Top 15 things to do and attractions in Joshua Tree

There are a lot of cool things to see in Joshua Tree. Two or three days at tops are all you really need to spend there, it is indeed a desert. Make sure to check out the back country and some of the cool places they recommend on the map at the Visitors Center. STARGAZING

Fun and informative. The employee at the counter showed us how to upload the nation parks app to the cloud so we could find tails and info off line! No wifi in the park. Great souvenirs to pick up. Amazing food to go shop attached to the center! Loved it!

We loved visiting the park, though we picked an extremely hot day! Luckily, you can easily drive through and stop at the key viewpoints. Just be sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen—it’s easy to get dehydrated. There are also several short hikes around a mile long if you’re up for a walk!

The people working at the Joshua tree visitor center were all very friendly and very helpful. Our Daughters took part in the junior ranger program and the ranger that helped them was very nice! Joshua tree was a very nice national park, but we went mid June and it was very hot! Would definitely go back when it’s a little bit cooler outside!

Great place to get the rundown on the trails and other sites in Joshua tree. Theres a little museum with information and a gift shop that sells cute little Knick knacks. Parking is in the back, bathrooms are outside. Chris was nice with the information he provided us.

I have been a local in the area for a long time. I always bring my visiting families here. There is actually no better way to understand the desert without hiking out there. It helps you understand the animals that live out there that we never get a chance to see. A must place to visit before driving into the park.

There are two visitors centers on this road. This is the smaller of the two, but the one to enter the park at. (You can at the other location but this one has the bulk of the Joshua trees).

Noah Purifoy's Outdoor Desert Art Museum is an unconventional, eccentric, and strikingly imaginative installation.. Every installation is crafted from waste and the number of artworks made from old toilets alone is surprising! Created by the late artist Noah Purifoy, the art is captivating but how it's withstood the harsh desert climate. Getting there isn’t the easiest—expect a bumpy drive along a dirt road but the journey is scenic. You'll find plenty of signs along the way guiding you to the museum which is at the edge of the desert in a quiet residential area. Marked parking and entrance access, making it easy. At the entrance, you’ll find a donation box and brochures too! Do visit this place and get your imagination rolling!

We were staying in Joshua tree and looking for something to do so we stopped at this art museum. It was started in the late 80s and the owner spent the rest of his life building this art. He passed away in the early 2000s and its pretty neat how long so much of these items have survived for the last 20 plus years in the desert. Very unique stuff and im not much of an art guy but still a pretty unique little place. It's not a bad spot to stop at and its unique.

A quiet place with interesting art designs. It is nice that they actually put up signs for each of the arr pieces. Pretty wide place to spend some time at when passing by the area.

if you need a moment to yourself to self reflect or just to get inspired, this is a great spot to get stuck in thought. also note that there is a dedicated parking area that is labeled "gor noah's art site" (seemingly kindly provided by the neighbors) across from the site. dont park anywhere else as it is private property and you need to respect the area

Noah definitely had a passion for the unusual. Making things out of what others discarded or had no use for and because of the effort and time it took Noah to create his visions, I feel it's worth a visit. Unfortunately, his visions were hard for me to conceptualize and are in various states of neglect. This reminded me of Slab City, near the Salton Sea. Seems like it's being milked for as long as the pieces are still standing, but this could be due to costs to maintain?? Now, in the defense of those overseeing his art, the donation box is hard to find and not marketed correctly, it should be, in my opinion, next to the Welcome art piece; with the entrance clearly marked there. Guiding people to this spot. If the funds would actually be used to upkeep Noah's art pieces, then there should be signage explaining why donations are needed. I didn't see one of the many visitors drop money into the donation box next to the sign in box. We had to search/figure out where the money drop box was in order to make our donation. Most of the drive is paved until your last right turn on to Blair Lane. You park perpendicular to the road, on the sides of the road. There is parking signage. The owner of the spaceship home, I think it's a vacation rental, probably won't be happy with my pointing out its existence a ways behind Noah's Desert Museum. It's cool. Check it out from a distance so as not to ruin it for the people who are there. Respect the residents of the area by not littering, drive slowly, stay off their property, and be respectful.

9/10 ⭐️ A worthwhile trip to make in the Joshua Tree area, and a sort of sentimental experience paying tribute to the late artist Mr Noah Pilfoy, while witnessing his artwork enduring through time and weather.

