Palm Springs Windmill Tours
4.6

Palm Springs Windmill Tours

By Palm Springs Windmill Tours
Recommended by 91% of travelers
91% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 0-120
Duration: 1–30 minutes
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Audio guide: English
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  • Accommodation as per itinerary
  • Audio program
  • Palm Springs Windmill Tour App
What's not included
  • Price includes 2 adults in one vehicle. Add'l $10 charge for each adult. Kids under 12 are free.


  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 103515P1

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 103515P1

From
$59.99
per group (up to 2)
Select date and travelers

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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
  • Palm Springs Windmill Tours
    4.6 of 5 bubbles814
    Palm Springs, California
    Joined in October 2014
  • Jim N
    0 contributions
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    Your Dollars Disappear in the Wind
    Very disappointing in several ways. -Tour was probably at best 1/4 - The owner of this particular property only owned a handful of 2,000 windmills within site -Tour guide was nice but information was mostly surface. No insights. Not able to answer many of our questions and they weren’t very difficult. And he had been there for ten years but with no expertise -Save your money. You can get almost any photos you want from perimeter roads.
    Written January 29, 2024
  • Fearless777431
    0 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very interesting
    We bought our tickets through Groupon and were there first thing on a Saturday morning. Sadly there was no wind that day and I think it would be even better with wind. We learned so many interesting facts about windmills/wind turbines. We were just about 1 1/2 hours in total (including film at the beginning)
    Written January 13, 2024
  • Climber47867399644
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Palm Springs Wind Farm tour.
    Have always wanted to take the tour. Fascinated by the wind turbines. Took the 1 hour golf cart tour. There is a short , very informative video before the tour starts. Our guide was great , sorry but I don’t remember his name. (Indiana native) Both gentleman in the office and doing the tours were great. Neat to see these giants operating up close. Thank you guys ! Chris
    Written December 25, 2023
  • Marinasuz2019
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great experience!
    Leslie was very informative and great fun to chat with.she answered all our questions and even more! Highly recommend this tour with Leslie.
    Written December 15, 2023
  • Tracey C
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Informative and Fun
    It was fun and informative. Leslie was super, got us blankets (it is windy and a bit chilly). She was super, full of good information and fun
    Written December 2, 2023
  • thearcher57
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great 1 hour
    Great experience. You get to drive in the comfort of your own vehicle and listen to the narration via an APP. We linked it to the vehicles audio so it was easy for all to hear. Lots of information on these mighty wind turbines. Seeing them up close was a treat.
    Written October 22, 2023
  • Cello12345
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    There's a reason they put windmills in this valley!
    What an experience! The wind was gusting over 60 mph the day we visited - so much that some of the turbines had shut down to prevent overload. When we drove into the parking lot, we noticed that all of the cars were parked pointing west (into the wind). Figuring there must be a reason, we did the same. Good call! Turns out that the wind is so strong at this place, it can blow your car doors out and damage your car! We did the self-driving tour. Before heading back outside, we saw a short informative video (well done - even our 4 year old paid attention to the whole thing.) Then we used the map provided to tour the area - getting out of the car at each stop was fun with that high wind! We'll remember this visit for a long time.
    Written April 16, 2023
  • Pam1751
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Educational factual
    The history behind the 'windmills" is fascinating and educational. Our guide discussed the history and explained the current situation from several aspects.
    Written February 3, 2023
  • Jim H
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A tour in the middle of wind turbine generators
    A very basic museum with short videos and exhibits. Self driving tour with app provided details. Reception staff were very helpful.
    Written January 30, 2023
  • Travel783821
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting Turbine Facts
    Quite interesting actually on facts and statistics. Bruce was interesting and engaging as a guide. I recommend it!
    Written October 8, 2022
  • jennifera399
    0 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must see
    We drove past on a few trips back from general sight seeing. This is a must see as a first timer coming to the West Coast for a visit.
    Written December 18, 2021
  • Kimberly U
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Learn about Wind Turbines, Don't Just Take Instagram pics!
    The Palm Springs Windmills are a popular # on Instagram and many people stop for photos. However, you rally should do the tour. We went during COVID and it was recorded on an ipad and we drove around alone. Afterwards we were able to ask the guide at the center many specific questions. Green energy is in the news daily and the Coachella Valley has a great resource for learning about wind turbines. Take your kids!
    Written July 23, 2021
  • MikeH734
    0 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Windy Fun
    A chance to learn about the massive windmills. The app guides you from stop to stop. Website says you will be offered a tablet, however a tablet was never even mentioned to us. Our boys are 9 and one thought it was cool and the other not so much. For a low key adventure that is only $50 not too bad.
    Written April 5, 2021
  • Pam C
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Windmills
    What an interesting tour. Self guided and full of information. David has a wealth of knowledge of the farm and the surrounding area. Thanks David! You are a pleasure to talk with. Oh and thanks for the tip on date shakes at the Windmill Market! Yummy
    Written October 29, 2020
  • DulceMaria19
    0 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    It was OK
    The tour was informative and we learned facts about the windmills we didn’t know before. I’m saying it was “OK” because there wasn’t much to it. You drive through in your car, follow along a tablet that gives you the audio tour. It is nice that you can get down and see the windmills closer than you would just driving by. Would I recommend it? Yes, just to try it out. Would I be upset if I missed out? No, didn’t miss out on anything crazy.
    Written October 6, 2020
See all 814 reviews
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.6
4.6 of 5 bubbles224 reviews
Excellent
174
Very good
30
Average
12
Poor
2
Terrible
6

