About the Museum
Plan Your Visit
Check out current exhibits and daily programs, find directions, rates, hours and more.
Education
Teach & Learn
Lifelong learning starts here! Explore teacher trainings, memorable field trips and unique school programs.
Join the HDM Family
Make an Impact
Volunteer, become a member or donate to support arts, education, wildlife and more.
Wildlife, History & Art
Otters, porcupines, owls, oh my! Encounter wildlife up close, explore the history and culture of the wild West and take in beautiful art. The High Desert Museum is a cultural gem set on 135 acres of awe. It’s no wonder visitors voted us one of the best things to do in Bend Oregon!
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
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08.14.25
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
A quieter time for children and adults who experience physical, intellectual and/or social disabilities to enjoy the High Desert Museum after hours. Explore the Museum’s newest exhibitions and revisit your favorites. Sensory packs are available to borrow with headphones, fidgets and more. 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm FREE for individuals, friends and family; RSVP required (more…)
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08.23.25
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
The Museum will close at 2:00 pm so our staff can prepare for our annual High Desert Rendezvous auction. We’ll see you tomorrow at 9:00 am! (more…)
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08.23.25
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The High Desert Museum’s signature fundraiser returns Saturday, August 23! Join us on Saturday, August 23, for the 36th High Desert Rendezvous — the High Desert Museum’s beloved annual fundraiser! As one of Central Oregon’s longest-standing fundraisers, Rendezvous is a testament to our community’s enduring support of the Museum’s mission to wildly excite and responsibly (more…)
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08.28.25
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Full steam ahead! See the 1904 Lazinka Sawmill in action and how lumber was processed on-the-go at the turn of the century. 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm FREE with Museum admission (more…)
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09.18.25
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Join The Writing Ranch and the High Desert Museum on a unique weekend nature writing intensive at the Lodge at Summer Lake. Daily generative workshops will be led by Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston and will be complemented by morning and evening field trips with naturalist experts including Curator of Wildlife Jon Nelson. Lodging, food (more…)
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09.20.25
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Join us as we celebrate the closing of the 2025 Art in the West exhibition! Mingle with participating artists, watch live demonstrations, and enjoy delicious food and libations. The exhibit and auction close at 7:00 pm. Auction winners who are present can take home their pieces starting at 8:00 pm. 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm (more…)
Changing
Exhibits
2.1.25 -
9.7.25
Art, History
Frank S. Matsura: Portraits from the Borderland
Featuring more than 30 large-format photos from the dawn of the 20th century, this exhibition showcases Frank S. Matsura's (1873-1913) masterful attention to detail photographing Indigenous families near his studio in Washington state's Okanagan County near the Canadian border. Matsura, a Japanese immigrant, connected with the Indigenous tribes in the cultural and geographic "borderland."
2.22.25 -
10.5.25
Science, Natural History
Patterns at Play: Fractals in Nature
Fractals are never-ending patterns that repeat the same shape at bigger and smaller scales. From mountain ranges and the galaxy to snow crystals and brain neurons, fractals big and small exist all around us. Step inside this fun, funky and family-friendly exhibit. You can learn to build a fractal, listen to the sound of sonic fractals, relax in a bean bag chair and watch an animation create new fractals right before your eyes. Are you ready to be mesmerized?
7.5.25 -
9.20.25
Art
Art in the West
Art in the West is an annual juried fine art exhibition and online silent auction featuring art that celebrates the landscapes, wildlife, people, cultures and history of the High Desert—a region that stretches from the eastern slope of the Cascades and Sierras to the Wyoming Basin and Colorado Plateau. Featuring nearly 120 pieces from 80-plus nationally and regionally acclaimed artists, Art in the West blankets the walls of the Museum.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services named the High Desert Museum as one of six recipients of the 2021 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities.
The Museum was recognized for providing dynamic programming and services through community outreach, working to create programs that offer rich educational programming and expand museum access.
