Buffalo Bill Wild West Show
Benton City Kid
Wild West  
Family Fun Day!
Join us for a day of rootin' tootin' wild west fun! Bring the whole family for a day filled with engaging western-themed hands-on crafts, face painting and even a bounce house. Western clothing and cowboy costumes encouraged.

* Learn about the California Gold Rush & pan for gold with the First Class Miners
* See an old-fashioned wild west shootout by the Gunfighters for Hire, 11:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.
* Country music by Ghostlight Trio, 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. 


Saturday, September 29
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
FREE Admission! ________________________________________________
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, Dale Evans
and Trigger
New Temporary Exhibit 
Ride 'em Cowboy! The West in Popular Culture

Return with us to those fabled days of yesteryear, when cowboys were heroes, gunslingers lurked around every corner, six-shooters were worn in gun belts slung low on the hip, and a Stetson hat and trustworthy horse were the most valuable possessions you could own. Today America's colorful wild west history continues to resonate in our popular culture.  From the dime novels of the 1800s to radio, movies and television, the ideal solitary and righteous hero was characterized in the stories of the American West, saving communities from the evils of an untamed wilderness.  "Ride 'em Cowboy!" will present information on the romanticizing of the West since the Louisiana Purchase and its influence on American popular culture including movies and television shows, some filmed locally in Pioneertown.

On Display September 22, 2012 through January 19, 2013
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Cats Eye Nebula
Hubble image of the
Cat's Eye Nebula

Starry Nights Festival
Celebrate our exceptional sunny days and starry nights at Yucca Valley's 16th annual Starry Nights Festival. This event will feature presentations by noted astronomers, a twilight reception and evening of stargazing.

Astronomy-themed Science Saturday, 11:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Astronomy Lectures in the Yucca Room, 1:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Twilight Reception in the Yucca Room, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Stargazing, 8:00 - 10:00 p.m., presented by the
     Southern California Desert Video Astronomers

Saturday, September 15
Yucca Valley Community Center Complex 

Admission is FREE thanks for the generous support of the

Andromeda Society and Town of Yucca Valley

Click here to view a full schedule of speakers
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Lightning Sunset Science Saturdays
The Hi-Desert Nature Museum brings hands-on learning and the thrill of scientific discovery to children with the popular "Science Saturdays" activities. This series of science programs is designed to ignite curiosity by presenting information and performing experiments relating to biological and physical sciences. It is recommended that children be of school age for this program.

September 15: Astronomy
October 6: Weather

11:00 - 11:30 a.m., FREE Admission
No pre-registration required

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29 Palms Schoolhouse
29 Palms Schoolhouse in 1928
MBHS Presents
The Hi-Desert Nature Museum is pleased to partner with the Morongo Basin Historical Society in hosting their lecture series.  On the 2nd Wednesday of each month a new topic related to our colorful local history will be presented by an experienced speaker.

September 12: An Insider's History of the Morongo School District
Presented by Ruth Long
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.; $5 donation to the MBHS at the door
Ruth draws on her own extensive research of 18 years served on the local school board and describes what life and school was like for teachers and their students in kindergarten through 8th grade from 1914 through 1958.  This will be part 1 of a 2 part series.  Part 2 will be presented in conjunction with the MBHS Annual Meeting on Sunday, September 16, at 2:00 p.m. at the MBHS Museum & Research Center in Landers at 632 North Landers Lane.  www.mbhs.net
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Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp, Age 33

Wyatt Earp  

Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (1948-1929) was an American investor and law enforcement officer, best known for his participation in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, which took place in Tombstone, Arizona, on October 26, 1881.  He was known at different times as a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner, and boxing referee.  Earp spent his early life in Iowa.  His first wife, Urilla Sutherland Earp, died while pregnant less than a year after they married.  Within the next two years he was arrested, sued twice, escaped from jail, then arrested three more times.  He landed in the cattle boomtown of Wichita, Kansas, where he became a deputy marshal.  In 1876 he followed his brother James to Dodge City, Kansas, where he became an assistant marshal.  In the winter of 1878 he went to Texas to gamble where he met John Henry "Doc" Holliday.  In 1879, Wyatt moved to Tombstone with his brothers James, Virgil and Morgan. The Earps held various law enforcement positions that put them in conflict with a loose federation of outlaws, known as the "Cowboys."  Tom and Frank McLaury, and Ike and Billy Clanton, threatened to kill the Earps. The tensions escalated, culminating in the 30-second Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which the Earps and Holliday killed three of the Cowboys.  During the next five months, Virgil was ambushed and maimed and Morgan was assassinated.  Pursuing a vendetta, Wyatt, his brother Warren, Holliday, and others chased down the Cowboys they thought responsible.  In his later years he and his third wife moved to Southern California where the town of Earp was named after him.  Wyatt was made famous by a largely fictionalized biography by Stuart Lake and has been the subject of a number of books, films and television shows.  Wyatt was never wounded during his several gun battles, which contributed to his mystique. 
Museum Logo
Support the Museum
The museum has two active fundraising campaigns to enable us to continue providing quality educational programs and exhibitions for residents and visitors.  Help preserve our local history, art, culture, and natural science by becoming a museum member, or purchase a copper plaque to mount at the entry way of the museum with your personalized engraved inscription.  Information on these programs is available at the museum's reception desk or on our website.
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Route 66 Diner
Route 66
Route 66, also known as the Will Rogers Highway and Main Street of America, was one of the original U.S. highways established in 1926.  The highway runs from Chicago, Illinois, through MIssouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, ending in Los Angeles and covering 2,448 miles.  Route 66 served as a major path for those who migrated west, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.  People doing business along the route became prosperous due to the growing popularity of the highway.  Route 66 was later bypassed by the new Interstate Highway System, although portions of the road have been designated a National Scenic Byway. It has been recognized in popular culture by both a hit song and the Route 66 television show in the 1960s.

The Route 66 Rendezvous will be held September 13-16 in Downtown
San Bernardino.  For more information visit

 

The California Route 66 Museum is located in Victorville

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JTNPA
JTNPA & the Desert Institute

The Joshua Tree National Park Association is the park's primary non-profit partner and has been supporting preservation, scientific research and education at JTNP since 1962.  The Association operates four Visitor Center bookstores, raises funds for the park through public events, and offers field classes for adults through the Desert Institute.  For information on their programs visit www.joshuatree.org

 

The JTNPA is currently looking for a Managing Director.  Click here to view the position requirements and how to apply. 

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Buffalo Bill 
Buffalo Bill

William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody (1846-1917) was an American soldier, bison hunter and showman.  He was born in the Iowa Territory, but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory.  Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the U.S. Army as a scout.  One of the most colorful figures of the American West, Buffalo Bill became famous for the shows he organized with cowboy themes, which he toured in Great Britain and Europe as well as the United States.

 

Learn more about Buffalo Bill and other legends of the west in the "Ride 'em Cowboy" exhibit! 



Visit the Museum
The Hi-Desert Nature Museum is located in the Yucca Valley Community Center Complex at 57116 Twentynine Palms Highway.  The museum is open Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Admission is free; donations support the educational mission of the museum.  The Hi-Desert Nature Museum is operated by the Town of Yucca Valley.
View the museum's You Tube Video!

For more information on our programs and events contact the museum at (760) 369-7212 or visit our website at www.hidesertnaturemuseum.org

To view a full schedule of Yucca Valley events, sports programs and recreation classes visit the Town's website at www.yucca-valley.org