Our fall calendar is packed with something for everyone: CV Days of Los Muertos, free outdoor wellness programs, estate tours, workshops, and more.
Tour tickets go on sale tomorrow, Thursday, October 15, at 9 am Pacific. Book the Historic House Tour, Open-Air Experience, Historic Walk, or Birding on the Estate—reserve your spot before they sell out.
In collaboration with community partners, CV Days of Los Muertos (November 4–8) fills the Sunnylands gardens with hand-crafted ofrendas (altars) and nichos (shadowboxes) celebrating Día de los Muertos, the Mexican holiday honoring the dead. Special evening hours, poetry, performances, arts and crafts, and more are included throughout the week. Details below.
Our friends at Raices Cultura will be creating an altar featuring photo contributions from the community. Members of the public who wish to share photos honoring their deceased loved ones may drop them off at the Raices Cultura altar on select dates. Please find submission and drop-off details here.
Free outdoor wellness programs return in November, including yoga, tai chi, guided bird walks, and more. Simply show up—no registration required. See the events calendar for days and times.
**A quick update on our yoga program:** To help make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience, yoga will now be offered once a month from November through April, on the third Friday of each month. Sessions will be one hour long and begin at 9 am. Our first class of the season is November 20. For more details, please visit our website.
Dance in the Gardens also returns next month with a performance by Nickerson-Rossi Dance on Sunday, November 15, at 11 am. This free public show invites spectators to follow the dancers as they move progressively through the West Gardens.
Our art and wellness workshops are a terrific way to connect with the community in the calm, relaxed setting of the Center & Gardens. Check out our workshops below or head to our What’s Happening page to sign up for fall sessions. Spots are limited.
You can also register below for a salon discussion on the art of diplomacy, leadership, and global engagement with Sunnylands’ Chief Strategy Officer, Ambassador Kathleen Doherty (ret.), and Ambassador Kristina Kvien (ret.), President and CEO of the Pacific Council on International Policy.
As always, parking and admission to the Center & Gardens is free Wednesday through Sunday, 8:30 am to 4 pm.
See you around.
November tour tickets: Available Oct. 15 at 9 am
The 90-minute Historic House Tour takes guests inside the Annenberg home, highlighting the architecture, décor, and hospitality enjoyed by cultural icons for decades. Guided outdoor tours, such as the Open-Air Experience and the Historic Walk, also share the Sunnylands story while featuring the home’s midcentury modern architecture and stunning views of the golf course and grounds.
CV Days of Los Muertos: November 4–8
Explore hand-crafted altars, pop-up craft boards, and shadowboxes in the Sunnylands gardens Wednesday through Sunday. Join a Spanish-language guided bird walk Friday, November 6, at 8:45 am, plus family drop-in arts and crafts and a free screening of Coco at 6:30 pm. On Sunday, November 8, enjoy free aerialist performances. No reservations needed. Free admission and parking.
Art workshop: Blooming Cactus Tote Bags
Enjoy an acrylic paint class as you design your own blooming cactus tote bag. With step-by-step guidance from artist Danielle Guerrero, participants will create a personalized tote inspired by the beauty and vibrant colors of the desert.
Fee: $42.49 per person. All materials are provided. For registered participants only. Limited spaces available.
Art workshop: Day of the Dead Mosaic Skulls
Join artist Mary Clark-Camargo for a Day of the Dead-themed art workshop and create your own 6×8-inch mosaic skull, known as a calavera, using hand-crafted glass and colored ceramic tiles.
Fee: $71.97 per person. All materials are provided. For registered participants only. Limited spaces available.
Horticulture workshop: Happy Worm
In this hands-on workshop, participants will pot their own herb garden using locally sourced worm castings from Happy Worm. Everyone will leave with a living terra cotta planter of basil, chives, and thyme and everything they need to grow fresh herbs at home.
Fee: $55.59 per person. All materials are provided. For registered participants only. Limited spaces available.
Accessible Birding Day
Next week is Birdability Week (October 19–25), celebrating more inclusive, accessible, and welcoming birding for everyone. Join us next Thursday, October 22, for a special bird walk at the Center & Gardens led by Audubon California. Free for all participants. No registration required. Binoculars available at the front desk.
Art workshop: Tabletop Nicho
Join Raices Cultura staff artists for a fun, hands-on studio session where you’ll create your own miniature nicho—a Latino folk art shadowbox honoring a loved one, figure, or idea. Using paint, collage, and mixed media, this workshop is open to all skill levels and offers a creative, relaxed environment.
Fee: $28.29 per person. For registered participants only. Limited spaces available. All art supplies are included.
Beginning November 5: Free guided bird walks
Offered most Thursdays at 8:45 am, November through May, guided Bird Walks are an opportunity to discover various local and migratory bird species in the Sunnylands gardens. These free 60-minute walks are open to all ages and experience levels. No reservations needed. Sun protection, water, and binoculars are suggested. Meet outside the Center entrance.
Join us for a Spanish-language bird walk
This year, in partnership with Audubon California and CV Days of Los Muertos, we will be offering a guided bird walk in Spanish led by Edeli Gonzalez, a Salton Sea Leadership Program alum and member of Friends of the Desert Mountains. Free for all participants. No registration required. Binoculars can be requested at the front desk.
