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News Release

Discover The Wonder Of The Dark During “Welcome The Night” At The High Desert Museum (Photo) - 07/08/26

BEND, OR — The High Desert Museum invites visitors to experience Welcome the Night on Wednesday, July 15, for an after-hours evening of hands-on discovery celebrating nocturnal wildlife, astronomy and the importance of protecting dark skies.  Explore the Museum after dark with community partners, Museum experts, and local naturalists. Activities include owl encounters, bat detection, hands-on astronomy, insect exploration, twilight art, and more from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Learn more and purchase tickets at highdesertmuseum.org/welcomethenight26.
 

Welcome the Night guests will receive an adventure card and map to guide them through 20 stations across the Museum. Participants can collect a stamp at each stop before turning in their card for a chance to win a raffle prize.
 

New this year is the Ribbits and Hoots Station, where visitors can create frog hand puppets or owl finger puppets. At the Twilight Art Station, guests of all ages can make stenciled twilight art using scratch paper. A local face painter will also be on-site, offering designs inspired by favorite twilight creatures.

 

Three owl encounters will take place at the E. L. Wiegand Pavilion in the Donald M. Kerr Birds of Prey Center. During the 15-minute encounters, Museum wildlife staff will share how owls use their large eyes, silent flight, and keen hearing to hunt by day and by night.


At Cheney Pond, experts from the U.S. Forest Service will lead the Bat Detectives Station, exploring bats and their role in the High Desert ecosystem. Visitors will learn why bats dip and dive over water and see how researchers track the movements and behavior of these remarkable flying mammals.
 

Experts from Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory will guide visitors at the Mighty Meteor Station, where they will uncover the science behind falling stars, shooting stars, and meteorites. Guests can also peer through telescopes and explore a model solar system.


Representatives from Pollinator Pathway Bend introduce visitors to the world of nighttime pollinators, including moths, and teach them how to create outdoor spaces that support important pollinators at the Pollination Station. In the Desertarium, visitors can view a collection of insects and examine specimens under magnification.
 

DarkSky Oregon will share how light pollution affects not only our view of the stars, but also the health and well-being of nocturnal wildlife.
 

The Rimrock Café will be transformed into the Crepuscular Café, featuring food available for purchase from Luckey’s Woodsman. No-host bars will feature alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
 

Tickets for Welcome the Night are $10 for adults and children ages 3 and older. Museum Members receive a 20% discount. Children 2 and younger are free. Visitors are encouraged to bring a flashlight or headlamp, as outdoor trails are unlit.
 

Learn more and purchase tickets at highdesertmuseum.org/welcomethenight26.

 

ABOUT THE MUSEUM: 

The HIGH DESERT MUSEUM opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2025 recipient of the Autry Public History Prize from the Western History Association and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. To learn more, visit highdesertmuseum.org and follow us on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. 

 

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Attached Media Files: The High Desert Museum opens its doors for a special evening event, Welcome the Night, on July 15.,

Discover The Wonder Of The Dark During “Welcome The Night” At The High Desert Museum (Photo) - 07/08/26

BEND, OR — The High Desert Museum invites visitors to experience Welcome the Night on Wednesday, July 15, for an after-hours evening of hands-on discovery celebrating nocturnal wildlife, astronomy and the importance of protecting dark skies.  Explore the Museum after dark with community partners, Museum experts, and local naturalists. Activities include owl encounters, bat detection, hands-on astronomy, insect exploration, twilight art, and more from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Learn more and purchase tickets at highdesertmuseum.org/welcomethenight26.
 

Welcome the Night guests will receive an adventure card and map to guide them through 20 stations across the Museum. Participants can collect a stamp at each stop before turning in their card for a chance to win a raffle prize.
 

New this year is the Ribbits and Hoots Station, where visitors can create frog hand puppets or owl finger puppets. At the Twilight Art Station, guests of all ages can make stenciled twilight art using scratch paper. A local face painter will also be on-site, offering designs inspired by favorite twilight creatures.

 

Three owl encounters will take place at the E. L. Wiegand Pavilion in the Donald M. Kerr Birds of Prey Center. During the 15-minute encounters, Museum wildlife staff will share how owls use their large eyes, silent flight, and keen hearing to hunt by day and by night.


At Cheney Pond, experts from the U.S. Forest Service will lead the Bat Detectives Station, exploring bats and their role in the High Desert ecosystem. Visitors will learn why bats dip and dive over water and see how researchers track the movements and behavior of these remarkable flying mammals.
 

Experts from Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory will guide visitors at the Mighty Meteor Station, where they will uncover the science behind falling stars, shooting stars, and meteorites. Guests can also peer through telescopes and explore a model solar system.


Representatives from Pollinator Pathway Bend introduce visitors to the world of nighttime pollinators, including moths, and teach them how to create outdoor spaces that support important pollinators at the Pollination Station. In the Desertarium, visitors can view a collection of insects and examine specimens under magnification.
 

DarkSky Oregon will share how light pollution affects not only our view of the stars, but also the health and well-being of nocturnal wildlife.
 

The Rimrock Café will be transformed into the Crepuscular Café, featuring food available for purchase from Luckey’s Woodsman. No-host bars will feature alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
 

Tickets for Welcome the Night are $10 for adults and children ages 3 and older. Museum Members receive a 20% discount. Children 2 and younger are free. Visitors are encouraged to bring a flashlight or headlamp, as outdoor trails are unlit.
 

Learn more and purchase tickets at highdesertmuseum.org/welcomethenight26.

 

ABOUT THE MUSEUM: 

The HIGH DESERT MUSEUM opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2025 recipient of the Autry Public History Prize from the Western History Association and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. To learn more, visit highdesertmuseum.org and follow us on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. 

 

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Attached Media Files: The High Desert Museum opens its doors for a special evening event, Welcome the Night, on July 15.,