LA QUINTA MUSEUM

Preserving the past, enriching the present, and enhancing the future for all generations.

About The La Quinta Museum

The La Quinta Museum showcases La Quinta’s history and cultural arts through displays on two floors. There is a diorama of a Cahuilla Indian village and another depicting native animals. Photos of the early resorts remind us of the attraction of the desert early on. The community room exhibits a 32-foot long mural of La Quinta highlights painted by Andre Blanche.

The La Quinta Museum is a Cultural Museum with two exhibit galleries. Gallery 1, located on the 2nd floor, is local history featuring the Cahuilla Indians, The Desert Club, and The La Quinta Hotel. Gallery 2, located on the 1st floor, features new revolving exhibits that change every three to four months.

La Quinta Museum EXHIBITS

Community Room

Mural by André Blanché (part of the La Quinta Art in Public Places program). Dorothea Lange photo gallery of Coachella Valley images.

The Story of La Quinta

Enjoy our newly expanded local history exhibit! Dive into the stories of our city, from the original stewards of the land, the Cahuilla, to the homesteaders, ranchers, and dreamers looking for a desert oasis.

She Sang Me A Good Luck Song: The California Indian Photographs of Dugan Aguilar

June – September 2025

This exhibition reveals the richness and vibrancy of Native California cultures, featuring the works of Dugan Aguilar (Mountain Maidu/Pit River/Walker River Paiute). Aguilar, a well-known photographer of Native life, spoke his heart through his photography. Aguilar’s photos defy the romanticized and melodramatic images by which Native people are often depicted. Ranging from portraits of military veterans, basket makers, and dancers to meditative landscapes, Aguilar’s work documented—and contributes to—the perseverance and renewal of Native California’s living, vibrant cultures.

She Sang Me A Good Luck Song: The California Indian Photographs of Dugan Aguilar is a partnership with Exhibit Envoy, Heyday Books, and the Native Fund, curated by Theresa Harlan and artist Dugan Aguilar.

Spotlight exhibit in our Local History gallery:

Wish You Were Here!

See La Quinta through the lens of vacationers and road-trippers discovering the wonders of the desert, as we take a look at the postcards in the collection of the La Quinta Historical Society.

Programs & Events

For the full complement of exhibits and programs, please visit the La Quinta Museum Facebook Page.

Take a Break with Huell
July 15
Sketchbook Journaling
July 18
Friday, July 18, 1-3 p.m. Sketchbook Journaling Get in touch with your inner artist with sketchbook journaling. Basic supplies provided. (Please note: Sketchbook Journaling will not be held on Friday, July 4, as the Museum will be closed for Independence Day.)
Mindful Art Workshop
July 19
Saturday, July 19, 1-3 p.m. Mindful Art Workshop Unwind your mind as we try out meditative art together. This intuitive art practice emphasizes the process of creation rather than the final product, encouraging mindfulness and focus on the present moment. Supplies provided.
STITCH
July 22
Tuesday, July 8 & 22, 1-3 p.m. STITCH Fiber Arts Group Bring your fiber project, meet with friends old and new, share what you’ve been working on, and get inspired for your next project.
Summer Family Fun: Indoor Bird Watch!
July 26
Saturday, July 26, 1-3 p.m. Summer Family Fun: Indoor Bird Watch! Join us in the Mural Room to meet the Bird Ambassadors from Avian Behavior International!
Take a Break with Huell
August 19
FIND MORE LA QUINTA EVENTS

THE La Quinta HISTORICAL SOCIETY

La Quinta Museum
La Quinta Museum

The La Quinta Historical Society is a volunteer, nonprofit service organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich multi-cultural history of La Quinta through:

La Quinta Historical Society strives to touch all ages from youth to seniors, socio-economic and multi-ethnic groups, community residents and area visitors, in an effort to link the present, the past, and the future with the treasured history of La Quinta.

For information:

GET IN TOUCH

Have a question? Ask someone at the Museum!

Museum Contact Form

For La Quinta Museum questions or inquiries, please fill out the form below.

Contact

77885 Avenida Montezuma
La Quinta, CA 92253

Phone: (760) 777-7170

Hours

Tuesday – Saturday:
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Sunday & Monday:
Closed

ONLINE

La Quinta Museum
La Quinta Museum

View the Free Visitors Guide to La Quinta

VIEW OUR FREE VISITORS GUIDE

See why LQ is truly the Gem of the Desert. Check out places to eat, shop, and play. Download the guide today.