BigCane00
Fort Lauderdale, FL121 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We flew into Palm Springs in May 2024 just to spend a weekend with friends from Los Angeles, who drove over to Palm Springs for the weekend.
The windmill tour is a good activity if you're visiting. On this tour you use your own car and use their apps in order to get the narration. But you could just read the narration from the app as well.
On the tour you had a chance to go through the different types of windmills that were used to the current ones.
Before the tour the front desk person will set up some videos for you to see which are very helpful in understanding why windmills exist in that part of the country and some of the history behind all that.
Now if you choose to go to Palm Springs in may please be aware that the temperature gets a little bit hot. I'm sure it gets hotter in June and July and August but just note that May is indeed hot.
And since this is a windmill tour, please expect that it’s gonna be busy
Written May 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your feedback and joining us on the tour :) - Remember with the self-driving tour, you are in our air-conditioned car and we have AC at the tour center. Anywhere you go in May, June & July in Palm Springs will be hot :)
Written July 12, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

TerryB431
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
Being an engineer, I continue to be interested in alternative sources of electricity. I have often passed the wind turbines in the Palm Springs area and wondered just how effective they are. On many occasions, some of them are not even turning. Well, by visiting the Palm Springs Windmill Tour, you can get all your questions answered.

In addition to the short video giving the historical perspective of wind turbines, the staff was very helpful in answering my questions. The numerous photos in the office provide specific information on the timeline of the local growth of wind-generated power. As part of the fee, you can download an application to your phone thus providing a “guided” tour of the facility. Since I was alone, I connected my earbuds because it allowed me to walk around each of the dozen stops while I took pictures. It works within the car as well if there are more people. The app is well designed and made it easy to understand the entire operation.

I highly recommend this tour if you have ever had any questions about wind power. (For example, why do some turbines have two blades and some have three?)
Written February 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello and thank you so much for joining us on the tour. We truly appreciate your feedback.
Written February 15, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jey
Portland, OR68 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
Up close, you can hear the windmill blades whooshing. It’s not loud, you have to cup your ears, but a very cool addition to the windmill visit. I’ve been curious about the windmills for years. Who hasn’t? They greet you at the pass as you come into Palm Springs.
The tour was excellent, led by volunteer Bruce, who told the windmill story well, its history, development of the technology, the amount of electricity generated, the future of wind power — All told as we rumbled through on a 6-person “golf cart”.
He’s a good storyteller, had the facts and the drama of it all.
The tour was a highlight of the weekend, still talking about it. I recommend it to anyone who is curious about those enormous white windmills.
Written January 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi - We could not be more pleased with your feedback and we've forwarded this to Bruce. Thanks so much for joining us and we strive to make the experience, information and history engaging.
Written January 27, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

