We were on vacation in Sunriver, Oregon, and had read about the High Desert Museum just up the highway toward Bend. The museum happened to be our meeting spot for an excellent private tour of a local lava tube cave, but that's for another review. This is a terrific museum, and much nicer than one would expect from a small community. The outdoor exhibit area winds through forested areas that stayed reasonable even on a 94 degree day--and we appreciated the occasional mist. Outdoors, they've got an otter area that pleased the kids mightily, exhibits on forest ecology as well as lava formations, and the like. And a really surprising "farm" set up to look like a farmstead outside Bend would have looked in the 1850's-1880's. There were people in costume (quite a few) adding authenticity and answering questions about "life here on the farm" as well as assigning "chores" to willing kids--such as washing real clothes in a real washtub outdoors. Hard to get them lava stains out. They have a working sawmill, using 1880s design and technology. On some Saturdays they actually fire the thing up (literally--it's steam driven) and mill lumber, which you can see in stacks behind the place. They apparently make good use of it. Inside the museum proper, it's a very well designed, contemporary space with different emphasis in multiple sections. The design of many of these exhibits reminded us of the Field Museum in Chicago, so you can see why I was surprised at the quality here in the high desert, well away from large cities. Bend isn't tiny, but it ain't no Chicago. The indoor exhibits feature excellent soundscapes from well hidden speakers, contributing 'natural sounds' to the environments, whether the mine, or water and animals, or Native Americans, etc. Great stuff, and well worth visiting with or without kids. read more

This should be your second stop after visiting Pilot Butte. Great place to take the kids and get a quick study of the High Desert. Check the schedule for different on premise activities. read more

$15 is way too much for admission to this museum. They charge $3 more per person for non-members to see Raptors of the Desert Sky that wasn't even worth it. They told us to gather at the meeting spot no later than 12:15 pm and we didn't even walk down until 12:35 pm because they were running late. You still had a 5 minute walk to the bottom. There was way too many people to enjoy this show. No place to sit except the ground and we couldn't even hear the host. The museum is spread out with some exhibits indoors and outdoors so I wouldn't recommend coming on a rainy day. They should notify you in advance if main exhibits are closed. There are a lot better things to do and see in Bend. read more

Active military enter at no cost! Lovely indoor exhibits with plenty to see for the whole family. Wildlife exhibits are indoors and outdoors; birds, insects, fish, frogs, snakes, lizards, spiders, otter... If you have small children be sure to stop by the wildlife pavilion exhibit yo see the birds feed and chipmunk play! There is a gift shop and cafe too. Great day out for the family! read more

High Desert Museum - Museums Near Me - Bend, Oregon

See all

I love this place! I've been going here since I was a little girl, and I try to make it there whenever I visit Bend. The other reviews are great and I don't want to cover the same ground, but I wanted to mention that their animals are RESCUES with injuries that make it dangerous for them to return to the wild. They even have a declawed lynx (someone tried to make him into a pet). They take very good care of all their animals. It's amazing to see bald eagles up close, and they also have river otters, a porcupine, a desert fox, and Great Horned Owls. But the animals aren't even half of what there is to see. If you're in the area, don't miss it. read more

This is a really terrific museum, particularly for a small community, and one that can be enjoyed as an indoor OR outdoor experience. We loved it, and so did our kids. Outdoors you'll find a few animal exhibits, including the birds of prey and some lovely (if sleepy) otters. There's also a set of restored settlement buildings that are fun to poke around. And our kids loved strolling the grounds themselves, thanks to all the chipmunks and ground squirrels. Indoors you'll find a rather modest collection of desert creatures, and an uneven collection of exhibits...during our visit, the exhibit on the desert at night contained a disappointing number of non-functioning displays and activities. But the real gem of the museum is easy to miss: the "Spirit of the West" gallery of settlement and exploration. We nearly missed it ourselves, and because it was late in the day, didn't have enough time to soak it all up -- but it's a stupendous collection of rooms and spaces simulating different settings from Oregon at the time of the first European settlements. In terms of experience and caliber, imagine going through a smaller version of something like Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean ride, except on foot, not animatronic, and actually educational. (I hate myself for the comparison, but that's what it reminded me of, and I consider that high praise.) The exhibit on aboriginal history ("By Hand Through Memory") was also excellent, though again, very easy to miss. If I have any criticism of the museum it's that the space naturally steers you towards the animals, and away from the historical exhibits that are actually much more unusual and stronger. We'll definitely return if we are back in Bend, and indeed, this is a reason we'd love to come back to town! read more

