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Indio, California: Shields Date Garden: Date Capital of the World

Learn the history of the date -- the fruit, not the mating ritual. Open since 1924. Still screens the great slide show, "Romance and Sex Life of the Date," and still serves date shakes. Medieval Knight sign out front is a popular photo-op.

Address:
80225 US Highway 111, Indio, CA
Directions:
I-10 exit onto Indio Blvd, then south onto Jefferson St. for two miles. Turn left at Hwy 111; the Date Garden will be on the right.
Phone:
760-347-0996
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
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Visitor Tips and News About Shields Date Garden: Date Capital of the World

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Shields Date Garden

Classic! Date shake was wonderful and the movie is a must-see. Also picked up some dates, peanut brittle, and pistachios. Well worth the short ride from the interstate.

[Sequoyah, 04/25/2013]

The Romance and Sex Life of the Date movie has wowed visitors for many years.

Dates.

Shields Date Garden in the Date Capital of the World

The inside is full of old and new date history. The romance and sex of dates movie still plays nonstop and had photos and audio clips of Mr. Shields himself.

There are date samples a plenty on the counter. I highly recommend the date shake. Like nothing else you've ever had before. Check out the nursery in the back and see real dates growing on the trees.

[Drumbabe, 10/14/2010]

Mmmm...date shake. It's like drinking a Fig Newton.

National Date Festival sign.

National Date Festival - Blessing of the Dates

A scene out of the Arabian nights, the National Date Festival and Riverside County Fair is held each year in date-crazed Indio. There are camel and ostrich races, an Arabian Nights Pageant outdoor musical, the Blessing of the Dates Ceremony, and more Middle Eastern appreciation than you'll find in the whole rest of the USA. Also in the area are Jensen's and Shields' Date Gardens, where the history of the date is told and dates sold.

[Roadsideamerica.com Team, 01/11/2004]
The Romance and Sex Life of the Date

Shields Date Gardens - The Romance and Sex Life of the Date (movie). Did you ever wonder why female date buds are RED? This movie explains why. OK I'll tell you.. it's the same reason women paint their fingernails red.... those hussy date trees want SEX.

[Ka S., 09/21/1997]

Nearby Offbeat Places

Big Metal RoadrunnerBig Metal Roadrunner, La Quinta, CA - 2 mi.
Large Genie and Magic LampLarge Genie and Magic Lamp, Indio, CA - 3 mi.
Highway Center Line InventorHighway Center Line Inventor, Indio, CA - 3 mi.
In the region:
Etherea: Wire Cathedral, Coachella, CA - 5 mi.

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