Notes: Choose any single, or group of tickets that best fit your schedule for Obscura day. Obscura Day attendees pay each event's attendance fee/donation in cash and in person at the time of the event.

Join Atlas Obscura and Paul K. Sholar of Suede Shirt Travel on a day long journey through Joshua Trees most curious locals, such as the:

Integratron Self-Guided Tour and Sound Bath

The historical and world-famous Integratron, a domed structure 38 ft high and 55 ft in diameter, is located at the intersection of geomagnetic forces in the Mojave Desert north of Palm Springs, California. Conceived and built between 1965 and 1978 by George Van Tassel, one of the earliest pioneers in the UFO contactee movement, the Integratron's one-of-a-kind design is based on descriptions of Moses’ Tabernacle, the writings of Nikola Tesla, and, according to Mr. Van Tassel, directions received telepathically from extraterrestrials. Though originally designed by Van Tassel as a rejuvenation and time machine, today it is the only all-wood, acoustically perfect sound chamber in the U.S.

The Sound Bath is the Integratron's signature experience for visitors. According to the current operators "Using the deep resonance of the upper sound chamber, energy and the sound are focused and amplified by the building's unique geometry. Using pure Quartz Crystal Singing Bowls keyed harmonically to the human body, the 30-minute Sound Bath bathes the body in waves of peace, balance, and deep relaxation. It is the antidote to everyday life."

Attendees are offered (1) a self-guided tour with brief discussion about the highlights of the Sound Bath and the Integration building itself, (2) 30-minute Sound Bath followed by relaxation period. Restrooms are available, and food vendors will be present on site. Recommendation: Bring your own water, and consider bringing your own lunch/refreshments in case of site shortages.

On Obscura Day, the Integratron's gates open at 10.00 am, close at 3.00 pm. To reach the Integratron.

A Guided Tour of Giant Rock

Weighing approximately 25,000 tons, approximately 7 stories tall, and covering 5,800 sq. ft, the million-year-old. Giant Rock is considered the largest freestanding boulder in the world. It was first revered by Native American tribes from the Morongo Basin and beyond, who held annual ceremonies nearby and considered it sacred grounds. After discovery by white men in the 1800's, in the mid-1900’s a German-American prospecter named Frank Critzer became associated with Giant Rock after digging out living quarters under the massive boulder and grading the remote Giant Rock airstrip. Befriended by the young George Van Tassel, Frank’s life ended dramatically in a dynamite explosion, after which Van Tassel moved his wife and three daughters from Long Beach, California, into Critzer's underground quarters. Van Tassel claimed that at Giant Rock he was visited by beings from Venus who shared information he used in constructing the Integratron.

From 1954 to 1977 Van Tassel hosted annual Giant Rock Spacecraft Conventions, attended by thousands, some of whom flew in just to eat at Eva Van Tassel’s Come On Inn restaurant at the site. In February 2000 the Rock split with an auspicious message from a Hopi prophecy made centuries prior. Giant Rock has also been painted pink by a Los Angeles artist. Yet after all these adventures, Giant Rock continues to produce mysteries and capture the region's folklore.

When gathered under the white staging tent in the Integratron parking lot, attendees are offered a 20-minute introduction to Giant Rock's history followed by handing out of maps for an optional trip to Giant Rock (3.5 miles away by car) and further discussion at the site. Attendees return to the Integratron's parking lot.

Guided Tour of Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum

63030 Blair Lane, Joshua Tree, CA

The Noah Purifoy Foundation  will offer a tour of Noah's art site for Obscura Day participants, highlighting certain works and opening the Visitors Center and Gallery. Reservations are required.

The mission of the Noah Purifoy Foundation is to preserve and maintain this art site, developed for 20 years by artist Noah Purifoy in Joshua Tree, California, to be an Outdoor Desert Art Museum of Assemblage Sculpture open to the public. Please be aware that the grounds are a museum. The artwork should be treated as you would an indoor museum--that is, no handling, moving, or removing of any objects, or defacing anything. There are no fences, and we ask you to park in front of the site off Blair Lane, not across from it, in deference to our neighbors.

As an organization we are in the early stages of developing the site for formal touring. We appreciate your interest and welcome your involvement in the work of the foundation to preserve Noah Purifoy's work and legacy as artist, sculptor, philosopher, and mentor for public participation and enjoyment.

Note: There are no restroom facilities at the site.

Attendees are offered an approximately 1-hour guided tour of a unique 10-acre outdoor museum of assemblage sculpture by Noah Purifoy, long-time artist, founder of the Watts Towers Art Center, and member of California Arts Council 1976-1987 (appointed by Governor Jerry Brown).

DETAILS AND DIRECTIONS

To reach Joshua Tree, CA:

From the east, take I-10 west to California Route 177 north. Follow 177 north to California Route 62 west. Follow 62 west to Joshua Tree. Turn right on Yucca Mesa Street.

From the west, take I-10 east to California Route 62 (Twentynine Palms Highway) east. Follow 62 east to Joshua Tree. Turn left on Yucca Mesa Street.

To reach Noah Purify Outdoor Desert Art Museum:

Follow Yucca Mesa Street to Aberdeen Road, take right. Follow Aberdeen Road across Border Street to Center Road, take left. Follow Center Road one block (dirt road) to Blair Lane, take right (dirt road). Museum is on left at 63030 Blair Lane.

Parking is in front of museum on Blair Lane, not across from it, or along pavement on Aberdeen Road near Center Road.

The best route between the two sites is via California Route 247 (Old Woman Springs Road) north/south and turning to/from Aberdeen Drive east/west. See the separate directions to each site for the details.

We recommend that you carpool to these events and that you bring your own drinking water and your own maps of the Landers/Joshua Tree, CA area. Overnight accommodations are typically available in the towns of Palm Springs/Rancho Mirage/Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, and other nearby communities. See the links on this page to Suede Shirt Travel, the Integratron, and the Noah Purifoy Foundation for additional recommendations about finding local amenities during your visit.

Organized by Paul K. Sholar of Suede Shirt Travel (provider of custom heritage- and history-related tours in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and across California), this Obscura Day event spans three sites in the southern California desert towns of Landers and Joshua Tree, each known for their many offerings in the arts and in facilities for alternative personal/spiritual development.

ABOUT OBSCURA DAY

Obscura Day is an international celebration of unusual places taking place around the world on March 20, 2010. It is sponsored by Atlas Obscura, a guide to the world's wonders, curiosities, and esoterica. To find out more about the Atlas and Obscura Day, or to find out how you can host an event in your city, visit ObscuraDay.com, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

While you are out exploring, we encourage you to take pictures and tag them on Flickr as Obscura Day and tweet using #obscuraday so we can all watch Obscura Day unfold all over the world.

Integratron on Atlas Obscura

Giant Rock on Atlas Obscura

Noah Purifoy's Outdoor Desert Museum on Atlas Obscura

OBSCURADAY.COM