This museum rocks! I have visited twice now & was thoroughly impressed both times. The exhibits are very well done & informative. They have both indoor & outdoor exhibits. We saw the birds of prey presentation & the kids loved it! They brought out a hawk and an owl, plus they also brought out a badger & a skunk. So cute to see them in action! My friend's 4 year old kept talking about how much he liked the hawk, but instead he kept saying "cock". He kept asking "Mommy, do you like the cock? Daddy, do you like the cock?" How precious! There is really a lot to see so be sure not to miss anything. The bat exhibit was pretty cool, too. read more

If I could put up an audio of me screaming "boring and overpriced!" on Yelp, I would. This place sucks, pure and simple. I have no idea why it was built in the first place, and even less of an idea why it's being maintained. First off, it's $15 to get it. Yeah, more expensive than the Zoo, the Aquarium, and even more expensive than an first run movie at Regal Cinemas--and the movie would last longer! I was apprehensive about going here because (as a slightly intelliget human being) I know that there isn't a whole lot of life and/or activity in the desert. Well, it seems that this museum really highlights that fact. They have some kids coloring thing going on, and some animal exhibits, but they are small and un-entertaining. For instance, they have an otter pen outside. Okaaaay... otters live in the desert? Well they live in water, and there are rivers near deserts. Ok, then there's the godawful "grounds" outside, where you have to walk and walk and walk (on the "nature" trail where no nature other than trees and brush are present) in the heat to get to some stupid log cutting thing. They have a logging operation at the desert museum. If logging was big business in the desert than I'm dumber than I thought. I mean, I know there are trees here that you can cut down, but was it a primary occupation in these parts 100 years ago? I dunno what the draw is here, but I do know that it put me in a very bad mood. Bah! Save your money. read more

This place is pretty good. I've heard it's pricy but I skirted paying the admission fee because you can rent a pass from the Deschutes Public Library (which I so fortunately got to do for 4th of July weekend). First off, I love the animals here- I feel a little sad for the bobcat and the lynx but they are fun to watch. The Birds of Prey exhibit however, takes the cake. I'm super bias because I've worked in ornithology for 3 years but nothing is better than spending hours and hours with the birds. My favorite has to be the pair of Spotted Owls. The otter is great fun to watch too when he's up and moving around. I ended spending 5 hours at the museum I also made sure to go to all the talks I could to get everything I could out of my visit. I did attempt to visit on the "free admission for locals" day which was great but crowed. Fortunately I went alone so the crowds were easier to maneuver, and yes, I spent about an hour with the Spotted Owls. It's not the best museum I've ever been to but it's certainly worth checking out. There's two halls on history of Central Oregon and a sawmill etc but honestly, I'm a lot more interested in biology than history. It's great to have the mix though. Also, the cafe serves a wicked burger so if you're hungry head there for that. Yum! read more

I loved the butterfly exhibit. The Academy of Science Museum in San Francisco has one similar to this but in a huge dome resembling the tropical rainforest. And it's fancy schmancy but you can't really get up close and personal to the butterflies like at the High Desert Museum. They were everywhere, getting on your clothes, resting by your feet. I spent most of the time tapping people on the shoulders warning them to watch their step. Like a huge butterfly loving geek. It was great! But the exhibit ends on April 7th. I also love that the volunteers get dressed up in historical outfits and answer questions and engage the guests. I hear they only dress up on Saturdays, though. The 1904 Miller Family Ranch and Sawmill is great! I'm not too into history but I do love seeing how people in the past live. Being able to walk through the cabin and the farm, especially on the gorgeous Saturday that we went was amazing. The volunteers were there pretending to bake pie and working the loom and answering questions. Fun for the family. My favorite animal exhibit were the otters. They just recently got two new otters. We checked out the time to hear a talk about the otters but unfortunately she got drowned out by all the people who just wanted to see them, and those that did want to listen couldn't hear. Also, like another review says, the High Desert Museum does a wonderful job of staging the exhibits. The attention to detail was very noticeable. Price of admission is $12 during the winter months and $15 in the summer, though I hear you might be able to go to the library for limited free passes. Definitely check it out, at the very least to support the volunteers and employees that do such a nice job. read more

Love, love, LOVE the High Desert Museum! I've been there at all different times of the year and every time it's a different experience. I visited the HDM yesterday and it was a glorious 70 degree w/blue skies--awesome weather for experiencing the outdoor areas of the museum. With interesting exhibit areas and active play areas (like the outdoor "spider web" climbing structure), the HDM is one of my favorite places to spend a summer morning with my sons. While we were there, my 4 yr old and his buddies were able to pump water from the well out near the sawmill and then water the garden (all under the supervision and instruction of informative and friendly volunteers dressed in pioneer clothes). We also attended the 11 am wildlife presentation and were able to interact with a badger, skunk, porcupine and raven. Once again, led by informative and friendly volunteers. The people who work there are always so nice! Although it can be a bit spendy in the spring/summer at $15 per adult and $9 per child 5 and over, it's definitely worth looking into a season pass if you're a Central Oregon resident. The family pass is only $75 and basically pays for itself after 2 trips w/my family of four to the museum. A state parks pass and High Desert Museum family memberships are a MUST in our budget for inexpensive family entertainment each year. :) read more

