancho Mirage, grab lunch, head toward Highway 111 or simply make your way farther east toward Palm Desert.
Visitors staying in Palm Springs should also know that Sunnylands is only one example of the architecture and history scattered throughout Greater Palm Springs. The Valley's cities may sit side by side, but each has developed its own personality.
Spend enough time exploring them and you begin to understand why many people who originally came here for a weekend eventually started wondering what it would be like to live here.
Welcome Back, Sunnylands
The reopening of Sunnylands on September 9 is one of those small milestones that tells us another Greater Palm Springs season is beginning.
And while its history includes presidents, royalty and international diplomacy, you don't need any special invitation to appreciate what makes Sunnylands remarkable.
Walk through the gardens. Learn about the architecture. Book a tour of the historic estate if you can. Have coffee overlooking the desert. And take a moment to appreciate the fact that one of America's most fascinating private estates sits right here in Rancho Mirage.
Whether you've lived in the Coachella Valley for decades or you're looking for things to do in Greater Palm Springs in September 2026, Sunnylands is well worth rediscovering.
Thinking About Making Rancho Mirage Home?
Places like Sunnylands are part of what makes living in the desert so different from simply vacationing here. Greater Palm Springs offers an unusual combination of architecture, outdoor living, golf, culture, restaurants and resort amenities—all surrounded by some of Southern California's most dramatic scenery.
If you're curious about living in Rancho Mirage or elsewhere in the Coachella Valley, explore our local community guides and current homes for sale to get a better feel for which desert city and neighborhood might fit the lifestyle you're looking for.