NetAmb
Washington, DC89 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Friends
This is a very well-designed audio tour. which you can customize to meet your group's need. We didn't have time to listen to all the details (and I was the only one who wanted to learn about the engineering, the RPMs, and the kilowatts), so we fast-forwarded through some parts of the audio. Fascinating to see how windmill technology has evolved. Some good photos. Some of the latest windmills resemble sculptures. Worth the money.
Written February 1, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback and we are pleased you enjoyed the tour :)
Written February 3, 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mac M
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2025 • Solo
Great tour guide. Provided all the numbers and details on the architecture and technology. Cool to be up close to them and see the size and scope. One wind turbine generates as much electricity as 13 acres of solar panels! Talk about efficiency.
Written March 9, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for joining us! We appreciate you taking the time to visit us!
Written March 17, 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

James G
1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Friends
Myself and a friend took the VIP tour. Our guide was Tom. We really enjoyed the tour. Tom was friendly, engaging and informative. It was interesting to find out how this industry and technology has developed over the years. Tom had a lot of insights into a wide array of subjects. If you are a local history buff or an engineering/technology geek I think you'll find the tour worth your while. Tom was more than willing to spend as much time as was needed to answer all of our questions. He gave us a lot of background on the mechanical and engineering aspects of wind turbines and the advances that have been made over the last 40+ years. As part of the VIP package I received a copy of "Backstories of the Palm Springs Windmills." Our tour was scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m. Not wanting to be late we arrived more than an hour early to the "Visitor's Center," which is a trailer. We were able to sit in on a video that gave a history of the wind turbines in the Palm Springs area. The video started at 11:00 a.m. and was being viewed by a group of people who had an 11:00 a.m. tour. After the video was over we met Tom and spoke with him in his office for awhile and looked at a bunch of framed photographs, some of them very old, that showed the progression of windmill design over the years. There were also a handful of pictures of the structures that had accidentally suffered mechanical failures that left them collapsed on the ground. We then started our tour of the grounds a little earlier than our 12:00 p.m. scheduled start time. Tom was fine with that. I also wanted to thank Annette, who was my contact at Palm Springs Windmill Tours, who booked our tour. She was very gracious.
Written December 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your wonderful review :). I will. pass this along to Tom as well. Annette
Written February 13, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Alan P
Colchester, UK35 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
Went on the 9:00am tour, which was quiet and we had the tour to ourselves. The introductory video was very informative and there was lots of information on the wall displays.
Enjoyed looking at the early wind turbines and getting up close to the newer bigger turbines.
We've been coming to Palm Springs for 11 years on vacation and finally got up close to the wind turbines, a thoroughly enjoyable morning and something different to talk about when we get home.
Written July 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for joining us and learning about the history of the Palm Springs wind farms :)
Written July 18, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

pitter1234
Coimbra, Portugal10 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
The gentleman at the desk was very informative and I have a feeling that he used to do all the tours himself. It’s a lot of information fairly easy to figure out the app after we got started. The route was also fairly easy to follow.
I think since it is a self- guided tour that $59 Was a little excessive and $30 would be more appropriate.
Written November 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your feedback and hope you enjoyed the tour.
Written December 15, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ann L
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
Found out about the Palm Springs Windmill Tours totally by accident!. That being said we were so glad that we took this tour. We have been to Palm Springs many many times and we’ve always seen the windmills and now we know how they work how big they are close-up, and how much energy they produce. Our guide, Tom, was friendly, personable, courteous, and most of all quite knowledgeable! Our tour was with one other couple in a golf cart, and Tom drove us around the property, showing us all the various windmills from wayback when to the current ones going now. Anybody contemplating this tour…go for it! We recommend the guided tour. The self driving tour is probably fine, but having a tour guide along that can answer your questions is a definite plus. All in all this tour gets four thumbs up… Two from me and two from my husband!
Written October 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

FIO
Naperville, IL13 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Couples
Well organized informative tour. Courteous staff. The event is a self guided driving museum. Much of the information started to feel repetitive. The price felt high for the experience.
Written February 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for joining us...we have ALOT of information offered at the Tour Center and the wind farm. We hope you learned about wind energy and the evolution of wind turbine technology. As a historic site as the first wind farm, we enjoy educating the public about not just wind energy, but renewable energy including solar and battery storage.
Written February 18, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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