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.
The Museum
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
- 01.24.19
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Come on an adventure! With a coat of sharp quills, this High Desert creature knows how to keep predators away. We’ll be sure to not get too close to our porcupine as we see what its life is all about. Children ages 3-5 and their caregivers investigate science, art, music, stories, and culture in a (more…)
- 01.24.19
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Get the first view of the new exhibit, Rick Bartow: Things You Know But Cannot Explain, and learn more about his work, life and legacy from Charles Froelick, Rick’s longtime friend and art dealer. He will provide valuable insight into this celebrated Oregon artist, including firsthand accounts of Rick’s passion and work. Rick Bartow (1946-2016) (more…)
- 01.26.19
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Everyone gets in free! Made possible by (more…)
- 01.26.19
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Rick Bartow (1946-2016) is one of Oregon’s most celebrated Indigenous artists. This retrospective exhibition of his large-scale paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures celebrates and memorializes his extraordinary life and career. Bartow’s work explores his Native American identity, his service in Vietnam and struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, and his enduring love for the natural world. (more…)
- 01.30.19
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Come on an adventure! What keeps you warm at night? Travel back in time to the 1800s and imagine keeping warm as a fur trader camping or while traveling the Oregon Trail. Discover how certain animals stay warm all winter long. Children ages 3-5 and their caregivers investigate science, art, music, stories, and culture in (more…)
- 01.31.19
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Come on an adventure! What keeps you warm at night? Travel back in time to the 1800s and imagine keeping warm as a fur trader camping or while traveling the Oregon Trail. Discover how certain animals stay warm all winter long. Children ages 3-5 and their caregivers investigate science, art, music, stories, and culture in (more…)
Changing
Exhibits
9.8.18 -
7.14.19
Art, Natural History
Animal Journeys: Navigating in Nature
The High Desert Museum is pleased to present Animal Journeys: Navigating in Nature, an original exhibition exploring the navigational feats performed by wildlife.
10.27.18 -
2.17.19
Art, Natural History
Desert Mystic: Paintings by John Simpkins
John Simpkins personifies the tradition of the artist as a mystic and hermit as his paintings weave wildlife into dense, layered allegories.
1.26.19 -
4.7.19
Art, History
Rick Bartow: Things You Know But Cannot Explain
Rick Bartow (1946-2016) is one of Oregon’s most celebrated Indigenous artists. Rick’s sculptures, paintings, drawings and prints are an eloquent exploration of his identity, and they remind us that identity is layered and complex.
