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
- 02.16.19
8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Join a Museum curator to view raptors in Central Oregon. Visit Fort Rock to observe the natural behaviors of raptors such as golden eagles, ferruginous hawks, prairie falcons, merlins and more. Transportation provided. Weather permitting. The following Refund Policy is in effect for the High Desert Museum. For Museum events and programs: no refunds, unless (more…)
- 02.16.19
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Explore how people a century ago performed the making and mending of clothes, quilts and other textiles. Children and adults alike can get hands on with an old-time sewing machine as well as crocheting and quilting inside the Hall of Exploration and Settlement, learning about how the work got done and how the artistry and (more…)
- 02.17.19
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
This is your last chance to see Desert Mystic: The Paintings of John Simpkins. (more…)
- 02.18.19
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Kids Camp on February 18 is sold out. If you would like to be put on the waiting list for this Kids Camp, please complete the form below. Thank you! Painting Animal Stories Join an exciting journey of creative discovery! There will be fun and innovative art projects including a large-format canvas painting (more…)
- 02.20.19
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Come on an adventure! Take your mind off the long, dark winter nights and learn about the bright, shining stars up in the winter sky. Come hear stories about these stars. Children ages 3-5 and their caregivers investigate science, art, music, stories, and culture in a fun, hands-on manner. Don backpacks filled with exciting artifacts (more…)
- 02.21.19
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Come on an adventure! Take your mind off the long, dark winter nights and learn about the bright, shining stars up in the winter sky. Come hear stories about these stars. Children ages 3-5 and their caregivers investigate science, art, music, stories, and culture in a fun, hands-on manner. Don backpacks filled with exciting artifacts (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.
