Coachella Valley Museum & Cultural Center

The Coachella Valley Historical Society was running full force by 1984 due to a dedicated group of valley residents.  They were able to work with the City of Indio to purchase the Smiley-Tyler House and spearheaded the effort to create a museum in record time.  They raised the funds, found the artifacts, and opened on that October.  Long home to the Cahuilla Indians, a new wave of settlers came to the Coachella Valley in the late 1800s along with the Southern Pacific Railroad. Being the halfway point between Yuma and Los Angeles, what is today the city of Indio, was selected by the Southern Pacific as an ideal train stop. From these humble beginnings sprang an entire valley of cities, all of which have their own distinct personality and history. The Coachella Valley History Museum seeks to share the unique history of the desert and the pioneers who forged through the difficult environment to create the home it is to so many today. Since the opening, the museum has been operated by an exceptional group of volunteers.  In the past few years, the museum hired its first professionals from the field who have taken over the reins with the invaluable assistance of the volunteers, some of whom have been with the museum the entire 25 years of its existence.