November 3rd, 2023 Marked the Grand Opening!
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians enjoyed a wildly successful Grand Opening of the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza and Museum on Friday, November 3, 2023.
The opening on the sacred site marked one of the most important moments in the modern history of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
Owned and operated by the Tribe, the 5.8-acre Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza, in the heart of downtown Palm Springs, celebrates the Agua Caliente people’s history, culture, and traditions. It features the new Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, The Spa at Séc-he, which celebrates the Tribe’s ancient Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring, a Gathering Plaza, and the Oasis Trail.
“The Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza provides an incredible opportunity for us to share so very much with this community and visitors from around the world,” Tribal Chairman Reid D. Milanovich said. “Each federally recognized Tribe throughout this country has its distinct culture, including traditions, languages, historical clothing, housing styles, food and medicine preparation. We want to share our culture with visitors in our authentic way. This is our story, in our voice. We are here today just like we have been since time immemorial.”
Inspiration for the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza design is rooted in Agua Caliente stories about such things as basket weaving, pottery (ollas), and bird songs. The design also draws from desert landscapes, rock formations found in Indian Canyon, the Tahquitz Canyon Waterfall, and the Washingtonia filifera palm trees — the only palm tree native
to the California desert.
JCJ Architecture of Phoenix, Arizona, was the project designer. Their design concept for the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza reflects the Tribe’s values and ongoing commitment to its people.
The Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza includes outdoor areas such as the Gathering Plaza which is adjacent to the Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring, and the Oasis Trail, which mimics the distinct character and beauty of nearby Tahquitz Canyon. Both Tahquitz and Indian Canyons were ancestral homes of the Agua Caliente people.
The new Museum is approximately 48,000 square feet and features permanent exhibition space dedicated to the history and culture of the Agua Caliente people. In addition, there is a changing gallery, an educational classroom, a teaching garden, and a meeting/event area. The Museum Store showcases art, jewelry, and other products sourced directly from Native American artists and businesses nationwide. The museum’s Creation Migration Theater welcomes guests with a 12-minute, 360-degree animation of the Tribe’s creation story.
The Spa at Séc-he, which opened earlier this year, includes more than 72,000 square feet to celebrate the ancient healing waters of the Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring with treatment rooms, men’s and women’s bathhouses, a tranquility garden, a salon, fitness center, outdoor pools, and health-forward dining. The water from the Agua Caliente Hot Mineral Spring is estimated to be over 12,000 years old and is unique as it contains a mineral makeup that has not been found anywhere else in the world. The Tribe has shared the healing water with visitors for over 130 years. This new Spa is the fifth bathhouse or Spa at the site, with the first one operating in the late 1880s.
Building upon the traditions of the Agua Caliente people and the world-renowned natural features of their ancestral lands, the new Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza encompasses a wide range of experiences and learning opportunities that convey the values and legacy of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
Visit www.aguacaliente.org to register!
