2 Best Sights in Palm Springs and the Desert Resorts, California

This installation of “assemblage art” on a sandy 10-acre tract of land in town honors the work of artist Noah Purifoy, whose sculptures blend with the spare desert in an almost postapocalyptic way. Purifoy lived here for the last 25 years of his life until his death in 2004. He used found materials to create works that highlighted social issues, and his pieces have been displayed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, J. Paul Getty Museum, Museum of Modern Art in New York, and elsewhere.

This world-class art museum, housed in a building by famed architect E. Stewart Williams, focuses on photography, modern architecture, contemporary glass, and fine art. Outside, you're greeted by several large-scale works, including Seward Johnson's 26-foot, 34,000-pound Forever Marilyn statue, which depicts the actress in the iconic, billowing-dress Seven Year Itch pose. Inside, 28 bright, open galleries contain permanent-collection works and photos by such artists as Dale Chihuly, Allen Houser, Deborah Butterfield, Ginny Ruffner, Mark Di Suvero, Julius Shulman, and William Morris. Other highlights include enormous Native American baskets, as well as furniture handcrafted by the late actor George Montgomery.

A 433-seat theater and an 85-seat hall present plays, concerts, lectures, operas, and other cultural events while two gardens are filled with sculptures. There's a great gift shop for classier souvenirs. Free Thursday nights are accompanied by DJ performances. Note, too, that the museum operates a separate Architecture and Design Center ( 300 S. Palm Canyon Dr.), which, coincidentally, is housed within a former savings-and-loan office also built by Williams.