One of the best museums I have experienced. Indoor and outdoor experiences accessible to all ages and physicalities. A docent greeted us, offering a brief overview of the museum. His guidance served us well. While the porcupine never showed his self, the red fox entertained us, running through this environment. The outdoor raptors live in cages designed for their specific needs. All are rehab birds who cannot be released. The otter was active in the water and in land, so everyone could see him. Enjoy! read more

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Best owl show I have ever seen. Way to keep your poise Alyssa. That is all I wanted to say but am forced to use 85 characters

So very grateful that one can travel relatively freely again regarding covid. I heard about the High Desert Museum several years ago from a coffee shop barista and was instantly intrigued. It was a goal to go to Bend once a year as there are just so many things to do there but the pandemic and a few other situations derailed that for several years. Finally this summer we made it to the museum and we were not disappointed in the slightest! We did not get to see many of the birds here. Mainly the raptors due to precautions taken to avoid them catching avian flu but we did get to see some owls. Additional animals we saw were otters, trout, porcupine, turtles, Black Widow spiders, rattlesnakes and a beautiful fox. There is other exhibits and displays here as well. There are some old ranch type structures on one end of the outdoor part of the museum. I was particularly impressed with the willow corral there! Inside the main building there was a utopian exhibit going over throughout recent history groups of people trying to create utopia towns or complexes and the fate of these efforts which was very fascinating to view and read. I also really enjoyed the gift shop as well. I found a few things I haven't stumbled across before or not very often. I bought some mushroom Jerky that I really liked and a sand art piece where if you tip it on one side the sand flows to the other side. I haven't seen one of those in a very long time and always wanted one. Highly recommend making this museum a stop if you are desiring to take in attractions in Bend! read more

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The first place I checked out in Bend. This museum is a good start for an introduction to Bend as it has part history, part wildlife and plant life. There is 135 acres outdoors which made it unique as it is both an indoor and outdoor experience. COVID update: Tickets are limited, timed, and reserved online. The attendant will scan your tickets upon arrival and you will be given a map. All of the indoor exhibits are closed except the gift shop. Masks required. All of the outdoor spaces are opened which is what you will see. The outdoor spaces includes the river otters (we saw 4). We also visited the homestead and sawmill from 1904. There were cabins, outhouses, machinery. The trails outside are a breath of fresh air and very socially distanced. I barely saw anybody and plenty of space to walk around in nature. You will get to see chickens. In the bird house, we saw an owl, falcon, hawk and a vulture. I love that these are rescued birds and most of them are injured and unable to fly. There are areas where you will learn about the trees in the area and the controlled burns they recently did. After a visit to the gift shop and on the way back out, I was able to see 1 porcupine sleeping. Very cute! I would've love to explore the inside of the museum as I see a Native American cultural room and was able to see another room filled with turtles. It's not the museum's fault! I do think that due to the amount of outdoor space, they can add more animals or exhibits regarding the high desert and the area local to Bend. read more

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If you have kids, this is a must. We brought our 10 year old granddaughter to Bend for a weekend getaway. I was searching fun things to do and I found this place. Boy am I glad I did. We spent the day walking the property and the museum. Lots of interesting facts. This is an indoor/outdoor activity, so dress warm if your are busting during the fall/winter season. read more

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Highly recommend! Wasn't planning on coming here during our short few days in Bend but due to the rainy weather, we decided to come here last minute. This time, the rain did us a favor! We were expecting just your usual indoor museum but were pleasantly surprised by all the animals (porcupine, otters, fox, reptiles, fish etc - and yes, alive, not mummified). There was a wide variety of interactive rooms and we left impressed. read more

This was a really nice museum. Tons on interactive displays and immersive experiences. My kids loved the mining caves, old west town and cabins to explore. This was a great spot to enjoy while traveling back to California. read more

