The Hi-Desert Nature Museum, Yucca Valley

The Hi-Desert Nature Museum
Yucca Valley Community Center Complex
57090 29 Palms Highway
Yucca Valley, CA 92284
760-369-7212
http://www.hidesertnaturemuseum.org/

Tues-Sun: 10a-5p
Closed major holidays

Free admission; donations welcome.

The Hi-Desert Nature Museum is dedicated to the process of education by exploring the natural, artistic, and cultural heritage of the Morongo Basin and High Desert. The Museum seeks to inspire wonder, discovery, understanding, and responsibility in its community and visitors through exhibitions, programs, and collections in the arts, history, and natural sciences.

The Museum is a family-oriented facility with collections and exhibits related to the desert’s unique natural, artistic and historical elements. The museum features educational opportunities for visitors of all ages, including natural history dioramas displaying wildlife in the desert, an interactive “Kids Corner” with plenty of hands-on activities, a mini-zoo with live desert creatures, a gem and mineral collection, a Native American artifacts exhibit and a fossil collection. Six rotating special exhibits are scheduled each year.

Collections of note include a comprehensive collection of Howard Pierce pottery, papers and serigraphs from Henry and Beverly Mockel, a Victorian-era collection of miniature paintings on ivory, an extensive collection reflecting the mineral resources of the local region, over 90 taxidermied specimens, and mining tools and implements reflecting the High Desert’s rich mining history. The Native American material culture collection contains objects from throughout the Western United States with concentration on Chemehuevi, Serrano, and Cahuilla cultures.

Contact the Museum for latest information.