This is an interesting art display that is free to enjoy. Parking is in front across from the museum property.

What a crazy, interesting, fun , artsy experience! Don't miss this free stop across the street from Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center. It's right next to Joshua Tree Saloon. Look for the colorful painted bus and walk past it to the red ART QUEEN sign to get to the World Famous Crochet Museum where 2 people can fit to visit at a time. It's basically a little village of cool art and shops! Definitely some worthy Instagram photos ops!

So glad I stopped for this place, my cousin was insistent that we visited. Shari’s collection is amazing! My cousins and I spent around 20 minutes looking in the museum and checking out everything in the store. I got my mom this “F-bomb”, she absolutely loved it! She’s said she was going to take it to work for “when she really needs it” lmao. You should 100% make a stop here if you are passing through, very worth it.

I called in before I went yesterday and Shari herself answered! I told her I was planning on coming in soon and she was kind enough to let the manager know to expect me. As soon as I went into the crochet museum and the shop, I felt so comforted! Everything was so positive and really was quirky in the best way. I always say art should incite emotions and intrigue. Shari’s art did just that! I bought a bunch of stickers and magnets to put all over my house and my trusty adventure water bottle. So, now I have a beautiful little piece of art with me wherever I go!

A Joshua tree landmark. This tiny photo hut turned into a crochet museum is a must see, you will probably never find anything else like it. If you work with yarn you can leave on of your pieces to add to the collection. They have pins and stickers and stuff you can purchase. Be respectful of the space and the people who have created this. There are other art works and shops all in the same area. You can spend a whole afternoon exploring

Love this unique stop! As a fiber artist it warms my heart to see these creations in a spot taken care of by someone who cares. Donations accepted.

A quirky place - def. Add it to your itinerary for a weekend in Joshua Tree!

Very cool place! Glad we stopped by to take a look. Really only one person fits in museum at a time so there is a line to view. But the wait wasn’t long and it was really neat to see the crochet pieces. Come check us out on YouTube @ Time4Dirt

Good rock

A wonderful nature's expression

Rocks Rock

Great trip with the family. Many things to explore. Beautiful views and scenery. Great place to camp. Very interesting plants and wildlife to see and hear. Definitely have to go back

Secluded

This giant stone turtle sculpture greets you as you enter Joshua Tree city proper. Not too sure of the significance, as I don’t recall seeing an information or historical marker placed near the site. The sculpture is scalable, but climber beware. Rolled ankles or scraped knees could meet you as you dismount the giant reptile!

Fun to take a picture with. Just right off the road in a parking lot.

USS ELDRIDGE 173 IT CAME BACK WENT I CAME DAVID HERDEG IS WILLIAM ROBERT ANDERSON KID. US NAVY DON'T TELL THE US NAVY I AM BACK PEOPLE AMERICAN?.

Murtle was well behaved and gave us a warm welcome to Joshua Tree!

The desert Tortoise 🐢, our beloved endangered species. Lives amongst us and this beautiful sculpture welcomes visitors and reminds us to look under our cars and drive like a tortoise 🐢

Cute area to check out

Thank you for the warm welcome, Murtle

Wonderful space, Wonderful Art. Highly recommended

Laundromat next to the Art Gallery in Joshua Tree is run by a nice lady who's helpful and keeps the place clean and running smooth. She always greets her customers with a warm hello and a smile.

Night Gallery they put on a very nice show and had exhibits from several local artists interesting places didn't have anything negative to say at all

love going there's very ,nice trip

Very beautiful art pieces. Reasonable prices for Christmas.

Friendly gallery sitters. Got to meet an artist. Fantastic exhibit.

Great little gallery close to many Joshua Tree entertainment sites.

In the harsh sun and parched sand of Joshua Tree, there is a goddess. She rises serenely from the land, both part of it and entirely alien. She is a monument to the sublime. Her face, a staggering thirty feet tall above the surroundings, is placid in expression and adorned with a scintillating mosaic of glass and mirrors, which not only reflect the brutal light but also cast back the indifferent environment around her. And yet, this is no grand, easily accessed monument. Oh no. To behold her requires an adventure beyond where the pavement ends onto private property. This, of course, is entirely fitting. Because how else should one approach such remarkable, borderline inaccessible beauty? You must truly earn your audience with the divine. How supremely lucky are we mere mortals to share this dusty corner of the cosmos with her? And how utterly grateful and profoundly humbled one must feel in her awe-inspiring, thirty-foot presence.

