Of all the desert’s oddities, none is perhaps as quirky as Cabot’s Pueblo Museum in Desert Hot Springs, constructed by world-traveler-turned-homesteader Cabot Yerxa between 1941 and 1965. Abandoned after his death and taken up by squatters, the historic home was passed from the city to preservationists dedicated to protecting its unique Hopi-inspired architecture. 

Businessman. Artist. Activist. Explorer. These words are commonly used to describe Yerxa, who, at age 30, began his homesteading journey on 160 acres in what is now Desert Hot Springs. He dubbed it Miracle Hill, says Irene Rodriguez, the museum’s executive director. The moniker nods to his discovery of naturally hot and cold mineral waters on the property. He built this 5,000-square-foot structure near the home he shared with wife, Portia, as a museum to house his collections — souvenirs from his travels, Native American artifacts, and his own art. The passion project would open to the public in 1950 but remain in a constant state of construction.