High Desert Museum
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| Established | 1982 |
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| Location | Bend, Oregon, U.S.A. |
| Type | Natural history |
| Visitors | 150,000 per year |
| Director | Dana Whitelaw |
| Website | High Desert Museum |
The High Desert Museum is located near Bend, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1982, it brings regional wildlife, culture, art and natural resources together to promote an understanding of natural and cultural heritage of North America's high desert country. The museum uses indoor and outdoor exhibits, wildlife in natural-like habitats, and living history demonstrations to help people discover and appreciate the high desert environment. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
The museum was founded by Donald M. Kerr, a native of Portland, Oregon. Kerr had a passion for natural history that inspired the creation of the museum. In 1974, Kerr established the Western Natural History Institute, and the High Desert Museum was an outgrowth of the institute opening in 1982. The museum was originally called the Oregon High Desert Museum; however, the name was later changed to recognize the regional nature of the high desert environment it highlights.
In 1989, the main building was expanded with a 28,000-square-foot (2,600 m2) addition, with the museum's attendance reaching 100,000 per year. The $5 million expansion, a gift from the Chiles Foundation, added the Earle A. Chiles Center on the Spirit of the West. In 1994, a five-year expansion campaign began to increase the size of the museum. By 2016, the non-profit museum drew 170,000 visitors per year. In 2014, Dr. Dana Whitelaw became the executive director of the museum.
The High Desert Museum sits on 135 acres (0.55 km2) of pine covered forest land in Central Oregon. South of Bend on U.S. Route 97, the museum includes various indoor and outdoor exhibits, a library, a desertarium, and a cafe. Portland's GHA Architects designed the original museum building. That structure contains slate flooring and walls built from volcanic rocks. The outdoor exhibits and various buildings are connected by a half-mile long paved path.
The entrance lobby is known as Schnitzer Hall. Visitors passing through the lobby can walk straight ahead into the Collins Gallery and museum gift shop or proceed to exhibits down corridors to the right or left. To the right of the main lobby is the Earle A. Chiles Center on the Spirit of the West and separate galleries for special traveling exhibits. To the left of the entrance is the Henry J. Casey Hall of Plateau Indians. The cafeteria is located beyond the Collins Gallery next to the gift shop. There is also a classroom located in this area of the building. Through the Collins Gallery to the left is an indoor desertarium with living desert animals on display. The exit at the far end of the desertarium leads to the Donald M Kerr Birds of Prey Center and the museum's outdoor exhibits.
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