(Harris’s hawk flies in Sky Hunters program | Photo by Abbott Schindler)
The High Desert Museum celebrates spring break with special programs and extended hours beginning Saturday, March 25 through Sunday, April 2, 9am-5pm. Visitors pay winter rates with summer hours through Friday, March 31. It’s made possible by Oregon College Savings Plan.
The popular indoor flight demonstration Sky Hunters returns to the E.L. Wiegand Pavilion in the Donald M. Kerr Birds of Prey Center. Visitors can experience powerful predators close up as raptors fly just overhead, showcasing the birds’ agility and grace. The program runs from Saturday, March 25-Saturday, April 1 with demonstrations daily at 11am and 1:30pm. Tickets are $7 and available at Admissions. Museum members receive a 20 percent discount.
The Museum is excited to welcome special guests from the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife from Thursday, March 30-Saturday, April 1. Visitors can find them at the Autzen Otter Exhibit sharing information and biofacts about sea otters and Pacific lamprey.
Spring break visitors will also be able to experience the Museum’s temporary exhibitions. The newest original exhibition is Creations of Spirit. Native artists created artwork to be used in Native communities before arriving at the Museum, and the art will be available to Native communities for use once again after the exhibition. It features acclaimed artists Joe Feddersen (Colville), RYAN! Feddersen (Colville), Natalie Kirk (Warm Springs), H’Klumaiyat Roberta Joy Kirk (Wasco, Warm Springs, Diné), Phillip Cash Cash, Ph.D., (Cayuse, Nez Perce), Jefferson Greene (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs) and Kelli Palmer (Wasco, Warm Springs). Creations of Spirit is a one-of-a-kind, celebratory experience featuring the stories of living works of art. highdesertmuseum.org/creations-of-spirit
Other temporary exhibitions include the original effort, Under the Snow. The exhibit, offered in English and Spanish, reveals the hidden world beneath the snow, called the subnivium. In this environment, animals create a matrix of tunnels to survive the winter’s frigid temperatures and hide from the predators that lurk above. The exhibit is filled with animations of animals and immerses the visitor in the winter landscape. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/under-the-snow.
And In the Arena: Photographs from America’s Only Touring Black Rodeo, will be open through June 25. Through the lens of San Francisco Bay area photographer Gabriela Hasbun, the exhibit documents the exhilarating atmosphere of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — the only touring Black rodeo in the country — and the showstopping style and skill of the Black cowboys and cowgirls who compete in it year after year. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/in-the-arena.
Living history characters in period dress will be present during spring break, as well, from Saturday, March 25-Saturday, April 1 from 11am-3pm. They will share how they lived and supported themselves in the High Desert in 1904 and offer visitors opportunities to help with chores and play games. The encounters will take place outdoors at the High Desert Ranch and Sawmill or indoors in the Spirit of the West exhibit. The location is weather-dependent, and visitors are encouraged to check with Admissions upon arrival.
Visitors will also be able to enjoy two daily talks during spring break, the Natural History Walk and Otter Encounter. Other daily programs that usually take place in the pavilion will resume on Sunday, April 2.
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