Come adventure through 1,200 protected acres of desert environments representing North America and Africa. During your visit you will encounter over 500 wild animals, live shows, our children?s discovery center, an animal carousel, tranquil gardens, hiking trails with a view of the San Andreas Fault and our G scale model train.

The Tennity Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center has been open since January 26, 2002. While this state-of-the-art facility was conceived and constructed to bring the highest quality of care to The Living Desert's animal collection, it was also designed with The Living Desert's human visitors in mind. Stop by on your next visit.

The defining precipitation rate for desert is ten inches. Much of the Colorado Desert of southeastern California averages less than four inches of rain in a year.

Plants must find ways to cope with the same daunting conditions that animals face in trying to survive in a desert environment - searing temperatures, desiccating winds, and most important of all - scarcity of life's elixir - water. The challenge is even greater for plants as they are literally rooted to the ground and unable to move in search of more favorable locations when times get tough. Whether it's scorching summer days, freezing winter nights, foraging herbivores or months or even years of rainless drought, desert plants have adapted multiple strategies for existing and even thriving in an arid land.

Become a member today and enjoy free daytime admission to The Living Desert for a full year, with many additional benefits. PLUS your membership supports The Living Desert’s mission of desert conversation through preservation, education and appreciation by providing a reliable source of income that helps us give our animals and gardens the best possible care.

The Living Desert's mission is desert conservation through preservation, education and appreciation.

The Living Desert was established in 1970 by several trustees of the Palm Springs Desert Museum who foresaw the impact that resort development would have on their local desert ecosystem.

For almost four decades The Living Desert has been engaged in the important work of preserving, conserving and interpreting the desert and all its varied plant and animal life. Even as we take immense pride in our accomplishments over the last forty years, we remain as dedicated as ever to the goals that initially inspired us when we first began operations in March of 1970.