this is the headquarters for high desert test sites, an organization that supports experimental art…read morethat engages with the local environment within a short stretch of intimate and diverse desert communities that include joshua tree, pioneertown, wonder valley, yucca valley, and twentynine palms. high desert test sites generates physical and conceptual spaces for art exploring the intersections between contemporary art and life at large. these works are scattered througout the desert and there are both fleeting and long-term experimental projects in the roster of work produced. inside the headquarters you can pick up a free detailed map to several of the permanent installations in the area and it came quite in handy during our desert explorations. the map provides some excellently written directions- some of the sites are located off the grid in places that would be hard, if not impossible, to find without their extremely explicit instructions. the headquarters also houses a small archival library and a shop filled with a lovingly curated selection of zines, books, camping/survival gear, gems & minerals, and a variety of artist-made goods. i picked up a piece of green calcite for two dollars and a short field guide to the local night sky. i highly recommended stopping by the high desert test sites hq if you're hanging out in the high desert and want a chance to connect with some spectacular in-situ art works.

****** STORYTIME ******…read more Once upon a time, there was a Heavy Psych Fest that took place at the High Desert Cultural Center. One day, Kimberley decided to buy tickets to the event without knowing what Kimberley was about to get into .. As Kimberley arrived to the event, Kimberley could feel the energy and excitement in the air and the earth moving below her. Clueless Kimberley, having no idea what to expect and no experience with this type of music decided to enter the concert venue anyway, as the tickets were already purchased ahead of time. As the earth rumbled under foot as if the devil was banging on the underbelly of the earth's crust, the first band performed well and was so hardcore that her ears were about to bleed. She tried to position herself as far as possible from the stage and brace herself on a building so as to prepare the body to enjoy it, but it was just too much for her. She decided to stick around for a little while longer to see if the other bands would be any different. Unfortunately, they weren't. They were even more hardcore than the first band. Kimberley felt like she was in a warzone, and her body couldn't take it anymore. She looked around and noticed that everyone was wearing black and she was the only person that was wearing white. She took that as a sign .... She left the event after only 30 minutes. As she walked out of the venue, she couldn't help but laugh (and cry) at herself for not researching the type of music that would be played at the event before buying the tickets. She realized that she had made a mistake and learned a valuable lesson. From that day forward, Kimberley makes sure she watches a few youtubes about the events and the artists before purchasing tickets to any musical event or show. She certainly doesn't want to find herself in another situation like the Heavy Psych Fest at the High Desert Cultural Center and be the only person who didn't "get the memo" !

This place has been here forever. Cannot believe that I'm the first one to review it! Full…read moredisclosure: my wife's grandmother was a "patroness" of the theater when in started. Along with Copper Mountain College when it started, years ago. I should have reviewed it sooner, myself. Anyway...we have been to two performances. Both were top-notch and surprisingly well done! Surprising, because of the modest ticket prices. It is well attended and a lot if fun. Highly recommended by me. A little champagne before the shows start. Everything is right here! Reasonable, and close to home. Get out, get some tickets, and partake in what little culture there is out here in the beautiful desert. We are fortunate to have a gem like this and it deserves our support. Community support. Attendance, and $$, is what it takes to keep the lights on!!! And, you don't need to get out your theater attire. The dress is casual!

We stopped here after our trip to Joshua Tree…read more Free entry. The museum is well maintained and staffed. There's a rock section that my son loved. They also had mounted bugs from the region. The highlight was the live little animals. I believe they have demonstrations. When we walked in a staff member was explaining fossils to a group of kids. Lots of parking available.

I am always so happy to discover little museums in an area that we are exploring! They were so…read morewonderful and welcoming here, the entrance is free, but donations are suggested. They even have a small gift shop and events throughout the year so you can have fun and explore. Plenty of easy parking and it wasn't too busy, highly recommended for a fun outing with children.

I love this studio so much. I had been here a few times many years ago when I lived in Echo Park. I…read morewas so excited to see that they had moved to the high desert. I immediately signed up for the lovely two week deal and got to try each instructor; everyone is wonderful and very tentative to detail, I have never felt looked over in any of my classes. The studio is clean and very inviting, the class sizes are small and they have everything you could possibly need to comfortably perform Pilates at any level. It's so easy to book your classes online. You'll fall in love with this little Pilates community.

Absolutely love this place. I take the dance classes and these are my favorite ballet classes. The…read moreclasses are usually on the small side so it's almost like getting private lessons. Amanda is awesome and her love of dance shines through. This is a more relaxed place that is perfect for the adult dancer returning to dance years later. A real gem with a great vibe. The owner is very nice as well.

Jason was very friendly and helpful!…read more I bought one postcard stamp with loose change and he was nice about it! He even mailed it for me, I didn't need to put it in the mailbox myself. And also lots of parking! It is a small space inside if you need a specific service. But it was comfortable enough for me to write my card on the side counter.

