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    Petersen Rock Garden & Museum

    4.0 (52 reviews)
    Closed • 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

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    Dale S.

    What was going to be a quick stop to check out a quirky roadside attraction turned in to a lovely afternoon at this beautiful location. We stopped here on a weekday and we're surprised at how many people were visiting. The parking area was packed but there were still some spaces for us. Once we got out and started looking around, I realized why there were so many visitors. This is a truly magical place that a lot of thought has been put into and you can wander here for hours finding new and unique things. It's very dog friendly and we brought our pup everywhere with us. We explored the grounds for over an hour and then enjoyed a picnic lunch at one of the shaded tables while we watched the peacocks wander and children play on some of the people friendly sculptures. The sculptures are unique and created with love. They are made from a wide range of different materials so there are lots of different textures and colors. And every time you think you've seen them all, you find more things to look at. I think one of my favorite things was a little shack kind of out in the very corner that has been set aside for visitors to write their dreams on... I spent a long time in there reading what people had written and imagining who they were and where they came from. It made me cry. We made sure to buy some items from the gift shop and leave more than the suggested donation, but I love that you can come here even if you don't have much and just enjoy the space without any demands on you. I highly recommend stopping by here and donating generously if the mood moves you to keep this place open and available for the world to see.

    Red winged blackbird

    This is an amazing place to visit I really liked to see the peacocks and birds around the garden and the rock buildings looked incredible and was fun to photograph anyone in the area should go!

    Mike F.

    My wife had been here when she was a kid, back in its heyday. Since those days the place has deteriorated and gone through owner changes. The new owner is trying to restore the property, but it is all on volunteer time and donations. While it is not amazing, it is certainly fascinating to see the creativity of the original owner of the property and the imagination. It is worth a quick stop to check it out and step into their gift shop just to see a bit of history.

    The new owners have done an AMAZING job rehabbing this place. It's super fun and really coming along well. The museum/rock shop has some beauuuuuutifil specimens and the caretaker is knowledgeable and friendly. We came here after randomly finding it on the map and definitely recommend to everyone to stop by. Whatever the place looked like in the previous bad reviews is no longer the case. This is wonderful.

    ROCKS

    We visited the gardens in the early 90's and loved it. So full of imagination, talent and knowledge. Just a few years ago we went by again and were so saddened at the state of the gardens. Just visited today with my grandsons and we had a wonderful time!!! The gardens are being restored to the original splendor with love and care. My grandsons were welcomed and patient education provided by staff for all of us. Treat yourself to a special venue and Im sure it will enrich and entertain any and all. THANK YOU PETERSON ROCK OWNER AND STAFF.

    Alysia G.

    The property is run down but go with an open mind. If you're a rock person you'll enjoy the rock work and time it took to create these wonderful works of art. The property has so much potential. I wish it was properly kept up. The museum was not opened when we went. I enjoyed it but don't be surprised by the unkept property. Like I said keep an open mind!

    Jenna M.

    I was going to give Petersen Rock Garden 4 stars because it's very... eerie, but that shouldn't stop the last star. I went on a gloomy fall day, with no one around. I almost enjoyed it more being by myself (honestly, I was waiting for a guy with a chainsaw to come out and start chasing after me). But on a more serious note, these rock structures are truly, unbelievably AWESOME, like woah. The time and thought it took to make them all is fascinating. I tried to go into the gift shop, but it was locked. I believe the owner lived on property, but I didn't want to bother. There were a few friendly cats around, and lots of peacocks and chickens, too- watch where you step cause there'll be poop! This place is kind of in the middle of nowhere in Redmond, OR (15 min or so from Eagle Crest). There is a $5 entrance fee that is kindly asked. I do highly recommend this place because it's one of those cool 'on the side of the road' spot!

    In the museum
    Jen K.

    At first glance, I felt like I was enabling someone's addiction. In the old days, I think the word was eccentric. But after touring the property and learning a little more about Rasmus Petersen, farmer and artist, I think this place is 'unique' and worth a visit if you're in the Bend/Redmond area. The sculptures were created in the 1930s and 40s and there are obvious signs of decay. Many of the structures seem a little worse for wear with signs almost unreadable after baking in the Central Oregon sun for decades. But, there is also a lushness and beauty. I was surprised by the lovely rock bridges over the lily ponds bursting with pink flowers in bloom. Make sure you walk all around the property, since some of the largest ponds are on the right side of the driveway as you enter, which is on the opposite side of the property from where you park. The museum is an odd collection of rocks and artifacts and they have a small black-light room. You can also purchase ice cream sandwiches for a little treat to beat the heat. But the museum was the least interesting part of our visit. This place is a tribute to one man's vision and it is impressive what hard work and dedication can produce. My son enjoyed the flock of peacocks and peahens, especially when two of the peacocks were bickering and it was a glorious, and loud, sight to behold. Make sure you leave your donation in the honor box and don't forget to make a wish and toss a coin in the fountain. And don't stand between two peacocks. Lesson learned.

    Madison R.

    Very cool! There's a small box for donations. We wandered around for a while watching the peacocks and admiring the mastery of the rocks. It's so impressive! The story posted is very interesting too. Unfortunately the museum was closed but it was definitely worth the stop.

    Jenni A.

    In an effort to get out of the house after this quarantine has started to lift, we took a drive from the Portland area to Bend and Redmond. Our first stop was Petersen Rock Garden in Redmond, which we'd never visited before. As we drove up to the property, I couldn't believe all those peacocks were really out just roaming around! Some people had commented on Google that they thought this place has gone into disrepair, but that couldn't have been further from the truth! It was SO cool, creative, and unique! The fact that it had aged just added to the charm. A little-known roadside attraction, it is truly the gem of Central Oregon!