The art pieces are nice to look at. Overall with the bumpy dirt rode we drove on and being that the art piece is fenced and your viewing it from about 100' away is my reason for the 3 rating. We went at sunset hoping to get good pics but... people started to stop by during sunset, approx 8 other vehicles. Check out my profile for my airbnb mountain cabin rental.

The sculpture is absolutely grand and breathtaking in person. Unfortunately, you can’t get too close to it anymore since influencers and careless visitors have ruined parts of the experience, which is understandable for preservation. I would’ve loved to read the description, but sadly it was tagged over. Despite that, the work itself is powerful and inspiring, it truly deserves the recognition.

Should have read more of the review before heading here.. The structure is great but what's disappointing is that you can view it only from a distance and that too it's quite further away from the structure. This is situated on a private property and to find the entrance can be a bit tricky. The road is a dirt road so be prepared for a bumpy ride!

A bit far from the main road and it’s a private place so you can just watch it in a certain distance! Amazing and awe inspiring!

I went on early Friday afternoon and had it all to myself. Beautiful, stunning, and very creative piece! Have to drive on dirt road to get to it. Then there’s a path where you can walk up to view it.

Going up to the sculpture is closed. You can walk a short path to an opening with a sign explaining the artwork and sit in its beauty and grace but can't actually go up to it and be in the shadows and rays of the piece. Still a beautiful piece but if you were hoping to be up close I'd save the time and look at the website photos

What an amazing gem that we stumbled across! This salon is also a museum of retro quirky art made from old beautician tools and other nostalgic items. It’s free and the artist/ hair dresser is happy to have you come in and look around. There’s a few other fun little boutiques nearby as well, so it’s definitely worth a stop!

Such a memorable experience stopping by the Beauty Bubble! The owner/curator was so welcoming and charismatic and his passion for hair certainly shined through. The space is absolutely stunning and filled with an impressive eclectic collection of hair memorabilia. Whether you’re looking for a haircut, aesthetic pictures for your instagram, or are interested in learning about all things hair Beauty Bubble is the place for you. Truly a gem in the desert!

Stopping at The Beauty Bubble Salon Museum was a delightful surprise on my recent trip to Joshua Tree! So fun and creative. The owner is amazing and has the best stories!! Just ask him anything :)

Wow! If you’re a fan of beauty products or if you’re simply curious about how hair salons were in the mid century come visit this place! A one of a kind experience in Joshua Tree.

Amazing! 🛸👽🤟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I went there today just moved up here from orange county. I was totally blown away by all the cool vintage stuff. I met the owner who was very friendly and cool. I cant wait to bring my mom and fiance to this cool spot.....

Awesome experience, the place is an amazing collection of hair memorabilia. Staff is wonderful and friendly. Had my hair cut by Dani. Got a mullet for my 60ith birthday. 100 percent reccomend!

Gorgeous conservation area with lots of trails and views for miles. Apparently you should be able to see wild tortoises out here but unfortunately didn’t see any when we visited. Nonetheless, it’s worth the trip and is off the beaten path!

For us, this is a nice area with trails to walk and hike lightly. We haven't seen it all, we can't do hikes anymore, so some areas may not be explored by us. There is an outhouse/ restroom didn't need it but, it's there. Kits of boulders and lovely landscape.

a lovely place to explore without the crowds of the park. saw tons of wildflowers, quail, and even a desert horned lizard! beautiful views of the snow capped mountains, with many cacti and joshua trees. had some informative signs about the plants and animals in the area! as well as a clean pit toilet. dog friendly! open 7am-7pm on the dot! only complaint: the two trails are not marked well at all and are very difficult to follow. so just be open minded as you explore and make it an adventure for yourself, as opposed to following a specific trail!

Wonderful cycling and walking area for all the family. Enjoy the desert... but sometimes it can get crowded!

Excellent mountain biking. Get trail forks. Ride Luge in, explore and ride Haggis and Scout out. It's a grind in sand to get in but totally worth it.

Quiet place to hike without the crowds. Plenty to explore and experience.

Closest hike in Joshua tree that I’ve found so far. Neat rocky path down through the mountains with some Joshua trees here and there.

Good music, good atmosphere, great folks.

Very cool place! It's always a good time!