Step inside Little Tuscany, one of Palm Springs’ most architecturally diverse and visually dramatic neighborhoods, during this special Modernism Week tour featuring six exceptional private residences. Nestled against the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains and the massive boulder formations of Chino Canyon, the neighborhood offers an extraordinary combination of architecture, landscape and sweeping desert views.
Tracing its beginnings to the 1930s, Little Tuscany evolved into an important setting for architectural experimentation and Desert Modernism. This tour explores that evolution through residences spanning more than six decades—from a rare 1939 Streamline Moderne home and a restored 1954 post-and-beam residence to later modern and contemporary interpretations of desert living.
Featured architects and designers include James Cioffi, Duane Smith of Hundred Mile House and Lance O’Donnell, AIA, whose work demonstrates the remarkable range of architecture found throughout the neighborhood. Among the highlights is an award-winning Lance O’Donnell residence that incorporates passive solar design, cross-ventilation, deep overhangs and floor-to-ceiling glass, earning prestigious LEED Platinum certification.
Throughout the tour, guests will experience walls of glass, soaring ceilings, open living spaces, native stone, dramatic mountain views and seamless indoor-outdoor connections—all illustrating how generations of architects have responded to Little Tuscany’s extraordinary desert setting.
Together, these six residences reveal a neighborhood where Modernism is not simply preserved, but continues to evolve. Little Tuscany: Architectural Icons in the Hills celebrates the architecture, innovation and enduring spirit of Modern Desert living.
Continue the Little Tuscany experience! Following the home tour, a special cocktail party will be held from 4:00–6:00 PM at one of Little Tuscany’s spectacular private residences. This is a separately ticketed event and requires an additional ticket purchase. Please click here: “Little Tuscany: Cocktails in the Hills” for activity details and tickets.