The most beautiful museum I've been to. Although it's been around for years - it looks brand new - the grounds and facility are spotless and well-cared for. Smart and friendly docents - their love for the animals shines through. "Thaddeus" or "Thad" was especially elegant in his presentations of the otters and the undulators. We were treated to a special flying demonstration of their red-tailed hawk, Dexter. I especially enjoyed the dioramas of the early history and native Indians. So many beautiful animals and the information that was presented was so interesting with lots of fun facts. A fantastic deal at only $20 ($17 for seniors). read more

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Museum/zoo. Lovely setting with indoor and outdoor exhibits. We enjoyed the Native American exhibit, especially since my daughter is learning about the PNW tribes in schools. The river otters are a big favorite for everyone and the X-ray exhibit of fish was cool. read more

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An absolute gem of a museum just off Hwy 97 a few minutes south of Bend. Every diorama and exhibit was intelligently presented, clear and informative. The animals at the museum, at least the mammals and birds, have all been deemed unable to survive in the wild for various reasons. Exhibits focused on the history of local human habitation were well integrated with those focused on the flora and fauna. Art was tastefully woven into the experience as well, with many sculptural depictions of various animals placed engagingly around the landscape. Our favorite animal exhibits were the otter pond and the Birds of Prey live presentation, which costs extra but should NOT be missed. We will definitely return on our next visit to Central Oregon. read more

This museum is EXTREMELY well done. See my photo captions. I could only upload a few to give you an idea of how wonderful this museum is. I highly recommend visiting it while you're in Bend. read more

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Fantastic museum. There are a variety of exhibits presented, and all of them were extremely well presented. A great place to take kids and families. read more

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Have had a membership for a couple of years and it is worth every penny and more. What a great place. And the staff are exceptional. Bend is lucky to have something like this. read more

Bend, Oregon. Highlights: Predatory Avians (Birds) & Nature. Parking/Roads: Paved. Handicap: The parking & indoor exhibits are good for handicap/sick folks. The museum generously provides walkers for us. The outdoor exhibits consisting of homesteading, nature & various wildlife might pose issues as the grounds is a good size with short inclines. The land isn't flat & the climate is extreme during the seasons so use wisdom of your various health situations to determine if this is a good (bad) idea. I struggled to enjoy the exterior during the summer dry heat needing plenty rest and time to catch my breath. There is plenty of shade to cover from the sun's devastation, but, it was also the beginning of wildfire season w/ brush fires in a good distance. If you paid attention in the news, Sept 2020's fire season has decimated Oregon (Cali & Washington). Hours: Generally, Sun-Sat 9-5. Cost: $17/adult w/ various pricing for seniors, kids & students. Distance: DT Los Angeles, CA 800 miles @ 13 hours. DT Portland, OR 170 miles @ 4 hours. DT Seattle, WA 335 miles @ 6 hours. DT Boise, ID 320 miles @ 6 hours. Adjacent Attractions: Bend is Central Oregon's largest city w/ museum, markets, walmarts and food spots of all kinds from unhealthy to organic junk. Lava Butte Cinder Cone, Lava River Cave & the Newbury Volcano is southward a few minutes away. Crater Lake, and Fort Klamath Museum is a few hours southbound. Klamath Falls the town has many things a few hours south. Burns, Rural Oregon & John Day Wilderness w/ all it's hot springs is eastward. Museum: Consists of three main hallway exhibits consisting of permanent art, history, culture & wildlife featuring a porcupine. The museum also have various exhibits at different points and I came with a Native American Photographer w/ mad skills (no pics allowed). Decent sized gift shop w/ nothing special or different that screams Central Oregon or old school themes. The exterior is quite large & I learned a lot about the landscape/topography. A good chunk is devoted to educating on wildfire & how the older generations were able to prevent, prepare and work around such devastating nature that is caused by lightning more so than cigarettes or campfire or a pyro-technic machine like good ole Californians. The exhibit also highlights why brush fire was necessary to maintain the natural habitat, the soil and foilage. It was crazy to think that wildfires is mother nature's filtering & waste management response to the environment/habitat. The northern sector was devoted to homesteading. Cabin and the old way of life. Very similar to any other homestead museum but different due to the regional climate & potential conflicts w/ Natives or other hostiles. Southern portion was a small area for a pond and a bunch of cute little critters called otters. Very playful & responsive to humans. The little cuties bring smiles to everyone's face & popular w/ kids. The SE corner is a habitat for predatory birds. Big badass birds such as ealges & the such. I love large birds. Hawks & eagles are amazing. Large, freaky, perfect eyesight & majestic in it's approach to the no non-sense lives they should live in the wild. Birds of all kinds are meant to resemble freedom & the imagery of flight beyond the naked eye is often depicted as so. Unfortunately, these hawks and friends are caged. They are imprisoned, perhaps, due to their own safety & inability to thrive in the wild, but it's still sad. The parable humanity has used as a symbol of freedom & independence are... Caged... The irony. I loved this museum. Diverse in the exhibits. Informative & pragmatic w/ the info to learn & apply to our lives for those who seek to be one w/ nature from a holistic/spiritual perspective. Travel safely my friends. @cigarcpa read more

