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
- 09.27.17
10:00 am - 11:00 am - 09.28.17
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Come on an adventure! Parents and children ages 3-5 investigate science, art, music, stories and culture in a fun, hands-on manner. Don backpacks filled with exciting artifacts while journeying through the Museum’s nature trails and exhibits. Foster artistic expression in your little one and take home activities to continue the learning. New themes weekly! Members (more…)
- 09.28.17
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Throughout their lives, Doc and Connie Hatfield have been committed to developing partnership and building consensus to engender sustainability in the High Desert. On their ranch in Brothers, Oregon, they demonstrated how a holistic approach to ranching can be compatible with healthier rangelands, riparian zones and watersheds. Their inspiring dialogue between conservation groups and traditional (more…)
- 09.30.17
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Small Plateau Style Wallet Weaving Workshop with Pat Courtney Gold Students will weave a small Wasco Sally Bag Wallet and learn about wefts, warps, tension, “’Z” twining and full-turn twining to create the designs. Because of time constraints, commercial fibers will be used and will be provided by the instructor. Tools and supplies that participants (more…)
- 10.02.17
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
The passage of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act was meant to mollify angry white workers in the West who believed that Chinese laborers were taking their jobs. Instead, it launched a punitive American policy of banning all immigrants of certain racial or national origins. What did this exclusion mean for the Chinese in Oregon and (more…)
- 10.04.17
10:00 am - 11:00 am - 10.05.17
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Come on an adventure! Parents and children ages 3-5 investigate science, art, music, stories and culture in a fun, hands-on manner. Don backpacks filled with exciting artifacts while journeying through the Museum’s nature trails and exhibits. Foster artistic expression in your little one and take home activities to continue the learning. New themes weekly! Members (more…)
- 10.04.17
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Former OMSI President Marilynne Eichinger reveals the good, the bad and the surprising history of the hands-on education movement. Peer into the political and educational climate of the 60’s to discover factors that propelled the hands-on education movement into prominence. Follow the missteps and breakthroughs as Marilynne shares her story and those of 11 other (more…)
Changing
Exhibits
5.27.17 -
11.12.17
Art
Beyond Fences
Photographer Brown W. Cannon III explores what it means to be a cowboy.
2.18.17 -
12.2.17
Art, Natural History
Legendary Landscapes
A community-curated photographic exhibit of High Desert landscapes and the stories behind their names.
9.2.17 -
2.17.18
Kids, Natural History
Innovation Lab: Design Inspired by Nature
Learn how designers, engineers and architects are taking a page out of nature's book, and create some designs of your own in this family-friendly exhibition..
10.13.17 -
4.8.18
Art, Natural History, Wildlife
Dinosaurs Take Flight: The Art of Archaeopteryx
Enter the world of Archaeopteryx, a famous fossil that has informed our current understanding of birds and flight.
12.15.17 -
4.30.18
Art
Blake Little: Photographs from the Gay Rodeo
Black-and-white photographs that document the gay rodeo circuit and lives of many of its participants.
