Living History
You could read about the history of the High Desert, but why not live it at the High Desert Museum?
Experience the Spirit of the West.
Stroll through 100 years of High Desert History in the Spirit of The West exhibit. Along the way meet Hannah Perkins who is heading overland to Oregon across the bleak Nevada Desert. Stop by the mining camp of Silver City, Idaho and meet the Wells Fargo Express agent or local seamstress and learn about what it really takes to make a living in a boomtown. Experience changes daily
Pioneer Arts
In the main hall stop by our "Pioneer Porch" and visit with
artists dedicated to demonstrating the arts and crafts of the
late 19th century. Learn the history of quilting or hooked rugs
as an art form with both beauty and function for the frontier
home.
Head Outside to the 1880 High Desert Homestead Ranch.
Have a chat with Mrs. Blair and help her with the daily chores at the Blair family cabin. Meet the Blair family, hired hands and friends. Learn the many ways in which the pioneers of the High Desert made a living from the challenging landscape. With the demands of ranch living in 1880 in the remote region east of the Cascades the Blairs need all the help they can get. Lend a hand at churning butter, splitting wood, tending the 1880 garden, and try your hand at Placer mining. Check with admissions for scheduled program times. Click here to lean more
And when the Museum fires up its more than 100-year-old Lazinka Sawmill, with its 48-inch blade and retrofitted steam powered engine, talk to the sawyers about what it takes to do their job.
Daily Programs
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Living History Experience Go back more than a century and meet 1880 High Desert homesteaders at their authentic ranch as they do chores about the cabin, cook supper, or pan for gold. (weather permitting).
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