Sunriver Scene July 2026 - Flipbook - Page 28
High Desert Museum's summer programs allow your imagination to take flight
Summer at the High Desert
Museum brings daily wildlife
encounters, immersive exhibitions, living history experiences
and special events continuing
through Labor Day.
Signature programs include
the popular Raptors of the
Desert Sky flight demonstration, along with daily talks,
historic demonstrations and
family-friendly evening events.
Museum membership provides
added value all season long with
discounts on many programs
and events.
The museum is located
minutes north of Sunriver
off Highway 97. Visit highdesertmuseum.org for
additional information.
Raptors of the Desert Sky
Daily at 11:30 a.m.
Presented daily, this popular program invites visitors
to experience hawks, owls,
falcons and even turkey vultures soaring directly overhead in a natural amphitheater nestled among towering
ponderosa pines.
As the birds fly from perch
to perch, a museum expert
narrates the action, sharing the
hunting strategies and natural
behaviors of these spectacular
birds of prey, as well as what
can be done to help preserve
them in the wild.
The program happens,
weather and air quality permitting. The museum website
will be updated to reflect any
time changes, including earlier
start times during periods of
elevated temperatures to ensure
the birds’ well-being.
Tickets are separate from
museum entry ($8 general
admission; free for ages 2 and
under; members receive 20%
discount) and are sold at admissions for that day’s program until 11 a.m. Tickets are available
in-person only and often sell
out before 10 a.m. Visitors are
strongly encouraged to arrive
when the museum opens at 9
a.m. to secure tickets.
Raptors of the Desert Sky is
made possible by Fly Redmond,
Avion Water Company, and
Bigfoot Beverages. Learn more
at highdesertmuseum.org/rap
tors-of-the-desert-sky.
Desert Dwellers
Daily at 3 p.m.
Visitors can meet not one,
not two, but three mammals
in the popular Desert Dwellers
talk featuring a beaver, skunk
or porcupine. They also can
learn about wolves, raptors,and
other High Desert species in
other talks. Daily talks are free
with admission. Talk details
are at highdesertmuseum.org/
daily-schedule.
High Desert Ranger Station
Daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The historic High Desert
Ranger Station offers visitors
a glimpse into the daily life of
early U.S. Forest Service rangers in the West. Relocated in
December 2024 from the front
of the museum to a new home
along the Fire in the Forest trail,
PLAN TO ATTEND!
AUGUST 7-9, 2026
JURIED ORIGINAL ART
IN THE BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE AT SUNRIVER
Presented by
sunriverartfair.org
@sunriverartfair
#sunriverartfair
Net proceeds support nonprofits in south Deschutes County
Page 28
JULY 2026 SUNRIVER SCENE
Watch birds 昀氀y from perch to perch at 'Raptors of the Desert
Sky,' presented daily at 11:30 a.m. at the High Desert Museum.
the ranger station invites guests
to step inside a piece of regional
history surrounded by the
landscape it was built to serve.
Constructed east of Sierra
Nevada in 1933, the station
was moved to the High Desert
Museum in 2008 through a
partnership with the Pacific Northwest Forest Service
Association of retired Forest
Service employees, known as
the Old Smokeys. Today, Old
Smokeys and museum volunteers welcome visitors into the
cabin to share stories of wildfire
prevention, forest stewardship,
and life in the early days of the
Forest Service. Learn more
at highdesertmuseum.org/
high-desert-ranger-station.
Sawmill Demonstrations
June 21, July 24, and Aug. 27
from noon to 3 p.m.
Visitors can experience the
sights, sounds and raw power
of early timber work during
special live demonstrations of
the 1904 Lazinka Sawmill as
the sawmill roars to life and its
enormous blade cuts through
thick Oregon logs, offering
a rare look at the machinery
that helped shape communities
across the region in the early
1900s. The demonstrations are
included with museum admission. Learn more at highdesert
museum.org/lazinka-sawmill.
High Desert Ranch
Daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
through Sept. 7
Visitors can step into the
rhythms of ranch life at the
High Desert Ranch throughout
the summer. Nestled among
the museum’s pine forest, the
ranch brings the stories of early
High Desert homesteads to
life through historic buildings,
gardens, animals and handson, interactive experiences.
Museum volunteers and staff
in period dress educate guests
about the buildings and daily
life in the early 1900s. Learn
more about the ranch at high
desertmuseum.org/1904-highdesert-ranch.
Welcome the Night
July 15 from 7 to 10 p.m.
Visitors are invited to celebrate sundown with the return
of Welcome the Night, marking
the transition between day and
night when nocturnal wildlife
stirs. Participants should bring
a headlamp or flashlight and
learn how a dark night sky free
of light pollution is critical for
wildlife.
The family-friendly event
includes telescope tours, insect
discoveries, bat detecting, wildlife encounters, arts and crafts,
face painting, food and drinks
for purchase, raffle prizes and
more. Tickets for adults and
children (ages 3 and older) are
$10. Children 2 and younger
are free. Museum members
receive a 20% discount. Learn
more and reserve tickets at
highdesertmuseum.org/wel
comethenight26.
Under Pressure: A Volcanic
Exploration
Daily through Jan. 3
For those too-hot summer
days, visitors should remember the indoor art exhibitions
and galleries. Under Pressure:
A Volcanic Exploration is an
immersive and interactive experience that takes visitors on a
journey of history, science and
geology. Listen to the rumble
of a volcano as it towers in
the center of the gallery, play
a game of “floor is lava,” and
discover the stories and the
technology behind the rumbling giants among us.
Nearby, visitors can discover
the bold murals, sculptures,
and hand-drawn animations
of artist Miguel Almeida in his
exhibition, Las Manos que dan
de Comer (The Hands That
Feed). Listen to the sounds of
the fields and the people who
work on the land and harvest
the fresh fruits and vegetables
bound for local markets and
dinner tables.
Discover more about the
museum exhibitions at high
desertmuseum.org/exhibitions.
