sunnylands

It is very difficult to get tickets to the guided tour of the house and gardens but the effort will be worth it. The Annenberg's were indeed one of the richest families in the states and they created a home and retreat worthy of their means. The architecture, art work and gardens are beautiful in their design and construction. You have to admire individuals who create wealth, beauty and in the end also donated millions of dollars to those individuals and institutions that helped them create their wealth. A study in personal achievement and sharing, please ensure you try and experience Sunnylands, it will be the highlight of your visit to the desert.

All the previous comments made by others have valid points; the big living room in their home looked more like a furniture showroom. Sunnyland is another interesting sight with its connection to recent American history. Seeing the video is worthwhile. Seeing the copies of their art collection is interestng. Seeing their pictures with others is interesting. Riding the grounds in the golf cart is worthwhile. The visitors center is well done. All in all, I enjoyed the experience and would recommend for those who wish to see a rather unique sight in that part of the USA.

The tour of the Sunnylands house is worth the entrance fee and all the planning required to get a reservation. At long last you can see what much too money, bad taste and a desperate need to show-off will lead to. The building itself is ridiculously large (a 25,000 foot one bedroom house) and the furnishings totally inappropriate to the style of the structure. Some really hideous stuff. The stunning art collection has been rescued from its unattractive presentation (WOW, Mom! Look at the long wall of impressionists!). Apparently the Annenbergs would ship this priceless collection across the country when their winter sojourn was over – never want to be too far from your Van Gogh.But the worst are the photos, particularly in the so-called “Memory Room” and the truly offensive “Royalty Room” (only photos of royals, minus Princess Diana, whose wedding they attended and who was Princess while the Annenberg was Ambassador). It represents the worst kind of social climbing and pretension – look at all the rich, powerful and/or famous people we knew!The golf course is quite fabulous and is being kept immaculate (water, water in the desert) for no discernable reason. And you can see the gazebo where golfers would lunch while the staff changed the tee boxes and holes on the 9 hole course, so you could enjoy a full game without having to repeat anything. Really?The Annenbergs did some wonderful things with their money. Sunnylands is not one of them. But you're really got to see it to understand how offensive it is.

After visiting the Sunnylands Visitor Center and Gardens, open freely to the public (see my separate review), we decided to take the guided tour on the property. It is well organized: a 12 seater golf card drives you through the property, most acreage used for the golf course and stops at the main Historic House. It is is of course nice, well decorated with replicas of the original paintings. But it still is a house with living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms. The kitchen is not to visit.The reason my rating is low is that the visit price is $40 per person and it is not worth it, except if you consider this as a donation to the Annenberg Trust. Save your money and spend your time in the Visitor Center and attend the 20 minutes movie presentation on this exceptional couple: Walter and Leonore Annenberg. It would be great for America to have more of these exceptional people.

The architectural design and construction of the Visitors Center is gorgeous. The movie was very informative and well done. You must see the movie to understand what this place is all about. The exhibits are worth viewing. The gardens are beautifully manicured. Next time we must book ahead to be able to have either a ground tour or a tour of the estate. We visited the café and had wonderful lunch overlooking the gardens. As they are only open on a limited number of days per week and hours, check the website for details.

Sunnylands Center and Gardens is the 200 acre estate of the Annenbergs. It's professed mission statement is to promote world peace and facilitate international agreements between the U.S. and other countries. It has a private golf course and lushly landscaped desert gardens. The architecture is Mid-Century Modern as interpreted by A. Quincy Jones. The Visitor Center is free of charge. It has a small museum wing in the main center building which exhibits their collection of gifts and China given by Royals such as Queen Elizabeth, items such as Richard Nixon's golf clubs, and a golf cart given by Sinatra, etc. There are also many other ways to enjoy this estate. including live music on Sundays, plein air painting, bird walks, as well as tours of the estate available for purchase here. There is a small cafe and a gift shop. Well worth a visit.

