The McCallum Theatre's mission is to educate and entertain the public through the performing arts, with an emphasis on serving children and youth of the Coachella Valley by a variety of performing arts experiences that reflect the diversity of people, interests and tastes of the communities and constituents served by the Theatre. Originally organized in 1973 as Friends of the Cultural Center, a group of local leaders committed themselves to the creation of a state-of-the-art performing arts center. Their vision was to enhance and enrich the lives of desert residents by making the performing arts available to as many people as possible. Vision became reality in January 1988, with the opening of the McCallum Theatre. Since then, the McCallum has gained acclaim as one of the country's finest presenting theatres by audiences, entertainers and peers alike.