The Oasis

In 1924 construction begin on a hotel for Pearl McCallum McManus, a tribute to her father who was the first white settler in the area. The Oasis Hotel would set a new standard. She hired Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright, to design a building in the moderne style of the 1920s with distinctive decoration impressed into the slip-form concrete.

Wright was known for his modernist buildings, and the hotel was a decade or more before its time. It became the showpiece of the town boasting the first swimming pool. Wright used stacking geometric concrete blocks to build the individual units, which were clustered around open courtyards. The glass-walled dining room was built around existing cottonwood trees, with their limbs seeming to grow right into the building. 

The Oasis Museum is a section of the 90-foot dinning hall relocated to this location. You can still see the Wright-designed intricate scissor-truss roof inside.

Both Wright and McManus revered the land so a tree bolted through the ceiling.

Trini Lopez Exhibit

Today we are proud to house the Trini Lopez Exhibit at The Oasis. Trini, a musical legend sang his way out of the Texas ghetto to find himself hanging with the Hollywood elite. Of Mexican heritage, at a young age his parents instilled in him a deep appreciation for music and culture and Trini began playing the guitar, a gift from his father which would lead him on his journey to stardom.

Mentored by Buddy Holly and Frank Sinatra, he was perhaps best known for his 1963 cover of "If I Had A Hammer" originally written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays. With Trini's spin it took off, selling over one million copies and awarded a gold disc.

If you don't know who Trini Lopez is, you are in for a treat. Lopez a longtime resident of Palm Springs sadly died in 2020 from complications of COVID-19, but his story is inspiring. The award-winning documentary film "My name is Lopez" plays on a loop so you can see his life unfold on screen.

Personal items will be on display accompanied with great stories. Trini broke barriers for Latin artists. Lopez recorded more than 60 albums, performing globally, and was a popular headliner in Las Vegas, leaving an indelible mark on the music world.

Come learn more about the music legend and see for yourself.

Check out the Cocktail Party during Modernism Week

Hours Open: 
10:00am - 3:30pm - Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Closed on Tuesdays 
Sunday 12:00pm - 3:00pm

Free admittance
Free parking behind museums