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Mid-century modern events As far as annual celebrations of all things mid-century modern go, Palm Springs Modernism Week is not to be missed. Held every February over the President’s Day holiday weekend, Modernism Week celebrates a movement defined by clean lines and elegant informality; think House Hunters meets Mad Men! It’s a 10 day plus event where thousands of enthusiasts Read more...

Mid-century bank buildings Bank design in the post-war years seemed to be about inspiring optimism and consumer confidence. Bigger was better so of course what better place than Las Vegas for these institutions to make their mark. The biggest and boldest designs are listed below in no particular order… click on addresses below for Google Map locations. Nevada Savings & Read more...

Mid-century modern buildings Like the rest of America during the post-war boom years, Honolulu banks and their building headquarters were all about inspiring consumer confidence and optimism. Bold designs capturing the State’s growing presence in the world while looking towards the future. And like most mid-century modern construction in Honolulu, there are lots of banks to choose from so we’ve Read more...

Mid-century modern churches Modernist churches abound in Las Vegas but they don’t all adhere to the typical A-frame design of the period, especially when it comes to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). The following three Mormon chapels and two others are highlighted because of their unique, non A-Frame, mid-century qualities… click on addresses below for Google Read more...

Mid-century churches A good chunk of Honolulu’s modern infrastructure was built during the 1950s and 60s resulting in more modernist churches per capita than most American cities. These places of worship vary greatly in design but have one thing in common; they’re all mid-century amazing! We’ve listed a bunch here (in no particular order) and elsewhere on the See Honolulu Read more...

Mid-century modern buildings Representing the only Statewide system of libraries in the United States, the Hawaii State Public Library System  has twenty-three branches on Oahu and fifty locations in total, with a handful of their modernist buildings still in use. We’ve listed a few of them and will continue to add more when we can …click on addresses below for Read more...

Mid-century modern buildings This simple two-story circular building acted as developer Irwin Molasky’s unique base of operations from where he oversaw the 1960s development and construction of his master-planned community, Paradise Palms, adjacent to the Las Vegas National Golf Course. The round, smoked glass structure – now used for medical offices –  is hard to miss when driving along S. Read more...

Mid-century churches A good chunk of Honolulu’s modern infrastructure was built during the 1950s and 60s resulting in more modernist churches per capita than most American cities. These places of worship vary greatly in design but have one thing in common; they’re all mid-century amazing! We’ve listed a bunch here (in no particular order) and elsewhere on the See Honolulu page. Read more...

Mid-century modern buildings/signs In the post-war years, as more families started traveling the United States by automobile,  Las Vegas proved to be a requisite stop along their way. Clusters of motor courts and motels (motor + hotel) popped up along east Fremont Street and to the north and south on Las Vegas Blvd. to meet the need for inexpensive lodgings. Read more...

Mid-century popular culture Nuclear testing near Las Vegas drew thousands of curiosity seekers to the city in the 1950s and early 60s. The Atomic Age was big business and Las Vegas cashed in with Atomic themed drinks, beauty pageants and flashy marquee signs. Who knew the Atomic bomb could be so much fun? The National Atomic Testing Museum takes a different Read more...

Mid-century modern buildings Part Theater, part Convention Center, part Arena; the Neal S. Blaisdell Center (named for the city’s former mayor, 1955-1969) spans an entire city block and was designed by the architectural firm of Merril, Simms & Roehrig, as well as Adrian Wilson & Associates who designed its Arena. Upon opening in 1964, the Honolulu International Center – as Read more...

Mid-century vintage signs If you’ve ever wanted to get up-close and personal with vintage Vegas neon signery, this is the place to do it. Although there are several restored neon signs on display throughout the downtown Fremont Street area and along North Las Vegas Boulevard as part of the Las Vegas Signs Project and National Scenic Byway, the “Boneyard” is Read more...

Mid-century modern buildings Located at the busy intersection of South Beretania and Pikoi Streets is the unique Occidental Life Insurance Building designed by Lemmon, Freeth & Haines, circa 1951. It’s a beautifully constructed early 1950s low-rise office building made from natural stone, concrete, aluminum and angled glass. Not surprisingly, though, the real attraction is the 1967 addition of a cantilevered Read more...

Vintage restaurants Nothings says vintage Las Vegas like dark wood paneling and shiny brass fixtures, especially if your idea of vintage Vegas is a rat pack-style retro steak house. Fortunately, there are a handful of such places that still exist, the oldest dating back to the 1950s. Listed from ‘less vintage’ to ‘most vintage.’  Click on addresses below for Google Read more...

Mid-century buildings/Vintage Eats Since 1964 the Pagoda Floating Restaurant has been a fixture in the old Pawa’a neighborhood of central Honolulu; a kitschy, mid-century, circular building surrounded by a man-made tropical pond filled with Japanese koi fish and a waterfall. It’s classic Hawaiiana. The Pagoda exudes that authentic, artificial island-style tropical oasis feel – which includes an adjoining hotel with Read more...

Mid-century buildings The Pali Highway, also known as Hawaii Route 61, connects communities like Kailua  and Kaneohe  from the windward side of Oahu to downtown Honolulu. It’s a quick 20-30 minute drive through the Nu’uanu Pali tunnels (built in the 1950s) in either direction. On the way you’ll see a handful of pretty nice modernist buildings in the lush Nuuanu Read more...

Mid-century/desert modern buildings Hidden in plain site, many of Palm Canyon Drive’s mid-century modern commercial buildings are easy to overlook, but if you can see past the “gingerbread” of their contemporary trappings then you’ll notice some pretty innovative work. By no means are these all the modernist buildings in Palm Springs (there’s a lot!), simply a few of our favorites along Palm Read more...

