High Desert Museum

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The High Desert Museum is a museum located in Bend, Oregon, United States that serves to teach the public about the wildlife, culture, art and natural resources of Oregon's high desert topography. The museum opened in 1982 and was originally named the Oregon High Desert Museum. The High Desert Museum has a 53,000-square-foot main building. Guests may walk a quarter-mile trail to reach 32,000 square feet of exhibits and animal habitats. The popular outdoor exhibits feature river otters, porcupines, sheep, mustangs, grey fox, and birds of prey.

The museum's indoor and outdoor exhibits of Native American, pioneer, and animal life are presented on a massive scale. A visitor can actually walk through an early 1860's town complete with blacksmith shop, Chinese mercantile, and stage coach stop. The Native American exhibit covers life on the land before the white man, life on a reservation, and the present day hot topic of Indian Casinos. There is also an impressive exhibit of Native American horse tack used for the Pendleton Round-Up that is unmatched for its craftsmanship, beauty, and individuality of design. The museum admission is good for two days, which is how much time it will take to fully walk through all of the sites and really enjoy the rich and detailed exhibits.