On Thursdays this season at 8:45 a.m., a guided bird walk starts in the Sunnylands gardens. It's free, and nobody asks for a reservation. The other birding option at Sunnylands takes a shuttle onto the estate with a local birding expert. It costs $41.55 per person, holds seven guests, and goes on sale online at 9 a.m. Pacific on the 15th of the month before.
Most of Sunnylands works the same way. The Center & Gardens are open Wednesday through Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and both admission and parking are free. The historic estate is open only on ticketed tours. That leaves a free weekly routine you can repeat all winter and a small number of paid seats that sell out fast. The next batch, December, goes on sale this Sunday, November 15.
A week of free mornings, Wednesday through Sunday
The free calendar repeats by weekday from now into spring, so it's easy to remember. Here is the regular rhythm at the Center & Gardens this season.
| Day | Program | Time | Season runs | Sign-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Guided Bird Walk | 8:45 a.m. | Nov. 5 to May 27, 2027 | None |
| Saturday | Tai Chi in the Gardens | 9:30 a.m. | Nov. 7 to April 24, 2027 | None |
| Sunday | Sundays at Sunnylands | 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. | Nov. 22 to April 25, 2027 | None |
| Any open day | Curating Canopy: Trees at Sunnylands | Center hours | Through June 6, 2027 | None |
Sundays at Sunnylands is the new addition, starting November 22. On most Sundays through April, the lawn in the West Gardens is set up with blocks, hula hoops, ribbons and butterfly wings for children of all ages. At the reception desk on the way in, families can borrow a "No-Tech Tote," a themed bag with a blanket, toys, books and coloring supplies meant to keep everyone off screens for a few hours. Sunnylands suggests bringing sun protection, water and closed-toe shoes. It also says outdoor programs can be canceled or changed because of rain, lightning or strong wind.
The tree exhibition opened in September 2025 and stays up until June 6, 2027. It's free during Center hours, with no registration. The café has a revamped menu this season with new and returning items. Seating is first-come, first-served, and the café doesn't take reservations. Any of these mornings can end with lunch there. Groups of 20 or more are asked to fill out a free registration form before a Center & Gardens visit.
The one-off free dates between now and the holidays
On top of the weekly schedule, Sunnylands has a few single-date free programs on its events calendar:
- Sunday, November 15, 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Dance in the Gardens. The performance moves through the gardens and the audience walks with it, so there's no seating.
- Thursday, December 3, 10 a.m. Movement & Mindfulness, no registration required.
- Friday, December 18, 9 a.m. Yoga in the Gardens. Kristin Olson and Stéfane Barbeau are the instructors listed for the season.
November 15 is also the day December tour tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. That gives you two hours to buy tickets online before the dance starts at 11.
What goes on sale at 9 a.m. on the 15th
The estate side is where seats run out. Sunnylands sells four guided tours, and each one comes in small groups.
- Historic House Tour. 90 minutes, seven guests, $58.19 per person. A shuttle takes you to the Annenbergs' door, and the tour walks through the 25,000-square-foot house.
- Open-Air Experience. 45 minutes, seven guests, $30.11 per person. A guided shuttle ride around the 200-acre estate, past its landscape, art and golf course, with a stop at the front of the house.
- Birding on the Estate. 90 minutes, seven guests, $41.55 per person. A local birding expert leads it, covering birds that live and nest on the estate and the ones migrating through along the Pacific Flyway.
- Historic Walk. 60 minutes, ten guests, $28.03 per person. An outdoor walk of about one mile covering the estate's history, its midcentury architecture and design, and the Annenbergs.
The tour page is clear about how tickets work. Advance tickets are sold online only at 9 a.m. Pacific on the 15th for the following month, and you can't buy them by phone, by email or in person. Some same-day tickets may be sold on site if any are left. Sold-out tours have no waitlist, and guided tours don't sell group tickets. Guests must be at least 10, and every tour is wheelchair accessible. The site also has a reminder sign-up that sends an alert before each month's sale opens.
There's no waitlist and no phone line, so your best shot at a Historic House Tour is being online at 9 a.m. on the 15th. The house tour has the fewest seats of the four, seven per group, and the highest price. If you're planning December visits for family coming in for the holidays, this Sunday morning is the time to buy.
For house tours during Modernism Week, the tour page sends readers to ModernismWeek.com.
December's tour calendar has gaps
When you sit down on the 15th, the December calendar won't be a full month of tours. The blackout calendar on the tour page marks these dates:
- Every Monday and Tuesday. Sunnylands is closed.
- Friday, December 4. Outdoor tours only.
- Sunday, December 6. No estate tours.
- Wednesday, December 9. Outdoor tours only.
- Thursday, December 10. Sunnylands closed.
On an outdoor-only day, the Open-Air Experience, Birding on the Estate and the Historic Walk are the options that fit the label. The house tour does not. December 10 is a Thursday, so the bird walk regulars lose that week. Thanksgiving is the same, since Thursday, November 26 is marked closed too. Sunnylands' visitor guidance lists closures on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Christmas and New Year's both fall on Fridays this year, so those are the two Friday closures to plan around in late December.
Mondays and Tuesdays aren't empty elsewhere in town. On Tuesday, November 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., the Rancho Mirage Library & Observatory hosts Swoon @ the Moon at the Observatory, listed on the library's calendar.
The paid programs that don't wait for the 15th
Several small paid programs sit between the free gardens and the estate tours. They appear on the events calendar with their own fees.
| Date | Program | Time | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed., Dec. 2 and Wed., Dec. 16 | Estate Tree Walk series, olive-tree walk and tasting | 10 a.m. | $26.99 |
| Fri., Dec. 11 | Wellness series: Live Easy Meditation | 9 to 10 a.m. | $11.91, registration required |
| Sun., Dec. 20 | Horticulture workshop: Bonsai Bar with Ben Kegel | 1 to 3 p.m. | $91.59 |
These spots can sell out too. The November 11 talk, "Discussion: Between Nations, The Work of an Ambassador," cost $11.39 and was marked sold out on its event page before the date. The olive-tree walk pairs with the Curating Canopy exhibition already up in the Center, so a Wednesday morning in December can cover both: the free exhibition indoors and a $26.99 tasting outside.
Put the free and paid calendars together and a December week looks like this. Wednesday is the tree walk. Thursday is the bird walk, except December 10. Friday is meditation or yoga, Saturday is tai chi, and Sunday is the West Gardens lawn and Bonsai Bar on the 20th. Of all that, only the estate tours have to be bought at 9 a.m. on the 15th. For questions about the family program, Sunnylands lists 760-202-2255 and [email protected].
At Bernal-Smith Group, Sunnylands is one of the Rancho Mirage places we suggest most often to visiting family and to clients spending their first season in the desert. If you'd like a hand putting together a winter around the free mornings and the one Sunday morning that needs a ticket, contact us.