Last year we bought a season pass to the High Desert Museum and we have been about 12 times. The season pass that cost $75 came with two free guest passes so this was definitely worth the money. I do think that the summer rate of $15 is too high but the winter rate of $10 seems more reasonable. The exhibits change so you won't see the same thing every time. We usually try to avoid Saturdays because they are busier, but on Saturdays they have volunteers that dress up in era appropriate clothing. Last time we were there on a Saturday there was a woodworker showing us how he makes tools. My six year old got to use the foot pedal on the lathe and he was shown lots of other neat old timey tools and got to use them. The Deschutes library has a limited number of passes to give to library patrons if the cost might deter you from going. Here is the website that has info about the passes. http://www.deschuteslibrary.org/using/explorerspass.aspx I highly recommend the museum to anyone, there are animals for the younger kids to look at and lots of info about the area for the adults to read about. read more

Okay, love museums and animals (that are happy and well cared for), this is both. I took all three of my kids ranging in ages from 18 to 8 and everyone had a great time. Very informative and interesting enough for my 8 year old to stay interested! All in all I would say great family activity. Oh and spoiler, the otters, ADORB`S :) read more

Great place to take the kids and adults - there is something for everyone. I really enjoyed the guns that they had on display while we were there. They also have some great little ares (well spread out) to entertain the kiddies. It was definitely worth the trip a little south of Bend to spend an afternoon. The people are painfully friendly and very knowledgable. read more

This museum was spectacular. It is by far one of the most well done museums I've ever seen. I never expected to find something this good in Bend. (no offense Bend!) Your kids will definitely love it. My kids were all mad because they did NOT want to go to a museum. By the time they left they all agreed it was great. Visiting here was one of the best parts of our trip to Bend! read more

The exhibits were very well done, the museum and grounds gorgeous and well preserved. The only downside was that to my three-year-old the Native American exhibit was very scary because of the lighting and some of the sounds that were playing in the background (It was a little dim, not very though). Apparently, this is fairly common with young children. Throughout the grounds, there is a stream cutting through the terrain, and a good amount of chipmunks and ground squirrels flitting about. Inside there are lovely exhibits as well as animal exhibits. There is also the village, sawmill, and birds of prey areas. I recommend strolling through all of them. If you are visiting in the summer and don't deal well with warm temperatures then you should probably go when the museum first opens. read more

Pretty cool place to kill a couple of hours. The owls, otters, and porcupines were pretty fun. I didn't taste anything I didn't enjoy. Everything was seasoned to perfection. I was having a nice time too until that hippy lady hit me with her patchouli smelling satchel. Ok ok ok I would never eat an owl. Each evening I used to stand in my back yard hooting like an owl - and one night, an owl called back. For a year, me and this feathered friend hooted back and forth. I even kept a log of the 'conversation.' Just as I thought he was on the verge of a breakthrough in inter-species communication, my wife had a chat with next door neighbor. 'My husband spends his nights ... calling out to owls,' 'That's odd,' said our neighbor.... 'So does my Husband.' I know your smiling but its not funny! Go see the "museum" its worth the $15 and hoot at the owl for me read more

This museum was exceptional. So much to explore and very thoughtfully laid out. Our favorite part was the raptor building, but it's hard to choose one favorite part. Definitely visit if you have kids and want a fun afternoon in Bend. read more

Great way to spend 3-5 hours. My kids are age 7 and 9 and they loved it. Lots or live animals. Daily schedule includes staff-lead talks, and up close viewings of porcupines, turtles, birds of prey. See otters, bald eagles, bobcat, and so on. Lots of interesting fact-fun for adults too - we went when there was an entire exhibit on beer making. Nice walk around outside to enjoy the beautiful outdoors, and lots of indoor exhibits too. would also be good for younger kids - Highly recommend as a way to spend a day in Sunriver! read more

High Desert Museum - Brochure at front desk 3/20/15 - Museums Near Me - Bend, Oregon

See all

A very nice place to spend the afternoon. The facility is beautifully designed with easy access to the displays and a variety to please everyone in your group. Sigh, I really wish Phoenix had a museum like this. read more

I recently went to a wedding here (a wedding!! It was beautiful and perfect), and was surprised (sorry, OR) to see how extensive, interesting, and cool this museum was. It's: - Pretty sizeable - can definitely keep you engaged for quite a few hours - Diverse in content - I spent quite a lot of time in the Native American area, but there's also a zoo-like thing going on (eagles, owls, snakes, lizards, raccoons, porcupines, etc.), a settlers exhibit (eh, colonialism), a more science-y space (the current exhibition is on animals that glow), and space specifically for kids. Also, a store that's pretty well-stocked - Beautiful outside and in - there are a few walks in the park-like area that are lovely. You'll stroll through on your way to see the birds Overall, very cool, and the staff is super nice. Also a great event space, as it turns out!! read more

Went on Free day-nice surprise. It was busy-ish but that didn't take away from the experience. Loved the otter and eagle exhibits-super close up views of all the animals, which my 3 year old loved. Staff was super friendly. Really nice exhibits, indoors and outdoors. They provide strollers and wheelchairs and the play areas are perfect for little ones. Will be back next time we are in Bend. read more

LOVE this place!! I try to go here every time I come to Bend, Or.

