Reid School – Des Chutes Historical Museum

If you want to know about the history of Bend and Deschutes County, this is the place to go. The Museum abounds with history and relics of the past lives of Deschutes County.  Explore life along the obsidian routes with the native people who passed along the Deschutes River and fur trapping with early explorers; see the logging and railroad barons racing to settle the last open spaces amid the ponderosa pine forests; meet the pioneers of Deschutes County who settled along the river and raised their children, grew their crops or started businesses and prospered. Explore this and more inside Reid School, itself a historic landmark for Deschutes County.

The building is Bend’s first modern school building, opening September 1914 to 241 pupils. The building is constructed of locally quarried pink volcanic “tuff,” and is one of the most impressive historical buildings still standing in Bend. In 1977, the building was decommissioned by the Bend – La Pine School District. Through a land exchange with Deschutes County, Reid School became a county property. Between 2000-2002, a major renovation campaign for Reid School upgraded the buildings windows, installed an elevator system and modern heating and cooling system. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a cornerstone for the City of Bend’s proposed Heritage Square.

• ADA accessible
• Visitor center on site
• Trained guides available
• Interpretive signage
• Fee required