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Mid-century modern buildings The Palm Mortuary & Cemetery dates back to the 1920s and has seven locations in southern Nevada. The two rectilinear mausoleums at their downtown Las Vegas location were built in the late 1950s and are gorgeous examples of midcentury modern construction with patterned breeze block screen walls and clean lines. As you enter the grounds, the “Building of Eternity” Read more...
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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...
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Mid-century modern tours For a quick, comprehensive and fun tour of desert modernism at its best, Palm Springs Mod Squad Architecture & Design Tours is perfect for those with limited time … and at a brisk 90 minutes, their Essentials Tour is a great primer on the Palm Springs modernist movement with an emphasis on its architects, Hollywood lineage, and more. Local Read more...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses For a city that’s fond of bulldozing its past, Las Vegas has a surprising number of neighborhoods that have been designated “historic,” and although that doesn’t mean they’re all of the mid-century modern variety – like Paradise Palms – there’s probably enough here to satisfy those with a craving for residential modernism. Listed from west to east… click Read more...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Midcentury Modern Tours If you like the idea of taking a midcentury modern driving tour of Palm Springs’ timeless architecture but would rather go at your own pace, you can either bring Modtraveler.net with you … or check out Modern Tours Palm Springs! Their self-guided multimedia architectural tours require a smart phone (don’t forget your charger!) and can take between Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern buildings Vacation rentals abound in the Coachella Valley and condos are a great option if you’re planning to stay for more than a week at a time. Plus, if you’re looking for a spot that boasts a little more architectural significance (and what self-respecting modernist isn’t?), Palm Springs does not disappoint. Vacation rental condos at the following half dozen Read more...
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Vintage lounges & bars When name-dropping the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Elizabeth Taylor or Liza Minnelli, you’re bound to raise a few eyebrows, but for local hotelier Mel Haber it’s all in a days work. For over 40 years Haber has welcomed guests to his Palm Springs landmark hotel, the Ingleside Inn, which dates back to the 1920s, Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Located northeast of downtown Honolulu, the residential area of Makiki (not to be confused with Makiki Heights) surrounding the Makiki District Park was mostly built up during the late 1950s through the 1970s and is a treasure trove of mid-century tropical modernist low-rise, mid-rise and even high-rise residential buildings by some of Honolulu’s foremost architects. Modernists could easily Read more...
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Vintage eats Luv-It Frozen Custard has been in business and in the same location since 1973! That’s practically historic status when it comes to Las Vegas and its penchant for knocking things down. They offer walk-up counter window service (no seating) and boast the best freshly-made frozen custard we’ve ever had (check their website for the daily specials)… and if you Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Located in the rocky northwest corner of Palm Springs, just south of Chino Canyon on the edge of the Little Tuscany neighborhood, sit half a dozen or so architecturally significant private homes built between the mid 1940s and the late 1960s. Although some of the houses are not as visible from the street as most modernists would Read more...
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Tiki Culture/Polynesian Pop The Tiki Bar and Restaurant at La Mariana Sailing Club has been serving up the best Mai Tai and Zombie cocktails on the island since 1957 and is one the last vestiges of Honolulu’s glory days when Polynesian Pop themed bars & restaurants seemed to be everywhere. Hawaiiana abounds at this tropical watering hole where many of the Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings The 1400 block of Liliha Street – between N. Vineyard Blvd. and Kiapu Place – is a delight of mixed-use and smaller low rise commercial buildings, some dating back to the 1950s. Most have seen better days but the area is definitely worth a look, especially for the modernist library. Listed from SW to NE … click Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings It’s been called the Miracle Mile of the Pacific, a reference to the mid-Wilshire district of Los Angeles where a plethora of deco, streamline moderne and mid-century modern architecture styles have come together over the years. On Honolulu’s tree lined Kapi’olani Boulevard – between Kalakaua and King Streets – there are no less than a dozen modernist structures Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Named for Pittsburgh department store magnate Edgar J. Kaufmann, this “machine in the desert” as it’s been called, was designed by famed modernist architect Richard Neutra as a winter retreat for the Kaufmann family, and completed in 1946. It’s been said that no house at the time had done as much to advance the modernist movement as this one, Read more...
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Mid-century/googie buildings Currently pulling double duty as a Visitors Center and the gateway through which guests can enter the Neon Museum’s “boneyard,” the La Concha Visitors Center started out as the iconic lobby to the La Concha Motel, designed by noted modernist architect Paul R. Williams, in 1961. Its unique design stood out on The Strip during the 1960s-90s where Read more...