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This is a beautiful and interesting museum. This was our fourth visit and was prompted by the fact that is was a free day at the museum. The museum opens at 10:00 AM. We arrived at 11:00 and were directed to an overflow parking area. We started our visit at the Andy Warhol Endangered Species Art Exhibit. I hope to get back and view it once more with fewer people before the exhibit departs. We wandered through other exhibits before going outside to see the otters. We arrived in time to watch them being fed. After eating lunch at the cafe, we walked to the Settlers Cabin and Sawmill where a docent was explaining how the sawmill operated. We did not see much of the Settlers Cabin because of the mud; but, spent some time watching the chicken. There are many other fascinating things to see and do. One of my favorites is to sit on a bench in the forest and listen to and watch the ponderosa pines sway in the breeze. In all we spent three and a half hours at the High Desert Museum and still did not see everything. We will return. read more

Enjoyable! We came in at 4:00p, one hour before the museum closed. We were given the option to get 30% off the general admission price of $15 or pay full and we could also come back the next day and enjoy the museum all day. Since we already have plans for the next day we took the afternoon rate of 30% discount. Our hour was nothing short of amazing at the artful exhibits and alluring animals! We started at the Hall of Plateau Indians Desertarium. The teepee exhibits were cool, we were not allowed to enter them but we could see the inside and it had all the basic needs you need in there, it looked fun inside like for camping! Then there were the feathered headdresses display that are only worn by chiefs and warriors. So neat and beautiful! We then headed to the Desertarium. We spent time here the most. I enjoyed the smaller wildlife that lives in the High Desert such as Gila monsters, desert tortoises, rattlesnakes, turtles, burrowing owls and all kinds of crawly critter! We didn't have time to visit the outdoor bigger animal exhibits. The Spirit of the West Gallery had a display of amazing exhibits where we were immersed in the history through time. Our journey began with a walk past a Northern Paiute shelter and a fur trapper's camp where all the historical details are depicted in incredible detail. We then continued through the Hudson's Bay Company fort, alongside an Oregon Trail wagon, through a hard rock mine, past a settler's cabin and into the boomtown of Silver City. The exhibits were life-sized and we could even walk in some of them. Unforgettable! Wish I could go on with my review with more stories to tell and photos to show but this was one of the best museums I've had a chance to visit. Enjoy the permanent exhibits and the changing ones. This wasn't part of our stop but we were glad we came. Fun experience and definitely worth visiting... and make sure you have more than an hour when you visit! This is both a museum and a zoo and is located just 5 mins south outside of downtown Bend OR. Review #1118 read more

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Came here for a second time and enjoyed it immensely. Lots to see and do, both inside and outside. The outside is really nice, with streams, a living history pioneer area, an authentic wagon from the Oregon Trail, exhibits with live animals, and more. The kids loved it and we'll do it again I'm sure. read more

A well done immersive experience. We love the settlers exhibit and the indoor outdoor walk. The otters are absolutely adorable and we we're thankful to know that the animals are rescued. I wish the "cages" were bigger. However this is a really fun and educational experience! read more

So much fun! So much to see and do and experience! Well worth the cost of admission - we were blown away!

