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Petersen Rock Garden & Museum
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Museums Arts & Entertainment Botanical Gardens Active Life Parks Museums, Botanical Gardens, Parks [Edit]
7930 SW 77th StRedmond, OR 97756
(541) 382-5574
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
6 reviews for Petersen Rock Garden & Museum
6 reviews in English
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Review from zoeee c.
Redmond, OR
7/26/2011
I always bring my out-of-town visitors here!! It's very quirky and unusual! The large rock, shell and glass structures are so cool! It's fun to walk around, and on, (some) the structures.
Stroll at your own pace and check out the little lake across the driveway. Picnic tables available. Peacocks roam the grounds, but seldom come near people. Restrooms are in an outbuilding in the parking lot. Various rocks are available for purchase inside the souvenir shop, as well as a large display of collected rock samples.
One of the funniest things about this neat place is the glow in the dark room inside the shop. Check it out if you have little kids with you.
Fees are suggested and collected in a cash box mounted near the grass next to the parking lot. -
Review from James S.
Vancouver, WA
8/22/2011
This place was okay but I just had a unsettling feeling going thru it, that this is being run down. The only updated signs were the fee signs and the we will get you if you touch the rocks or birds. All the other signs are faded and broke. That is kinda the motif of the place. The fountains and some displays are broke. The guys running the place were not friendly at all and only sat around talking to each other, then when we went into the museum area went in to man the counter to sell us rocks, when we were not buying they acted annoyed. There is a lot of clutter and the grounds are nice but not well maintained. It is something to see but I couldn't help feeling sad that this could be a nice place if it was maintained and cared for.
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Review from Jen K.
At first glance, I felt like I was enabling someone's addiction. In the old days, I think the word was eccentric. But after touring the property and learning a little more about Rasmus Petersen, farmer and artist, I think this place is 'unique' and worth a visit if you're in the Bend/Redmond area.
The sculptures were created in the 1930s and 40s and there are obvious signs of decay. Many of the structures seem a little worse for wear with signs almost unreadable after baking in the Central Oregon sun for decades. But, there is also a lushness and beauty.
I was surprised by the lovely rock bridges over the lily ponds bursting with pink flowers in bloom. Make sure you walk all around the property, since some of the largest ponds are on the right side of the driveway as you enter, which is on the opposite side of the property from where you park.
The museum is an odd collection of rocks and artifacts and they have a small black-light room. You can also purchase ice cream sandwiches for a little treat to beat the heat. But the museum was the least interesting part of our visit.
This place is a tribute to one man's vision and it is impressive what hard work and dedication can produce. My son enjoyed the flock of peacocks and peahens, especially when two of the peacocks were bickering and it was a glorious, and loud, sight to behold.
Make sure you leave your donation in the honor box and don't forget to make a wish and toss a coin in the fountain. And don't stand between two peacocks. Lesson learned.Listed in: Bend Rover, Bend Rover, Jen's…
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Review from Jane S.
Salem, OR
8/19/2009
If Oregon's parks and recreation brass have any capacity for hipness whatsoever, Petersen Rock Garden will be a state park someday. Whereas most roadside attractions aim straight for the wallet without much regard for aesthetics, Petersen Rock Garden goes for tranquility over profit.
Like LA's Watts Towers and Wisconsin's Dickeyville Grotto, the Petersen Rock Gardens showcase the concrete-and-mineral masterworks of a single untrained artist working under a spiritual mandate. Using minerals dug from Central and Eastern Oregon's volcanic soil, Rasmus Petersen began work on his garden in 1935 and kept at it until his death in 1952. That Mr. Petersen was able to complete as much as he did singlehandedly over the course of just 17 years is hard to fathom. Many of his structures are dedicated to God and country, and it is fair to guess that his drive to create sprang, at least in part, from these sources; even black-eyed skeptics like me will come away impressed by the sheer levels of faith and patriotism on display in Mr. Petersen's elaborate creations. Well-kept patches of greenery maintained by the surviving Petersens keep the area cool and pleasant and enhance the appearance of the sculptures. When the seasonal wildflowers start to bloom in early summer, the rock sculptures look as natural as if they'd been deposited there by the last Cascadian eruption. Roaming (and demonstrative!) peacocks and fancy chickens complete this folk-art pastoral, adding a touch of the Near East to a very Oregonian oasis.
With most older tourist attractions I often feel the need to attach a series of dire warnings for the benefit of families with small children and high expectations, but Petersen Rock Garden is quite accessible; no climbing, no scary surprises, no need to stay against your will if you don't like it. The peacocks can be a little bold around smaller humans, but they are easy enough to avoid. If you find yourself at the helm of a hectic family road trip where expectations and tempers have run dangerously high, Petersen Rock Garden makes for one of the most peaceable rest stops in Central Oregon. -
Review from Julie W.
Seattle, WA
8/6/2010
Agreed, this place is fascinating, but our visit was marred by an unfortunate run-in with the management. She singled us out and took away the peacock feathers that our children had gathered and insisted that we pay for them when there were no signs to that effect anywhere on the grounds. On previous visits, the feathers were free and unlimited. I'd say good for kids, except for the way the management treated ours.
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Review from Tiffany T.
Beaverton, OR
1/3/2007 4 photos
Visited this place not that long ago. It's off the beaten path and took us awhile to locate it. Found it in the awesome book "Weird US". Basically the founder (Mr. Petersen) of this garden was a rock collector and he collected from all over the world. Then he started building sculptures and monuments out of the stones he collected. It's a great example of American folk art. There's a sculpture of the Statue of Liberty, castles, bridges, fountains and urns. It's like paradise; there are wild rabbits, peacocks, and dragonflies. There are ponds, and lots of flowers! They have a store where you can purchase souvenirs, which has many different rocks and crystals on display. The couple that lives there and currently runs the place are very nice. Some of the sculptures are in miniature like dollhouses. We stopped by in July and it was very hot but we still spent 3 hours touring the property, be sure to check out both sides of the white house out front because there is more garden on each side. It was a fun an unusual spot to spend an afternoon; I would go there again!
Listed in: Electric Funky Chicken - Zap…