    Cute peacock

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    3 years ago

    Really beautiful and amazing place. Seeing all the different Rocks. Also just knowing how old this is.

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    We Loved this place. I just wish the owners could do a little work on upkeep. The history is very interesting.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Petersen Rock Garden & Museum

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    Review Highlights - Petersen Rock Garden & Museum

    “The creator, Danish immigrant Rasmus Petersen, used the volcanic rocks he found in the area.”

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    High Desert Museum - Taken with a Canon R6 MK II with a 24-105 lens.  Flash not allowed.  Cleaned up in Lightroom.

    High Desert Museum

    4.5(226 reviews)
    16.9 mi

    We dropped by on a hot weekday afternoon and were so glad we did…read more The museum has a mix of indoor and outdoor exhibits - we saw them all but ultimately much preferred the indoor ones (both for summer heat and curation). Highlights included a very interesting retro 80s style exhibit on volcanoes that taught us a lot about the local geography. The kids also loved the beautifully done diorama'd historical rooms although more signage explaining some of thoughtful details would have been appreciated. The current art auction was also great to puruse, some beautiful and creative works there. We went to one talk at the amphitheatre that we found surprisingly dry. The otter exhibit was also fun to see as well as learning about the awesome lampreys. We stayed about 3.5 hours and probably could've lingered longer.

    While visiting in Bend we decided to check out the High Desert Museum, which was very informative…read moreand interesting mixing of live and set exhibits and broken down to inside viewing of sudden stage of dessert conditions and living and animals living in the area. They also have an outdoor exhibit with live and items of the pass you will see along the way though out the area. They have places to sit and rest but the outdoor path can be a little steep in certain area, if you have a hard time walking, you might want to enjoy more time on the indoor exhibits. They have a restaurant and gift shop with area to sit if you need to rest. The restrooms are clean & well maintained and they even have handicapped restrooms. The parking is large and if someone has trouble walking you could drop them off in the front where they have benches they can wait until you get back from parking the car. Have much more pictures but only allowed so much you can put on.

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    High Desert Museum - Old town

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    Old town

    Lava Lands Visitor Center - Start Black Rock at Lava Lands Visitor Center

    Lava Lands Visitor Center

    4.6(58 reviews)
    20.8 mi

    The Lava lands visitor center has a small gift shop, staff out front with times for a guided tour,…read morethey have souvineer penny smasher and a small museum about the volcano and fossils. It also had the trail heads for the trail of the Molten lands, the trail of the whispering pines, the roadway up to lava butte, as well as information on the lava river tunnels, and other things in this portion of the park.

    Lava Lands is part of small cinder cones on the northwest side of Newberry Volcano, a massive…read moreshield volcano rises to the southeast. This region is characterized by extensive lava flows, including the 7,000-year-old flow from Lava Butte, a prominent cinder cone. How I like to see as much as possible is by mountain bike. From Lava Lands parking lot pick up the 4 mile fast flow furious fun single track for 4 miles curving through Ponderosa Pines following lava fields. Ride through the lava rock featuring panoramic views of snow capped mountains. At the end of Black Rock single track connect with the Deschutes River and ride along at least a mile to Benham Falls - so magnificent! Continue riding 5-10-XX more miles filling up your passion bucket in the natural wonders following and flowing with the Deschutes River. I fulled up my bucket for 20 miles - at time rivers flows with power and times as still as a lake. Let's go! Wherever the powerful river flows! Wherever the peaceful river goes! Many feel the pace only the river knows - as I did flow along by mountain bike!

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    Lava Lands Visitor Center - Map of Newberry Volcano

    Map of Newberry Volcano

    Lava Lands Visitor Center - Now you know...

    Now you know...

    Lava Lands Visitor Center - Pine cones

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    Pine cones

    Newberry National Volcanic Monument - Trail

    Newberry National Volcanic Monument

    4.5(52 reviews)
    20.8 mi

    This review is for 2 different trails. 1. Big Obsidian Flow…read moreTrail was a short and unique trail in Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Oregon. It was a ~0.7 miles round trip that took ~30 minutes to complete. Trail begins on a dirt path and shortly becomes a stairway to the obsidian lava flows. The lava flows were extremely rocky so hiking shoes are recommended. At the highest point of the trail was a distant view of Paulina Lake! Decent sized parking area at the trailhead. Restroom available at the parking lot. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/zshtzzNOCI0 2. Located 5 minutes from the Big Obsidian Flow Trail, Paulina Falls Trail was another short and rewarding trail. It was a ~0.5 miles round trip that took ~30 minutes to complete. Trail was mostly a decline towards the bottom of the waterfall on a dirt path! Limited parking area at the trailhead. Restroom available at the parking lot. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/Q28kfFT9QM0 The Lava Lands Visitor Center was about 30 minutes away.

    We did the 1.1 mile Trail of the Molten Lands while in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. The…read moretrail paved and in good condition. It is uphill and some spots are steep. There are informational signs in different sections of the trail. It was incredible to see how far the lava rock stretched. We stopped in the visitor center as well as the lava river caves and lava butte. We werent able to do the Pauline falls or Obsidian parts as the storms came in quick and hard. It is definitely a sight to see though. Its a milder trail than some others we've done this week and is an easier walk for most of the trail. There is also a half way point to loop around and you dont have to do the steep uphill portion to the look out area.

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    Newberry National Volcanic Monument - View from the obsidian flow

    View from the obsidian flow

    Newberry National Volcanic Monument - Lava Butte

    Lava Butte

    Newberry National Volcanic Monument - View of Palina lake from the Obsidian Flow trail.

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    View of Palina lake from the Obsidian Flow trail.

    Petersen Rock Garden & Museum - museums - Updated September 2026

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