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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


  •  11.08.25
     10:00 am - 4:00 pm

November 8, 2025 – June 28, 2026  In the 19th and 20th centuries, maps and advertisements functioned as powerful enticements to attract colonists to the High Desert region. Drawn West explores a century of salesmanship, when artists and cartographers alike crafted an image of the West that depicted both truth and fiction. Selected from the Museum’s collections, (more…)


  •  11.11.25
     10:00 am - 4:00 pm

We’ll be honoring Veterans Day all day long with free admission for veterans!  FREE admission all day for veterans.  Active-duty service members and up to five family members receive free Museum admission through the Blue Star Museums program every day.  (more…)


  •  11.13.25
     9:00 am - 10:00 am

From otters to kids programs, learn about all the Museum’s great work in 2025 — and what’s ahead! — in our Annual Member Meeting. Start your day with Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D., for light refreshments and sharing about the Museum’s recent accomplishments and upcoming plans. At the E.L. Wiegand Birds of Prey Pavilion. 9:00 (more…)


  •  11.19.25
     10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Visitors 65 and older are invited to enjoy the Museum for FREE. The Museum will also be open to the general public.  10:00 am to 4:00 pm  FREE for all seniors age 65 and older (more…)


  •  11.20.25
     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 to 6:00 pm FREE for individuals, friends and family; RSVP required (more…)


  •  11.22.25
     11:00 am - 4:00 pm

November 22, 2025 – November 30, 2025 At the Museum store, you get more than a souvenir. Kick-start your year-end shopping at Silver Sage Trading during the Winter Sale! Find 20% discounts on most merchandise for Museum members, plus special discounts on holiday gift favorites from local artisans, designers and small businesses. Then, on November (more…)

Changing
Exhibits

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?

7.5.25 -
9.20.25

Art

Art in the West

Art in the West is an annual juried fine art exhibition and online silent auction featuring art that celebrates the landscapes, wildlife, people, cultures and history of the High Desert—a region that stretches from the eastern slope of the Cascades and Sierras to the Wyoming Basin and Colorado Plateau. Featuring nearly 120 pieces from 80-plus nationally and regionally acclaimed artists, Art in the West blankets the walls of the Museum.

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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