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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06.15.25
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Happy Father’s Day! FREE admission for all dads and those who serve as dads! (more…)
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06.29.25
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Last chance to see Blood, Sweat and Flannel! For more information about the exhibition, click here. (more…)
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07.04.25
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Photo by Jon Nelson Happy Independence Day! The Museum is closed today. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow, July 5! (more…)
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07.05.25
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Photo by Todd Cary Exhibition Opening – Art in the West July 5, 2025 – September 20, 2025 Art in the West is an annual juried exhibition and silent auction featuring traditional and contemporary art that celebrates the landscapes, wildlife, people, cultures and history of the High Desert—a region that stretches from the eastern slope of the (more…)
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07.16.25
6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Grab your headlamps and join us outside at the High Desert Museum to celebrate sundown, the transition between day and night when nocturnal wildlife stir. Learn how a dark night sky free from artificial light pollution is critical for wildlife. This family-friendly event will include telescope tours, insect discoveries, bat watching, food and drinks for (more…)
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07.29.25
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…)
Changing
Exhibits
11.2.24 -
6.29.25
History
Blood, Sweat & Flannel
Flannel is more than a fabric. Flannel shirts, jackets and undergarments have played an important role for laborers in the High Desert. Workers have donned flannel as they logged trees and roped cattle. Later, grunge counterculture adopted flannel as a nod to nonfashion. Blood, Sweat & Flannel explores the region’s labor history though the lens of the beloved fabric.
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?
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.
