High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon

Opened in 1982 the High Desert Museum is located just five minutes south of Bend, Oregon on Hwy 97, and includes a museum store and café. The museum is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Fourth of July.

The 100,000 square feet of exhibit space in the museum has several permanent exhibition halls dedicated to the ecosystem of the high desert, the culture of the first nations and the history of European settlers coming to the region. Additionally, there are temporary exhibits that follow similar themes to the permanent exhibits.

The outdoor space covers 135 acres and has trails running through the forest. Here you’ll come across an exhibit of river otters and an authentic homestead and sawmill from 1904. At the homestead, you might be lucky enough to meet and talk with historic characters who share tales of early Oregon explorers and settlers.