Caring employees small busy office but always take the time to help. Iris is amazing.read more

This is a cute little mini museum; but not a museum with a lot of history or diarama's…read more This museum includes a jam packed display of crochet pieces in an old photo developing booth. Admission is free and visiting is really so novel. I do crochet, and do a lot of other creative crafts and was so excited for my nerdy heart to visit the museum. If you visit their website you will also see that it's the "museum seen around the world" with photos of it popping up in airports around the world because it was featured in and HSBC advertisement. So if you like to create, or you like unique roadside attractions, be sure to visit The World Famous Crochet Musuem. The cool thing too, there are other things to see and shop at the same location in Joshua Tree. The area is really neat, and a place to add to your bucket list.

When you are in the middle of the desert, you never know what quirky and unique places you might…read moreencounter. I spent my birthday here in Joshua Tree and when I travel I often look up places to visit which are unusual for the area. This little place popped up and I knew I had to visit. This is an old converted drive thru Fotomat kiosk like they used to have that was deserted and sat on the highway for many years before it was moved and transformed into this museum. It houses a large and uncounted collection of colorful crochet items. Shari Elf is the artist and has collected all these whimsical pieces. From animals, dolls, food and other characters there is a lot to take in. It is very eclectic and cute. Shari is known as the "Art Queen" and she also has a gallery of art. She asks you not to touch, just look. Donations are accepted via Venmo. This area also houses other small businesses worth exploring.

The best church in town! Solid, Bible believing, sanctified living, (though still full of…read moreimperfect people!), sacrificial giving...in a word, Home! Pastor Watkins is a kind, compassionate, talented, focused individual who lives his life for his Lord, and gives his life for his church family. Perfect opportunities to grow and to minister, to be a part of something more than a social club. Come check it out!

Friendly believers, made me welcome as a visitor, nice book store, sing the old hymns, & use the…read moreKing James Bible.

Just took a Joshua Tree morning tour with Wendy. She was excellent and patient with my family…read more Since we got into the park a little after 8am, we were constantly ahead of the crowds. Overall we really enjoyed our experience and would highly recommend using them. And we paid about $100 per person for a private morning tour. That's pretty good value IMO! The selection of different activities was very low but that was because we booked the busiest time of the season, and only about 3 weeks ahead of time. Booking process was very smooth. The only issue I had was they were unresponsive to any type of communication beforehand. After I booked online, I wrote them and email asking for confirmation, as well as called them and left a voicemail. I received no reply. I almost thought I might have been scammed! Thankfully that wasn't that case.

We had a tour scheduled with a different company and they cancelled on us at the last minute…read more Joshua Tree Excursions put together an awesome private tour for our family of 9 at the last minute. The hike was beautiful and our tour guide Zarrin was so kind and knowledgeable. He was patient and instructional in helping the 4 kids we had with us as they explored the boulders. The owner, Sunflower, went out of her way to make sure everything about the day went perfectly. Highly recommend!

went here on a trip to joshua tree because we drove by it on our way to our airbnb. it was so fun…read moreand such a great way to start our trip. admission was $15 i believe, which i think is a great price for no time limit, especially knowing their profits are going towards helping the cats! all of the cats are clearly so well loved and were super fun to pet and play with. they also give you cat treats and a cat toy to play with them! i enjoyed their gift shop on the way out and got some handmade items! i would definitely stop by here on your trip to joshua tree!

Note: this review is based on just spending time with the cats, not based on the adoption process…read more Cuuuuute place!! The price to spend (AN UNLIMITED) time with the cats is $13, which is a GREAT deal compared to the other cat cafes I've been to in LA or San Diego! The cats are well cared for, and the workers are very attentive, making sure to keep an eye on both you and the kitties during your visit. You are allowed to pick up the cats and snuggle as long as you are being mindful of the cats' comfort and body language- another difference between this cat cafe and the others I've visited. This place is also a nonprofit so anything you purchase goes towards caring for the cats, and all of the little knickknacks they have for sale are pretty cute and reasonably priced too! Please give this place a visit and support the kitties! A good amount of them love the attention and are well-socialized!

What a gem! Sacred sands is a beautiful and relaxing boutique hotel near Joshua Tree National Park…read more My boyfriend and I came here for a weekend trip a couple of weeks ago. We only stayed for one night but we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Check-in instructions were sent via email and there's a code to unlock the room. The grounds are very pretty, perfect for a desert wedding or party. There are great views all around and there aren't any neighbors nearby. It looks like they own a lot of acreage nearby. The room we stayed in was the Onyx room. It was beautifully and thoughtfully decorated. There are lots of nice additions in the room to ensure you enjoy staying in from wine glasses, a wine fridge, record player with a record collection, bath salts, star gazing area outside with a mattress, and comfy robes and slippers to use during your stay. If it were warmer, I definitely would've tried out the outdoor tub and shower but it was too cold at night to even think about it. There's also a large community pool in the works. As mentioned earlier, this hotel is about a mile from the NP so it's an excellent choice for anyone going there. It's also not too far from town so you're not too far from stores and cafes. I am definitely planning on staying here again!

We loved it here! Incredibly relaxing, peaceful. Gorgeous decor and a very handy location…read more Well-appointed rooms, with a nice mini-fridge and pod-based coffee maker. Comfortable and beautiful outdoor sitting areas. It was so quiet here in the middle of the week. We could just lie outside on the patio bed and look at the stars. We will definitely be back! The sooner the better!