Field Trip Favorites: A Return Visit to the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon

This week we got to revisit one of our very favorite museums: the High Desert Museum in Bend, OR. Our first year on the road, we bought an annual membership since we knew we’d be spending several weeks in Bend that fall and again in the spring. It was well worth the investment. We visited about ten times that year and learned something new on every visit.

It had been a year and a half since our last visit, so it was time for a return trip. Our youngest requested a day at the museum, and I was more than happy to take the boys on a field trip to one of our favorite places. Since we know it so well, the boys planned the whole day and I followed their lead. They checked the daily schedule and chose which talks we’d attend (the raptor talk and the mammal encounter, both featuring live animals, are always our favorites). They also decided when we’d see the new volcano exhibit and the hundreds of art pieces in the $20 Art Show, and when to explore the old sawmill and settlers’ cabins.

What we love about this place

There is so much to love here, from river otters racing each other down their little creek waterslide, to learning about the indigenous tribes who first lived in the high desert and the white settlers who traveled west hunting for beavers and gold. The mix of indoor and outdoor exhibits was perfect for a chilly fall day that warmed up in the afternoon. We still stopped for our traditional lemonade in the museum cafe, and we were thrilled to see our very favorite porcupine, Tumbleweed, at the mammal encounter.

For a roadschooling family, a place like this is a gift. Visiting again and again lets the kids go deeper instead of rushing through. They notice what’s changed, pick up new details, and build real knowledge of the animals, history, and landscape around them. Letting them plan the day made it even better. They took ownership of the learning, and I got to be along for the ride.

Notebooking the next day

The next day we started our homeschool day by notebooking about our visit. The boys drew trout and river otters and wrote about their favorite parts of the day, and I attempted to draw Tumbleweed. Notebooking is such a fun and creative way to capture our experience and document it. 

If you go

• Check the daily schedule first. The live animal talks, like the raptor talk and the mammal encounter, are the highlight for us, so plan your day around them.
• Dress for the weather. Many exhibits are outdoors, including the sawmill and settlers’ cabins, so bring layers.
• Let your kids lead. Handing over the schedule turned a familiar visit into a fresh adventure.
• Consider a membership if you’ll be in the area more than once.
• Plan for a cafe stop. Lemonade is optional, but it’s our tradition.

The High Desert Museum is one of those places we’ll keep coming back to. Every visit teaches us something new, and it reminds us why we love learning on the road.