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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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…)
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02.22.25
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Everyone gets in free! 10:00 am – 4:00 pm MADE POSSIBLE BY (more…)
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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…)
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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.
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.
