There are a variety of excellent museums in Bend Oregon. When you think of Bend, it’s easy to picture its breathtaking natural landscapes and the myriads of outdoor adventures it offers.
Yet, nestled within this charming region lies a rich cultural history that often goes overlooked.
Bend’s historical museums are a captivating blend of human history, nature and ecology, and interactive learning.
As central Oregon residents, we’ve gathered our local knowledge of the best Bend museums you should visit.
So, pack your curiosity and let’s embark on a journey through the museums Bend Oregon has to offer.
Museums Bend Oregon: Overview
In this article, we cover 6 museums in or near Bend. Each one is different and offers a unique educational experience. The table below shows a brief summary of each museum in/near Bend. We go into more detail on each of these Bend museums below.
| Museum/Location | Summary |
| High Desert Museum | Nature and cultural focus. Indoor and outdoor exhibits. Permanent and changing exhibits. Most popular museum in Bend (just south). |
| Deschutes Historical Museum | Focus on human history in Central Oregon. Permanent and changing exhibits. Located in downtown Bend. |
| Fort Rock Homestead Village Museum | Historical buildings and artifacts from the early 1900s. 70 miles from Bend in the high desert. Close to Fort Rock. Closed during winter. |
| Sisters Museum | Small but rich museum in Sisters. Focuses on human history. Also have events like walking tours. 23 miles from Bend. |
| Sunriver Nature Center and Observatory | Combination nature center and observatory. Live animals and the largest collection of publicly available telescopes in the nation. Stargazing sessions. 19 miles from Bend. |
| Peterson Rock Garden and Museum | Quirky property with outdoor rock sculptures built with local materials. Small museum and gift shop. Long history. |
| Children’s Museum of Central Oregon | Potential future educational center for kids. Not yet established. Currently collecting funding. Consider donating. |
Museums Bend Oregon: Map
Use this interactive map to see the location of each museum in/near Bend mentioned in this article. You can also expand the map to open it in a new window.
High Desert Museum
The High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon, offers a captivating journey through the high desert landscapes and the cultural heritage of the Pacific Northwest. It’s a place where history and nature converge to create a unique and enriching experience.
Visitors to the High Desert Museum find an array of engaging exhibits that spark curiosity and conversations. It is super fun and engaging to explore the 135-acre campus and more than 100,000 square feet of exhibit space.
There are both permanent and changing exhibits, as well as indoor and outdoor exhibits to explore. Permanent indoor exhibits include the Desertarium which showcases creatures who call the high desert home.
One of the permanent outdoor exhibits is the 1904 High Desert Ranch, where you can see what life was like for people who lived here over 100 years ago.
The High Desert Museum features informative animal talks, with a focus on the local wildlife. Notable favorites include the engaging otter exhibit and the fascinating birds of prey presentations.
When hunger strikes, the museum’s on-site cafe offers a variety of food and beverages.
We love that you can keep coming back to the High Desert Museum and still learn something new each time, especially with their changing exhibits to help keep things fresh and exciting.
The High Desert Museum in Bend is a testament to the rich history of Central Oregon with and without humans. It’s a must-visit destination for those seeking a deeper understanding of the high desert and the Pacific Northwest and is great for kids!
Deschutes Historical Museum
The Deschutes Historical Museum in Bend, Oregon, is a small yet significant window into the area’s rich history, offering a journey back in time that unveils the region’s transformation over the years.
The Deschutes Historical Museum showcases displays that invite exploration into the prehistory of Deschutes County, the history of Native American tribes in the region, early settler exploration and fur trapping.
In addition, there are exhibits that focus on challenges of homesteading in the High Desert, the rich history of logging and the Forest Service, and the evolving life throughout Deschutes County across the years.
They also do events like heritage walks where you can see historical parts of Bend. Check out their events page and Facebook page for more information.
With a $5 admission fee, the Deschutes Historical Museum is as affordable as it is interesting. Plus, admission is free for anyone 17 and under, which is one more reason to get your kid interested in history.
In addition, the Deschutes Historical Museum is located downtown, which makes it a great stop within a larger day of exploring Bend. We recommend checking out one of the great restaurants in Bend, or sampling some beer at one of the famed Bend breweries.
The museum also hosts events like car shows and antique fairs, adding an extra layer of excitement to the historical experience.
For history enthusiasts and those with a curiosity about Central Oregon’s history, the Deschutes Historical Museum offers a nostalgic journey through the city’s historical periods. We cannot recommend it enough!
Fort Rock Homestead Village Museum
The Fort Rock Homestead Village Museum is a collection of buildings, artifacts, and information that showcases life in the early 1900’s in this region.