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Mid-century buildings Designed in the streamline moderne style by one of the most prolific theater designers of the mid twentieth century, S. Charles Lee, the Huntridge Theater opened its doors in 1944 and was an immediate success, screening movies to the public – in one form or another – for nearly 50 years. Through the 1990s the theater was supported Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Designed by noted modernist architect Vladimir Ossipoff for computer giant IBM in the early 1960s, this iconic building exudes tropical modernism primarily because of its unique precast concrete honeycomb facade; a brise soleil designed to keep the structure cool as well as to look like the automated punch cards synonymous with the computer industry at the time. The building Read more...
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Mid-century buildings Built in 1954 for the famed Holsum Bakery, this historic property is actually comprised of 3 separate yet connected buildings and was completely renovated in 2004 when it re-opened as the Holsum Lofts, a live/work space for artists and designers. Its original clock & iconic signage were also restored. Today the property is home to design group Henrikson Read more...
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Tropical modernism structures This one’s for you, Tikiphiles! In 1962 the designer of the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Alfred Preis, was enlisted to create an eye-catching entry building for the flourishing Honolulu Zoo, resulting in an awesome Polynesian-inspired Hawaiian modern undulating A-Frame, with design elements not dissimilar to that of his USS Arizona Memorial. This island-style structure served as a Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern buildings Although not located in Palm Springs proper, we have to give a shout out to the Hotel Lautner; a mid-century modern enthusiast’s dream accommodation situated in the middle of the desert. Desert Hot Springs to be exact. Designed by renowned modernist architect John Lautner (the Elrod House, the Bob Hope House) in 1947 as part of a Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Oahu’s modernist architecture was not limited to commercial and residential developments in the 1950s and 60s, in fact, some of the island’s most inspired mid-century designs could be – and fortunately still can be – found in its memorial parks. Like the Valley of the Temples, also situated on Oahu’s windward (eastern) side, the modernist structures at the Read more...
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Mid-century modern churches Built on land donated by “Mr. Las Vegas,” Moe Dalitz (in a bid to improve his Mob-centric image, no doubt), pioneering modernist Paul R. Williams was enlisted by the Catholic Church to design the Guardian Angel Shrine in 1963. Raising the stakes on your typical mid-century church A-frame, though, Williams’ exaggerated Googie-like design did not go unnoticed Read more...
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Mid-century modern buildings Near the end of Kalakaua Avenue, past Waikiki towards the base of Diamond Head, sits a strip of mid-century buildings on the Makai side (ocean side) of Kapiolani Park. Plantation style and contemporary houses also fill the neighborhood further along, but for our purposes it’s the mid-rise and high-rise buildings that give the “Gold Coast” its tropical modernist Read more...
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Mid-century/googie buildings The wacky architectural stylings of Googie can be defined by its Atomic Age-inspired geometric shapes, exaggerated rooflines and generous use of glass. Or you can just think The Jetsons meets modernist coffee shop. In fact, the word “Googie” comes from the original 1949 John Launter designed West Hollywood coffee shop, “Googie’s.” Unfortunately, that establishment was torn down years ago. In Palm Springs you’d Read more...
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Mid-century/googie buildings When defining the wacky architectural stylings of Googie, just think The Jetsons meets modernist coffee shop! In fact, the word Googie comes from the original 1949 John Launter designed West Hollywood coffee shop, “Googie’s.” Unfortunately, that establishment was torn down years ago. Las Vegas still has an array of eye-popping Googie buildings though – defined by their Atomic Age-inspired Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Designed in 1947 by noted modernist architect E. Stewart Williams, The Frank Sinatra House set the bar in Palm Springs for sophisticated yet cool & casual modern living. Sinatra’s weekend desert retreat, however, was originally to have been a Georgian-style mansion if he’d had his way. Fortunately Williams’ concept for using non-traditional building materials with clean lines and open Read more...
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Vintage Casinos The original Las Vegas was built around Fremont Street, downtown, and started to take off during the Great Depression (yep, that’s ironic) when casino gambling was legalized and construction began on the nearby Hoover Dam. The real casino building boom on Fremont took place in the post-war years and at least six of these locations are still standing. Read more...
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Mid-century/desert modern houses Prolific architect Albert Frey lived and worked in Palm Springs for over 60 years, producing more than two-hundred home and building designs and pioneering what would later be termed “desert modernism.” His first home (1210 N. Via Donna), built on the flat lands near the El Mirador Resort in 1940, was a sleek and simple exercise in minimalism and Read more...