I Love this place and have gone 4 times in the last 3 years. But this year the tickets sell out in minutes! I think people are buying them and putting them on ebay.It is a super great tour if you can get inside the house!

Conservation of water and to use less is expressed in this garden with desert plants and cactus. It can give you new ideas, as you walk about and see how it was planned. We all enjoyed and have told many of our friends to go and visit. There is a movie inside the building which explains about Sunnylands and you can see gifts the Annaberg's received. In order to see the house you have to make reservations online. It is delightful and a pleasant experience.

We attended a radio broadcast in the three year old conference center. We snuck outside to look at the gardens and were astounded by their tasteful elegance. They have tours and free times and we will be back to learn more about the presidents and notables who visited and see more of the gardens.

Let me first say that this tour is one of the best I have ever taken. I liked it so much (lucky to get a ticket!) I wanted to take my husband on our next trip to Palm Desert. Ready and alert at the special 9am to purchase for 2 weeks following, I leaped right away at a time that was open. Mysteriously I could only buy 1. There was no option for more than 1. A group of 4 would be a nightmare. No matter, I added this 1 to my shopping cart and went back to get one more. Sold out was appearing everywhere, and in my panic I clicked one more... but one week later. I was evidently blind by the pressure of the moment and did not notice. Purchased and then realized, but alas too late. In Sunnyland world you are now doomed. No refunds, no mercy.

Friends visited Sunnylands and shared their experience with us. They ranted and raved about their visit, so we went online and got tickets for five of us. What a place to see. The tour guide did an excellent job of describing what A. Quincy Jones's vision was when he designed certain portions of the main house. She had us view the area she was describing so we could share his vision. Taking the electric cart around the grounds gave us an opportunity to see areas that are off limits to the general public. Our guide also shared stories where the Annenbergs disagreed on something, such as a piece of art or the carved bench from Greece and how the issue was 'resolved' to both of their satisfaction. We got to drive around the nine hole golf course where so many famous people have played and got to hear about Walter Annenberg's restrictions on how many golfers could play daily. We got to see Maime and Ike, the only two palm trees on the property. We got to see the totem pole that is used as an aiming stick/target on one of the golf holes. We heard stories about the grandchildren and their partying while staying in the guest cottages. There is also a free 20 minute movie that is also worth watching. The theater is in the visitor center. If you are planning a trip here, you have to plan ahead because of the process to obtain tickets to the house/gardens.Don't miss this experience.

The gardens are free to public, and are very impressive. There are many varieties of desert plants, and many of each variety as well. A few were in bloom while we were there which was a treat.

Sunnylands is the high desert retreat of the Walter Annenberg family who prospered from owning the Philadelphia Inquirer, Seventeen, the Racing Form and TV Guide. In return they funded the Annenberg Schools of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and USC.Their CA home has served as a "winter White House" for every US President since Eisenhower and sports magnificent gardens and a superb mansion. Unfortunately the readily accessible, whenever you arrive, visitors center and small gardens, while fascinating, lovely and showing a 20 minute "history" video every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour for free, pale by comparison to the real mansion and extensive gardens which are available to few and only if you apply on-line twice a month, two weeks in advance, for only those hitting the website reservation system in the first 5 minutes of availability.Don't worry, even the readily available modest garden tour is great. Go! Enjoy!

We hit upon Sunnylands by accident. It is the estate of Walter Annenberg that has hosted many Presidents and distinguished foreign visitors. But to see the main mansion one has to reserve a tour on-line in advance. Nevertheless, main entrance building has many interesting exhibits and you can walk through part of the grounds. There is very nice café, but don't order the French press coffee--they make a mess out of it. There are also many free activities open to the public, so check the schedule. Free parking.

Tickets are hard to come by for the tour of the mansion at Sunnylands. Only on line on the 1st and 15th of the month. I was right on at 9:00 am and clicked on numerous time and they all said "sold out". I am only in the area for a short time so will not be able to go.