Modernism Week: How to Plan the Tours

The next two Modernism Week events

Modernism Week – October 2026 runs October 15–18. Browse the official October activities and use the organizer-linked October ModTix catalog for individual sessions. Check the date and live availability for each activity.

Modernism Week 2027 runs February 11–21. The organizer lists a schedule preview on October 25, 2026 and a ticket release on November 1, 2026. Recheck the organizer's posted launch time before the release; its current announcement uses a daylight-time abbreviation on the date the clocks change. Follow Modernism Week and its official FAQ for updates.

Your booking calendar

• October 15–18, 2026: choose an available October activity by its exact date and time.
• October 25, 2026: use the February program preview to shortlist activities and map meeting points.
• November 1, 2026: follow the official February ticket release at the organizer's posted time.
• February 11–21, 2027: attend the main festival using the instructions on each individual ticket.

Organizer dates and ticket-release information were checked October 15, 2026. Availability and activity details can change.

How Modernism Week tickets work

Think of it as a collection of separately ticketed activities rather than a single admission wristband. Choose your home tour, guided architecture walk, lecture, film or design event by the specific date and time you can attend. Some popular small-group tours have limited capacity. Buy directly from the organizer or an officially linked provider and read the refund and exchange terms before paying. The official FAQ says event tickets are generally non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

Choosing where to stay

Downtown Palm Springs: convenient for restaurants, evening plans and some cultural attractions. Use the Modernism Week hotel guide or compare downtown hotels. A downtown address does not guarantee every tour starts within walking distance.

Historic Tennis Club and central boutique stays: atmospheric bases for architecture-focused trips, with smaller inventories and room layouts worth checking in detail.

Palm Desert or other valley cities: potential alternatives when your priority is a larger resort or a multi-city itinerary. Match your hotel to the exact tour start locations instead of treating all Greater Palm Springs attractions as downtown.

Compare the total rate including taxes, mandatory fees, parking and cancellation terms. Festival pricing varies by property and date; no generic percentage increase is dependable enough to quote for 2027.

A first-timer's two-day plan

Day one: Do a booked guided tour in the morning; follow with the self-guided Palm Springs architecture route if you want additional exterior viewing. End with downtown dinner and a short stroll rather than scheduling another timed tour immediately after an unknown-length activity.

Day two: Choose a different kind of experience, such as a design talk or museum visit, to balance the home tours. Leave room for traffic and check-in instructions. Some tour meeting points are not at the houses themselves.

If the tour you want sells out

Check the organizer's official calendar for alternatives before purchasing from an unfamiliar reseller. A self-guided tour of publicly visible architecture from public streets is a useful fallback, but respect residents and private property: do not enter courtyards, trespass or treat private homes as open-house events. Our architecture tour is a practical alternative.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming the four-day October preview and 11-day February festival are the same event.
• Booking airfare without checking the actual tour date.
• Assuming a ticket includes multiple tours.
• Assuming every tour departs downtown or every private home is open for entry.
• Waiting for a hotel deal without comparing final, non-refundable totals.

For official changes and tickets, use modernismweek.com.