(Raptors of the Desert Sky | Photo courtesy of the High Desert Museum)
Greetings from the High Desert Museum! We hope the summer is treating you well and you’re staying cool. All is well here — considering where we were one year ago, we are thrilled to see visitors all over the Museum grounds. Here’s to some normalcy! We will be reminding people on social media but please know that the Museum is closed on Sunday, July 4.
With state COVID restrictions ending tomorrow, our senior team here is currently deciding how to move forward regarding face coverings. We’re anticipating the outdoors will be maskless, at the very least. Considering that littles can’t yet get vaccinated and we have a LOT of visitors under 12, it’s not exactly cut-and-dry for us. Contact us for updates.
Daily Schedule
1904 Miller Ranch and Sawmill
10am-4pm
The Miller Family Ranch is open! Meet the Millers as they welcome you into the past. Explore how this working family lived. Help with chores and play games!
Bird of Prey Encounter*
Daily at 10am and 4pm
Enjoy a close-up view of a magnificent bird of prey! Discover how to identify these aerial predators and how we can ensure their future in the High Desert.
High Desert Ranger Station
Open Saturdays and Sundays only from 11am-3pm
Explore the role of the U.S. Forest Service in managing your National Forest System at this historic ranger station-from which a district forest ranger cared for the land and served the people for decades.
High Desert Fish Tales
10:30am
Healthy populations of fish have sustained economies and ecosystems in the High Desert for thousands of years. Learn about the surprising diversity of native fish, their importance to ecosystems and High Desert communities, and why we must work together to conserve and restore them to the landscape.
Wolves in the High Desert*
1pm
At one time the entire High Desert was habitat for the gray wolf. Exterminated in the 1900s, the apex predator is now staging a comeback. Learn about the biology of wolves, their role in natural ecosystems and the challenges our communities are working to overcome as they return home.
Desert Dwellers*
2pm
Meet some of the charismatic species found throughout the High Desert. Learn about their natural history and the amazing adaptations they use to survive in the harsh and changing environment.
Horses on the Range*
3pm
There are an estimated 95,000 free-roaming horses throughout the West. Where did they come from, how are they managed and what impact do they have on High Desert ecosystems?
*Seating is limited, and a pass is required. Please inquire at Admissions when you arrive at the Museum. The presentations are at least 15 minutes and take place in the Birds of Prey Center pavilion. One party per bench, please.
RAPTORS OF THE DESERT SKY
Daily at 11:30am
Enjoy our signature outdoor flight program: Raptors of the Desert Sky. Watch as hawks, owls, falcons and even a turkey vulture fly, quite literally, right overhead. Listen to the stories of these birds as a Museum naturalist narrates the action and introduces the hunting strategies and natural behaviors of these spectacular birds of prey.
Tickets must be purchased from Admissions by 11am, and there is no late entry.
Museum members, children (12 and under), seniors (65+) — $3 plus admission. Non-member adults (13-64) — $5 plus admission. Children ages two and younger are free.
Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/raptors-of-the-desert-sky.
With this extreme heat, visitors will see this program get canceled on occasion, as it’s dangerous to fly the birds in the heat. Please check our home page for daily updates regarding the show.
On-going exhibitions
Dam It! Beavers and Us
through October 3, 2021
This exhibition explores our history with the North American beaver and its modern importance in the High Desert region. How have we influenced this animal, how has it influenced us and what does our future look like together?
Free with Museum admission. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/dam-it.
Cosmic Microscapes: Seeing Into Rocks from Oregon and Space
Closes Sunday, July 18!
What do ancient pieces of cooled magma from the Moon and Mars have in common with samples from an eruption of Oregon’s Lava Butte only 7,000 years ago? Explore the abstract beauty in the new exhibit. It’s all part of a collaboration between Seattle photographer Neil Buckland and University of Washington professor and meteorite scientist Dr. Tony Irving. Small pieces of the Moon, Mars and asteroids were sliced paper-thin and photographed at staggeringly high resolution to produce prints of unprecedented scale. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/cosmic-microscapes.
In Time’s Hum: The Art and Science of Pollination
Through September 6, 2021
The Museum is pleased to present this exhibition of work by artist jasna guy and entomologist Lincoln Best. In Time’s Hum explores pollinators, with a focus on the flowers on which they depend. jasna guy’s practice includes close observation of pollination ecology. This exhibition features graphite drawings, striking photographs of native flora, animations and vibrant pollen color drawings. Lincoln Best contributes pollinator and plant specimens, and fascinating insights into these species. In Time’s Hum plants seeds of contemplation and sparks wonder at the intricacy of nature. FREE with Museum admission. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/in-times-hum.