Fun place to be to learn all about the desert and it's inhabitants. Excellent art and exhibits and history in many forms and in many places of this museum. Choose a trail and follow it to find something new and fun to learn. I recommend viewing the Bird show. This is where you down about thirty minutes listening to a speaker present four or more birds outside and the animals of the sky literally fly above your head. You can feel the wind and hear the whoosh of the birds as they land, branch to branch, following instructions by an employee that feeds the birds and directs them where to land. read more

High Desert Museum - Close enough to feel the talons. - Museums Near Me - Bend, Oregon

nice displays and history...BUT .... very sad that there are 2 live glassed exhibits, in the main building, with a porcupine [who continuously walks in a circle], and a fox [that can only walk back and forth]. These small exhibits, that are open at the top, seem cruel. There is lots of outdoor space with other animals; I do not understand why these 2 do not have more space to help elevate their captive quality of life. :( read more

Really clean, really nice. Very informative. Loved the porcupine - he was cute when handler gave him treats.

We had a great time here while on vacation. The variety of exhibits was good. Inside is more local history items. outside there are animals and a living history area. We spent an hour talking to the living history family on site. The woman was spot on character answering our questions. The staff were all very nice and knowledgeable. We did eat lunch on site. It was decent for the price. There are picnic areas in the parking lot as well as a covered dog crate area so your pouch won't die in the hot car. And the gift shop was great....it sold items from the area, not just museum stuff. The programs were great. This is a great stop for all ages. read more

My two year olds world revolves around Porcupines. You should have seen his face when good old Tumbleweed waddled on down that log to get himself a bite of sweet potato. We would go again just for the porcupines. The museum is big and had lots of paths outdoors to walk and exhibits to visit. Although under 4 is free $12 seemed like a bit much to charge, and I wish they had more for littles to play on. I also really wish they had reciprocity with OMSI or the Oregon Zoo. We will likely check it out every 3-4 years. read more

Great place!! I visited as a kid and now I'm taking my kids!! There is interactive displays, mazes, and the otters were the kids favorite!!! I personally loved the birds of prey, they have a bald eagle pair, lovely!!! read more

High Desert Museum - Museums Near Me - Bend, Oregon

See all

It's so cool! There's lots of cool animals there and interesting indian things. There's also lots of fish there. 10 out of 10 I really recommend this museum. read more

Been here before and loves learning the history here. Great for families, watched the bird show, our 9 year old loved it! read more

High Desert Museum - Museums Near Me - Bend, Oregon

See all

a beautiful setting and great place to spend the afternoon! it was nice to walk around and see the different exhibits, as well as listen to the birds of prey talk. kid-friendly and the animals are all rescues. and if you do stop by, be sure to check out the otters- they're adorable!! read more

This place is great. I have actually gone here twice just in the last 2 months. They have a wide variety of different attractions. They also have part of it inside and part outside which I think is really cool and unique. They have live animals which is also really cool for a museum. The price is kinda high, but worth it at least once in your lifetime in my opinion. It's kept very clean and all the attractions were operable. read more

We go to A LOT of museums like this when we travel, this was among the finest. Living history people stay in character, raptors are fascinating, just enough art, great Native American exhibit, superb temporary climbing exhibit and so much more!! Not bad shopping in the gift shop either! read more

This place is amazing! So much information and staged incredibly! My family from out of town loved it! This is a must see museum!

What a fun day! My husband and I spent almost 4 hours here. We truly enjoyed every section of this museum. Not only was it informative but all the animals were AWESOME! Will visit again with the kids. read more

It was interesting.the live characters are great lol. They really play into it. We missed them birds of prey just be aware of the schedules you have to arrive early read more

My daughter loves to visit. We come a couple of times a year, it is just so darn expensive. She loves the continuous exhibits as well as the quarterly ones. It is always well curated and clean. The animals look well cared for and their habitats look well maintained. read more

I've gone to the museum several times and our kids have enjoyed it consistently. The museum strives to keep things fresh. The exhibits are extremely informative. read more

Excellent museum, well worth the visit. Many displays, and enough interest for those of all ages. Live animals, insects, reptiles, and knowledgeable hosts. 10% military discount. read more