The museum stands as a testament to the vision and commitment of the Fort Rock Valley Historical Society, founded in 1984.
This living exhibit, initiated in 1988, has grown over the years through the acquisition of more land from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and additional buildings from surrounding homestead sites.
The museum, an ongoing project, features historical buildings relocated to the site, including a home, office, cabin, store, and school. The diverse collection of artifacts within these buildings provides a captivating journey into people who lived here over 100 years ago.
Inside the buildings are a variety of authentic artifacts and textual information to observe. It really is neat to wander through the museum (which again is a collection of independent buildings) and get up close and personal with the history.
Located about 70 miles Bend, the journey to the museum takes visitors through Ponderosa Pine forests before revealing the barren plains. As a result, the whole experience offers visitors a serene view of the surrounding natural beauty of the Oregon desert.
The museum is closed each winter, as the remote location makes it inaccessible during snow events. They are open from Memorial Day through the 2nd weekend in September seasonally. Be sure to check their website for more info.
In fact, we recommend checking out the adjacent Fork Rock, which is an impressive rock formation just up the street. If you want some lunch, check out the Waterin’ Hole Tavern or the Fort Rock Restaurant & Pub nearby.
Fort Rock Homestead Village Museum is a unique destination that brings Oregon’s history to life, offering an immersive journey into the pioneer life that shaped the region.
As an ongoing project, more structures and historical pieces will continue to be added, ensuring a continually enriching experience for future visitors.
Sisters Museum
The Sisters Museum is a small but rich museum in Sisters Oregon (23 miles from Bend) managed by the Three Sisters Historical Society.
The museum displays information related to the history of the Three Sisters area (which includes Bend, Sisters, and Redmond) and is dedicated to preserving this history and strengthening community bonds.
In addition to artifacts and information at the museum, they also do Downtown Landmark Walking Tours in Sisters in addition to other events. Check out their Facebook page or website event page for up to date information.
Sunriver Nature Center and Observatory
The Sunriver Nature Center and Observatory is an amazing educational opportunity in Sunriver (19 miles from Bend), even if it’s not technically a museum.
The Sunriver Nature Center and Observatory is a combination of an indoor museum, outdoor nature exhibit and an astronomical observatory that is family friendly and super engaging!
We can’t forget to mention that the observatory has the largest collection of telescopes for public viewing in the United States. How cool is that!
There are tons of opportunities to view live animals, including a transparent beehive, a reptile exhibit as well as owls and other birds of prey and more. On the astronomical side, there are also meteors from out of this world!
The Sunriver Nature Center and Observatory is super focused on hands-on education, especially for kids and families. They host “homeschool days” where there are hands-on activities learning about fungi, survival skills, and more. Check their events calendar.
We recommend visiting the center during the day and also for a night time visit to an observatory program complete with an education session followed by observing the stars through their awesome telescopes!
Peterson Rock Garden and Museum
The Peterson Rock Garden and Museum focuses on geology and art with a long history of operations (started in 1935 by Rasmus Petersen) and exists on land that was homesteaded in 1905.
It is recognized by several organizations such as the National Parks Service, the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office, and the Deschutes County Historic Landmarks Commission.
This location was recently put up for sale and is in the process of transitioning ownership. Be sure to check their website for up to date information on hours.
The main attractions are unique and quirky rock sculptures using local rock from Central Oregon. There is a recommended $10 cash fee based on the honors system.
The new owners are trying to restore the site and it is an ongoing process, so don’t expect anything super official. There is a small museum and gift shop, but most of the things to see are outdoors.
To add to the uniqueness, there are a number of peacocks wandering around the property. Overall, this is a really unique place located 13 miles north of Bend.
Bonus: Children’s Museum of Central Oregon
The Children’s Museum of Central Oregon currently does not have a building of their own.
Founded back in 2015, this organization hosted STEAM-based summer camps in Bend and pop-up museums throughout Central Oregon from 2016 – 2019. STEAM is Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics.
However, the pandemic put a damper on things and paused their operations. In 2022, they set their eyes on establishing a permanent museum in addition to relaunching the mobile exhibits and programming.
They raised $100,000 in 2023 to develop the Visitor Experience Plan and exhibit concept designs for the museum. They are now raising money to build the permanent museum and continue the mobile museum as well.
Check out their website and consider donating to the cause of helping kids learn!
Conclusion
We hope you found this information about museums in Bend Oregon helpful! These museums are a great family friendly activity and most are open year round.
You may also be interested in our other articles about Central Oregon. We can help you get to know the things to do in Bend through our articles about restaurants, breweries, and cafes in Bend.