Free film screening in the gardens: Coco
As part of CV Days of Los Muertos, a screening of the film Coco (2017) will be shown in the Sunnylands gardens on Friday, November 6. The animated film follows young Miguel, an aspiring musician, as he enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather. Starring Benjamin Bratt, Gael García Bernal, and Anthony Gonzalez. Run time: 1 hr. 45 min. Rated: PG.
Beginning November 7: Tai Chi in the Gardens
Our weekly Tai Chi in the Gardens program returns this season beginning Saturday, November 7, with an earlier start time of 9:30 am. This beginner-friendly program is an opportunity to practice the opening positions of the Yang Family 108 Long Form. These free, 60-minute sessions are open to all ages and experience levels. No reservations needed. Sun protection and water are suggested.
Art workshop: Seed Mosaics
Register for a hands-on cultural art workshop offered by Gabriela Armenta from Danza Azteca Citlaltonac Indigenous Culture Center. Participants will use seeds, beans, and other natural materials to create designs inspired by Indigenous traditions while honoring seeds as symbols of life, nourishment, resilience, and ancestral knowledge.
This free workshop is for registered participants only. Limited spaces available. All art supplies are included.
Day of the Dead aerialist shows: Sunday, Nov. 8
Join Art Flying Aerial on Sunday, November 8, for a special Day of the Dead-themed aerial celebration honoring the vibrant culture and rich traditions of Hispanic heritage. Enjoy captivating 15-minute performances at the top of each hour from 10 am to 3 pm, featuring creative backdrops, festive costumes, and talented local student performers.
Discussion: Between Nations—The Work of an Ambassador
Register for an engaging dialogue at the Center & Gardens with Ambassador Kathleen Doherty (ret.), Sunnylands’ chief strategy officer, and Ambassador Kristina Kvien, president and CEO of the Pacific Council on International Policy. This salon discussion will explore the role of an ambassador, the future of diplomacy, and how their wide-ranging experiences have shaped their distinguished careers in foreign service.
Movement & Mindfulness
Designed for adults but welcoming to all, this wellness series offers graceful, low-impact movement that supports mobility, balance, and a deeper connection with the body. Set in the serene Sunnylands gardens, these gentle yet inspiring 60-minute guided sessions are free and open to the public. No registration or reservations are required.
Wellness series: Live Easy Meditation
Guided by instructor Lisa Botts, participants will practice wellness exercises anchored in meditation, breathwork, gentle movement, and sound therapy to help gently awaken the mind-body connection.
Fee: $11.91 per person. For registered participants only. Limited spaces available. This series is offered on various dates throughout the season.
Art workshop: Sun Printing
Discover the art of solar-powered blueprint making with instructor Rose Cefalu. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn to create light-sensitive emulsions and print with sunlight. Each participant will take home four to eight completed cyanotype prints. Open to all skill levels.
Fee: $88.35 per person. For registered participants only. Limited spaces available. All art supplies are included.
Dance in the Gardens
Watch the talented Nickerson-Rossi Dance company perform a contemporary routine, artfully weaving their way throughout the Sunnylands gardens. Please be prepared to move with the performance as it progresses through the gardens. Admission is free. No reservations needed.
Beginning November 20: Yoga in the Gardens
In case you missed it, yoga is being offered monthly, instead of weekly, this season. Our first session will be held Friday, November 20, at 9 am. Led by expert instructors, this program gently teaches poses ranging from beginner to intermediate. These free, 60-minute sessions are open to all ages and experience levels. No reservations needed. Sun protection and water are suggested.
Wellness workshop: An Afternoon of Therapeutic Horticulture
Join horticultural therapist Karen Haney for a seed-themed workshop in the Sunnylands gardens. Participants will engage in guided, hands-on activities, such as making their own seed packs and decorating and filling aromatherapy sachet bags.
Fee: $28.29 per person. All materials are provided. For registered participants only. Limited spaces available.
Our café menu has some delicious new updates
We’re excited to share that the café menu features more breakfast favorites and new grab-and-go options to make your visit even easier and more enjoyable. Whether you’re stopping in for a quick bite or a relaxed meal, there’s something new to discover. Tap below to preview the full updated menu. Please note, lunch options (salads and sandwiches) are sold between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm.
Free exhibition—Curating Canopy: Trees at Sunnylands
The serenity of Sunnylands originates in large part from the careful selection of trees that founders Walter and Leonore Annenberg chose in the mid-1960s, transforming 200 acres of bare desert into a verdant oasis. Through beautiful imagery by photographer David Loftus, this exhibition invites guests to view trees not just as landscape features but as art, each tree with its own sculptural form and seasonal expression.
Shop in person or online at the Sunnylands shop
Browse our online shop to find the perfect gift, including Sunnylands-branded hats, mugs, visors, and notecards, plus books and exhibition catalogs. In-store shopping and pickup for online orders are available Wednesday through Sunday, from 8:30 am to 4 pm.
This month's botanical spotlight: Giant Hesperaloe
Giant Hesperaloe displays both pink and white blooming varieties, which grow on a flowering stalk called a raceme that can reach up to 16 feet. Found in various beds throughout the Sunnylands gardens, Hesperaloe is generally popular with nectaring hummingbirds and opportunistic caterpillars. Browse the gardens at your own pace or try one of six self-guided audio garden walks.