(The E. L. Wiegand Ponderosa Playscape encourages kids to play, climb and learn about the lifecycle of a ponderosa pine tree. The new outdoor play area opens on Saturday, April 19, 2025, with a party at the High Desert Museum in Bend | Photo by Joe Kline Photography)
The young and young at heart alike starting Saturday will enjoy an entirely new outdoor play experience at the High Desert Museum.
Years in the making, the E. L. Wiegand Ponderosa Playscape will open this Saturday, April 19. A Playscape Party to mark the occasion will take place that day from 10am to 12pm with hands-on activities for kids, cookies and beverages. The event is free with admission.
The E. L. Wiegand Ponderosa Playscape is made possible by the E. L. Wiegand Foundation with support from the Bend Sustainability Fund, a Visit Bend project. This new, permanent addition to the Museum engages children’s playful side while encouraging them to learn about the lifecycle of a ponderosa pine tree.
At every stage of the tree’s life — from cone to seed to adult — it plays an important role in the forest’s ecosystem. Even after the tree’s death, the pine tree remains in the forest as a snag or log and provides critical habitat for plants and animals.
A significant aspect of the Ponderosa Playscape is also its impressive scale, evoking a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids feel for visitors amid features like 12-foot-tall pine needle bundles and a 12-foot-tall pinecone.
“The Ponderosa Playscape firmly fits into the Museum’s educational approach — through immersive experiences, we evoke wonder and awe to spark curiosity about the High Desert region,” says Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “We’re excited to see the joy of even the littlest kiddos playing and learning in this new, dynamic experience.”
The signature piece in the Playscape is the wood Pinecone Portal, a pinecone large enough for an adult to walk through carved by Sisters artist J. Chester Armstrong. He is known for his detailed wood carvings and created the cone from logs sourced from the Museum’s 135 acres and donated by the Central Oregon Irrigation District.
Armstrong also carved a dozen different forest creatures into another feature, the Discovery Snag. Visitors will be able to search for species ranging from raccoons to bats to mushrooms.
The giant Log Jam Jumble, also made of wood, will provide climbers an outlet. And there are four Pine Needle Climbers, each one in bunches of three just like ponderosa pine needles themselves.
The Seed Pod Stage and benches in the Playscape’s center will offer visitors as well as Museum Kids Camps, school field trips and other programs a place for activities and play.
The Ponderosa Playscape has been several years in the making. It replaces the Dig, Crawl, Climb area and is the first significant renovation project at the Museum since the update of the Autzen Otter Exhibit in 2016. It’s located near the former Dig, Crawl, Climb location above the Autzen Otter Exhibit.
About the High Desert Museum:
The High Desert Museum opened in Bend in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert region. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2019 recipient of the Western Museums Association’s Charles Redd Award for Exhibition Excellence and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service.