Got here around 3 PM. Not as crowded. I only had a couple hours to walk the entire museum but I'm glad I got to see everything! My favorite exhibit was Autzen Otters. Loved watching the otters play and swim. They are so adorable! Would definitely recommend this place to anyone traveling to Oregon. read more

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Wonderful local favorite! I love taking my little family here once or twice a year. My personal reason is to see the otters and other live animals (e.g. fox, birds, reptiles). I'm not big on history and museum type things but I love animals. It's a great place to take visitors to learn about local history and for young kids to run around and see cool things. There's something for everyone. Tip: If you're local and have a library card, check out the Discover pass to get yourself and three other people in for free. read more

Museum is great but DO NOT BUY from the gift shop. Overpriced items, expired items, broken items. I was there one week and wanted to by honey sprays. There were all expired. I informed the person at the register who thanked me for alerting them. A week later I was back with another visiting family member. Those sprays were still there all expired. I purchased a sand art frame. They showed me how to add and subtract air to make the sand flow using their demo. They send you home with one in a box. When I opened the box, it was only 1/4 full of water. I read the instructions, put more in as instructed and it still did not work. I laid it on it's side hoping to wet the sand more and about 1 minute later out of no where it cracked. They won't exchange it because it is "broken"... though it was broken "not working" when I bought. it. If you like something in the gift shop, just google it. Sure you will find it elsewhere for less with a better exchange policy if you get something not working. read more

The previous reviews say it all! Go to this museum and plan on at least three hours. We went last weekend on a whim and weren't really expecting much. We only had two hours between activities and couldn't get to the outdoor exhibits but were blown away with everything inside! We took video and a few selfies so I don't have photos but if you can get there before the Vistas del Cielo is gone, we would highly recommend it. We will definitely visit the next time we're in Sunriver. read more

The High Desert Museum is popular and is well-reviewed here on Yelp. So, I'll be brief. Reasons to visit: - Bobcat - Owls (great horned, barred, barn, little cute ones) - Eagles (bald, golden) - Other birds - Rattlesnakes - Other snakes - Tarantula - Gila monsters - Other lizards - Tortoises - Aquatic cats (aka otters) - People* * This last group of animals is particularly important. They take care of the other animals and are awesome. This place is great. Do make sure you attend a live animal talk or two. Along with the animals, there are plenty of historical & nature exhibits and other things to see. Nice gift shop, too. My wife and I are now members. read more

High Desert Museum - Museums Near Me - Bend, Oregon

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Such a well curated and interesting museum in such a lovely setting. We are members and we take our two year old at least once a week. He loves seeing the animals and the exhibits! The staff is always very friendly and informative. I saw another review saying how sickening it is to see the birds and animals cooped up. However if you actually READ the plaques by the birds of prey you'll see that they have all been rehabilitated and have reasons why they cannot be in a normal habitat. I would definitely not classify their habitats as cruel or unkind. I highly recommend checking it out if you're in the area!! read more

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Really enjoyed walking around the High Desert Museum. A nice way to enjoy something in Bend. There is a lot of history here and the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful as you walk around and see the exhibits. Make sure to give yourself extra time- the area is huge. We spent a good amount of time in the old prairie area. My niece and nephew were very intrigued by how they lived back in the day. And also kudos to the characters who were excellent and really interacted with the people and stayed in character. Definitely a must see - great 'roadside attraction' read more

High Desert Museum - Museums Near Me - Bend, Oregon

This was really fun and unexpectedly full. The wildlife makes it a particularly great experience.

