The historic house tour at Sunnylands

Why it is on the list

Sunnylands is the 200-acre winter estate of Walter and Leonore Annenberg in Rancho Mirage. Since 1966 it has received U.S. presidents, world leaders and British royalty, and it still hosts high-level meetings: Reagan announced the U.S.–Canada free trade agreement from the house in 1988, and Barack Obama received Xi Jinping there in June 2013.¹ A. Quincy Jones designed the house in the 1960s, pink roof included, and William Haines did the interiors.² The Historic House Tour is the only public way inside: seven guests, one guide, 90 minutes through the 25,000 square feet.²³

It is the wrong choice with children under 10, the minimum age, or for a party larger than seven, since group tours are not sold.² The estate is closed from early June to mid-September.³ For the grounds without the rooms, the Open-Air Experience is a 45-minute shuttle ride across the estate that stops at the front door of the house.²

How to get it

Tickets are sold online only, at sunnylands.org; there is no booking by phone, email or in person, and at most seven go in one transaction.²³ Each month's tours go on sale at 9 am Pacific time on the 15th of the month before, and there is no waitlist once a tour sells out; same-day tickets are sometimes sold on site.² The tour costs $58.19 a person.² Sunnylands is open Wednesday to Sunday, 8:30 am to 4 pm, and closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.³ A convening of world leaders can cancel a tour already sold; the ticket is then refunded.² By car it is about 100 miles from LAX on Interstate 10: leave at exit 130, Bob Hope Drive, and look for the flag pole and the pink monument; the public entrance is past the staff entrance.⁴

Discretion

Tours leave from the Center & Gardens, and a shuttle takes the seven guests to the door of the house.² Photography is not allowed inside the house.³