Mid-century art museums Located at the base of Mt. San Jacinto in the heart of downtown Palm Springs, architect E. Stewart Williams designed the Palm Springs Art Museum’s current home, which opened in 1974. Architecturally dramatic and a remarkable example of the evolution of desert modernism (or perhaps, desert brutalism), the 150,000 sq. ft. space holds a diverse art collection that’s filled with Read more...

Mid-century modern architects Taking a page from Hollywood’s playbook – and its Walk of Fame –  in 1992 the city of Palm Springs began honoring those whose contributions and presence in the area contributed to the charm, worldwide prominence and name recognition of the city. Since then, nearly 400 Golden Palm Stars have been embedded in the sidewalks along Palm Read more...

Mid-century/desert modern houses Southern California architects Dan Palmer & William Krisel, who’d successfully built hundreds of mid-century modern post & beam tract homes in Palm Springs during the 1950s & 60s, were tasked by local developer Irwin Molasky  to design a majority of Clark County’s first planned community, Paradise Palms, and they knocked it out of the park. This progressive 1960s subdivision Read more...

Mid-century vintage diners/bars Las Vegas’ original 24-hour coffee shop and ultra lounge has been serving up huge portions and stiff drinks for over 40 years. An offshoot of Reno’s Peppermill & Lounge when it opened across the street from the formerly iconic Stardust Hotel & Casino (rest in peace) in 1972, this place was an instant hit with Strip performers and Read more...

Housing the world’s largest collection of vintage pinball machines under one 10,000 sq. ft.  roof, the Pinball Hall of Fame is really a pop culture museum of sorts showcasing hundreds of machines dating back to the 1950s… and they all work! From classic penny drop machines like “Skill Roll” to the 1960s Apollo space program-inspired “Lunar Shot,” this arcade/museum delivers Read more...

Mid-century/desert modern buildings The desert can be a spiritual place. For modernist architects William F. Cody, E. Stewart Williams, Albert Frey, and others, each borrowed from their surroundings to create unique and inspiring mid-century places of worship, be it from personal inspiration or the materials they used for construction. Corresponding photos are above… just click on addresses below for Google Map Read more...

Mid-century modern buildings Currently known as the Kaheka Professional Center, this modernist mid rise office building at the corner of S. King and Kaheka streets was designed by architect Ernie Hara in 1956 and was Honolulu’s very first curtain wall  structure. Hara breaks up the glass and aluminum facade, though – typical of the International Style – by incorporating sleek, horizontal Read more...

Mid-century/desert modern houses The Alexander Construction Company almost single handedly changed the face of Palm Springs between 1955-1965, building nearly 2,500 post & beam mid-century modern homes and doubling the city’s population in the process. These modern homes have since been dubbed the “Alexanders,” a large portion of which were built near the popular Racquet Club and were spearheaded by architect William Read more...

Mid-century modern buildings The International [Island] Style is on display at the Shinshu Kyokai Mission Dormitory on S. Beretania Street in Honolulu’s old Pawa’a neighborhood. Completed in 1961, this Robert Katsuyoshi designed residential building – which houses students from all over the world – is comprised of an L-shaped rectilinear low rise with wood slat louvered window openings and an Read more...

Mid-century churches A good chunk of Honolulu’s modern infrastructure was built after the Second World War resulting in what seems to be more modernist churches per capita than most American cities. We singled out this big modernist beauty – as opposed to including it in our other [growing] church listings – because it’s so readily accessible to visitors staying in Read more...

Mid-century modern buildings This 12 block area in Honolulu’s Old Town and Chinatown – bordered by N. Beretania, Bishop, Nimitz and the Nu’uanu river – boasts a lot of architecture from the end of the 19th century and is home to a vibrant arts scene including many galleries, restaurants, clubs and theaters. Among the area’s mostly 1 and 2-story commercial Read more...

Mid-century vintage automobiles THIS ATTRACTION WAS CLOSED AS OF JANUARY 2018 Hidden all the way at the back of The Linq Hotel & Casino, up the parking garage elevator to the 5th floor, is the world’s largest vintage automobile showroom… and it’s worth the trip (and $13.00 admission price) if that’s what you’re into. This 125,000 sq ft. space boasts Read more...

Mid-century/desert modern houses Designed by William Krisel (Palmer & Krisel) in the early 1960s for Robert & Helene Alexander of the influential Alexander Construction Co., this luxurious family home was uniquely comprised of 4 floating circular pavilions on three levels under one boomerang shaped roof. State-of-the-art electronics, which would make The Jetson’s proud, were also installed to control indoor/outdoor lighting, temperature and irrigation. Located Read more...

Residential tropical modernism An exceptionally well preserved example of mid-century Hawaiian tropical modernism, the Liljestrand House was designed and built in 1952 by noted Hawaiian modernist architect Vladimir Ossipoff for Betty & Howard Liljestrand and sits on a terraced parcel of secluded forest reserve on Mount Tantalus overlooking Honolulu. Many of the interiors and furnishings were also designed by Ossipoff and have been Read more...

Mid-century popular culture In the early 1950s the Kefauver Committee hearings on organized crime took place in 14 U.S. cities, including  – and especially – in Las Vegas. Hearings were held at the Federal Courthouse and Post Office building, which, although designed in the neoclassical style and not mid-century modern, is one of the few historically significant structures left in Read more...

Tiki Culture/Polynesian Pop For modernists who like to mix a little Polynesian Pop with their desert getaways, Palm Springs has a few Tiki bars that won’t disappoint. Even though they aren’t from the mid-century each boasts enough vintage flair – not to mention potent, colorful cocktails – that it won’t matter what decade you’re in by the end of the evening. Read more...