If you're in the area or passing through I'd say to stop at least once to check it out. Part of what made our little road trip more fun was stopping at places like this to enjoy their offerings. Honestly, this place is a little depressing. It's cool to see animals, but it also makes me sad. There are several different attractions to see both inside and out. It's a nice stop for about an hour. See some interesting historical and regional items, take a few pics. Staff seemed just fine to us. I think it's great to explore what your own state has to offer for tourism. read more

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If you are driving through the area...STOP BY THIS AMAZING/HISTORIC museum, I promise it is so worth it!! 135 acres of natural wonder + historic exhibits. Very family friendly and they even have a FREE KENNEL service for fury children so they do not have to be left in the car!! Experience wild birds, the high desert landscape other wild animals as well :) LOVED this museum, a MUST stop for tourists!! 5/5 rating!! read more

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In my opinion this is one of the coolest thing Bend, OR has to offer. It was one of the first places I checked out when I moved in the area, I've visited for a couple of their special exhibits, and recently got to take my boyfriend here when he was visiting. I mainly love seeing the animals that they have. I love the otters and the bobcat the most. I don't know if I'd enjoy this place as much as I do if it weren't for the animals, even though they do have a lot more to offer. There's more to see than you think at first glace. The inside is nice but the outside is my favorite and there's a lot of room to walk around and lots of things to see. I know we spent at least a couple hours here but we could have spent more if we weren't getting close to closing. It's not a place I necessarily check out often but whenever I realize it's been awhile since I have, I plan to see it again soon. It's educational and a lot of the installments are really beautiful. It's definitely worth checking out whether you live in the area or are just passing through! read more

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This was a fabulous Museum with so much to see! There are animal exhibits as well my favorite was the otters but they had birds, a fox and lots of others as well. Very informative and take your time to see everything there is a lot outside as well. Make sure to ask about discounts you can save a lot of money if you are low income (get EBT) have AAA or are a veteran etc just ask. We were lucky to be able to drop in and not buy our tickets ahead of time since they weren't to busy. (They were limiting admittance for Covid) if your coming by or staying in the area I'd say this is a must see! Totally worth it. read more

Wonder museum, extremely clean and really cool exhibits to visit. The birds of prey, sea otters, logging tools, and the Burning Man exhibit we're all fascinating and we stayed way longer than expected and didn't even see everything that they had to offer! Amazing cultural site just outside of Bend, Oregon! read more

This was described as a must-see for Bend OR. I'm injecting some honesty here. You will learn little about the High Desert visiting this museum. I see it as a pleasant place to spend an hour or two with kids. I thought that the shows were actually the grabber here, but we went to a show on animals of the high desert and it started with a question to the audience: what do you think of when you think of the desert? Answer: sand. Yep. We're oughta here. And we turned in our tickets for the raptor show before we left the building. Maybe someone with a couple of three year olds will find it riveting. read more

High Desert Museum - Otters - Museums Near Me - Bend, Oregon

The High Desert Museum provides an engaging history of the people of the Northwest, as well as an outdoor component that presents the natural history of the area. read more

The High Desert Museum is a must see for anyone who may enjoy a relaxed day learning about the history of the local area and seeing some cool animals. Plus there is an authentic early 1900's town in the back outside area that is ideal for school-aged children. I was also impressed by the bird show where they have birds of prey fly right over your head. (The bird show is for an additional fee in addition to museum admission.) When you get hungry, there is a café on site that serves yummy, healthy food. I highly recommend the Turkey Club sandwich with chips and guacamole on the side. If you prefer to bring your lunch, they allow outside food brought in and have a separate dining area for people to eat their sack lunches. A must see is the exhibit on the Native American history in the age of technology. It was engaging and really interesting to see the perspective of modern influence and how the long standing culture was maintained around the convenience of technology. The kids loved seeing the indoor and outdoor animal exhibits of a porcupine, a bob cat, reptiles, fish, a tarantula, etc. We missed seeing the otters but otherwise saw almost everything in about 3 hours. read more

