SoCal Landmarks

SoCal Landmarks

A Photography Project

Palm Springs Municipal Airport, Palm Springs, Riverside County

Palm Springs Municipal Airport

Now designated as the Palm Springs International Airport, this local airport facility was originally built for the guests of the El Mirador Hotel in 1928. The U S Army Air Corps then took over the airport in 1939 as an emergency landing field for nearby March Air Field. In 1941 the War Department certified improvements to the field as essential to national defense until a larger airfield was commissioned in 1942. Ultimately, following the war, the Army sold the field to private investors. The City of Palm Springs bought the land in 1961 and commissioned local architect Donald Wexler to design a new airport terminal which remains in service today. The terminal is currently under review for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Palm Springs, Riverside County
Photographer: Al Russell