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About the Museum

Plan Your Visit

Check out current exhibits and daily programs, find directions, rates, hours and more.

Kids & Families

Explore Together

Learn about kid-friendly exhibits, activities, camps 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


  •  02.08.25
     10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Have you ever wondered what animals live near your home? This workshop teaches the basics of recognizing tracks and signs, how to use trail cameras to document animals without disturbing them, and ways you can share what you find with scientists through community science projects. At the end of the workshop participants will have the (more…)


  •  02.13.25
     5:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Please join us for our Annual Meeting with Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D., to hear about the Museum’s recent accomplishments and upcoming plans. Afterward, stay to experience the festivities of Member Appreciation Night. This family-friendly event features a Valentine’s twist—make your own valentines for the animals at the Museum and ask them to “be mine!” (more…)


  •  02.22.25
     10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Everyone gets in free! 10:00 am – 4:00 pm MADE POSSIBLE BY (more…)


  •  02.22.25
     10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Patterns at Play: Fractals in Nature February 22, 2025 – October 5, 2025 When you look closely, the natural world is packed full of patterns. From clouds and tree bark to shells and cacti, nature is alive with repeating shapes. Scientists call them fractals. Patterns at Play: Fractals in Nature invites you to take a (more…)


  •  02.27.25
     4:00 pm - 6:00 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. 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm FREE for individuals, friends and family   (more…)

Changing
Exhibits

3.2.24 -
1.12.25

Art, History

Sensing Sasquatch

Native peoples of the Plateau have long known about, encountered, depicted and told stories about Sasquatch. Sensing Sasquatch explores Sasquatch’s past, present and future in the High Desert region through an Indigenous lens. Works by five Indigenous artists will be on view, including: Phillip Cash Cash, Ph.D. (Nez Perce, Cayuse), HollyAnna CougarTracks DeCoteau Littlebull (Yakama, Nez Perce, Cayuse, Cree), Charlene “Tillie” Moody (Warm Springs), Frank Buffalo Hyde (Nez Perce, Onondaga) and Rocky LaRock (Salish).

9.20.24 -
2.9.25

Art, History

Rick Bartow: Animal Kinship

Featuring nearly two dozen works from the collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation, this exhibition highlights sculptural and two dimensional works by one of the Northwest’s most celebrated artists, Rick Bartow (Mad River Band of the Wiyot Tribe, 1948 - 2016.

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.

12.7.24 -
4.6.25

Art

Neighbors: Wildlife Paintings by Hilary Baker

Featuring more than one dozen contemporary works, accomplished painter Hilary Baker explores the complex relationship between manmade spaces and native wildlife. Highlighting iconic architecture and wildlife as both prominent and enigmatic, each work invites an encounter and raises questions about our own proximity to wildlife.

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. 

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