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A must for anyone living or visiting the Bend, Redmond area. We took our 15 year old granddaughter here and she loved it! We all especially enjoyed the raptor show. It is very informative and well produced. Another fun exhibit was the otters. They were quite entertaining just going about their usual otter business. The museum itself has so very much to see. We could have easily spent another hour or two. We'll be going back in August with more visiting family. read more

Hi, This was my third visit to HDM over 7 yrs. Please don't listen to the naysayers. Each time has been a little different. I visited yesterday with my 9 yr. old granddaughter. In addition to regular admission we got tickets for the Raptors in the Sky "show. We first toured the inside exhibits. The western settlement presentation was very well done, including the mining tunnel,, and frontier town set ups. Utopia exhibit including the Rashee's Rolls Royce and related material showed an interesting chapter in the history of Oregon. I was delighted with the improvements to the seating area for the Raptor show. The benches were a great improvement to sitting/ kneeling / standing in the dirt around the open meadow. The bird presentations were excellent and their flying routes took your breath away as they cruised at head level through the seating area. Just magnificent. My granddaughter captured some of their beautiful passes in slo-motion on our phone. At the q & a after, the handlers and birds were informed / well behaved, respectively and it was an experience to see them up close! We wandered over to the otter exhibit and found a volunteer speaking to the group about the otters. It was about 12:30-12:45pm and the otters were very active both in the water and on the grounds of the enclosure. Delightful. There were many great picture taking moments. Back inside about 1:00pm we wandered through the Desertorium and found most of of the critters were out and active, tortoises, snakes, lizards,, turtles, the fox, the porcupine, so I think the best time of day for the inside area is probably after noon. The bird show is at 11:30 and only once a day, so let that be your guide. Be there no later than 11:00 if you plan to see it. Unfortunately the Birds of Prey exhibit was closed out of concern for the Avian Flu that is currently in the area. The other outdoor exhibits e.g. settlement village and sawmill are worthy of a visit if you want to revisit history. We have enjoyed every visit and hope all of you will find it worthy. read more

DEAR ALL-STAR TEAM High Desert Museum, I would like to thank ALL of YOU for Creating Such an Amazing Museum. The attention to detail You have taken to include Fine ART, Truly Moving Historical Documentation and Presentation, and Animal Care and Exhibition was So Fantastic. Each and every corner of Your amazing property was filled with learning and immersive experiences. I would like to Thank John and The Entire Birds of PREY Team for allowing their BeautifuL Raptors to fly all around Us. Being that close to These True Beauties... was a moment I will always remember. :) Thank You for teaching Us how we can make changes in Our community to help these Majestic Creatures. Thank You So very much...We will be back. ***:)*** Love Always, Stephanie read more

This was a highlight of our trip to Bend! My kids ages 10, 8, and 6 went and loved it. They all said it was their favorite excursion.

It was fun for about 45mins then everyone was bored! The staff are lovely and informative. There are some live animals to view and they are well cared for. We arrived just before they opened and it was already crowded with people waiting. This became worse once inside. Nothing is more uncomfortable that being in a crowded room with tons of people and a heater blasting!! My cons: they open at 10am but the cafe and gift shop don't open until later. When you have kids and seniors in your group this did not work out well. Our group was hungry and the only options were vending machines with junk food. Since no one wanted to wait to be able to see what they serve...we decided to leave. The kids wanted souvenirs but the gift shop still wasn't open. My son literally was crying at the gate to the gift shop and the employees are just sitting around inside waiting to open. My advice to the museum is to have everything open for your guests!! You lost money because our big group left and ate elsewhere. You also lost sales in the gift shop as well. Overall not good business! read more