Mission and History

Museums Working in the Public Trust

building exterior with a statue and rosesPublic education, in its broadest sense, is best served not only by our schools and libraries, but also by museums. As community centers, they offer people of all ages access to our nation’s cultural and natural heritage. Museums’ special role in public education is centered on their capacity to provide the public an interactive, object-based place to better understand its community, our nation, and our world. From art museums to zoos, museums are gathering places for people to meet and spend time with family and friends.

The Hi-Desert NatA woman holds up a display case while standing in a museumure Museum

The museum has always been a family-oriented facility whith the purpose of educating residents and tourists about the desert environment. The original collections consisted primarily of gifts from the community-at-large.

For sixty years, the Hi-Desert Nature Museum has been dedicated to helping the residents of the Morongo Basin and High Desert discover “with new eyes” the rich cultural heritage and natural history of this area. Generations of visitors of all ages have relied on the museum to inform, inspire, interpret, and entertain.

Our History

The Hi-Desert Nature Museum in Yucca Valley, CA

1964

The Hi-Desert Nature Museum was founded in 1964 by Evelyn Conklin, her father, Percy Conklin, Camilla Hudson, a long-time resident, and Jerry Moore, Community Services Director of the Parks and Recreation District. Evelyn Conklin served as Curator of the museum for 28 years.

1973

The museum started in an 800 square foot building in a local park. In 1973, it moved to its present 3,200 sq. ft. location in the Yucca Valley Community Center Complex. In 1989, an expansion was added to house taxidermy specimens in diorama settings.

1991

With the incorporation of the Town of Yucca Valley in 1991, the museum became a division of the Community Services Department.

Hi-Desert Nature Museum 2024-2028 Strategic Plan - a brown building with a metal lizard sculpture on the corner and green bushes along the bottom

Our Future

Click here to see the Hi-Desert Nature Museum’s Strategic Plan for 2024-2028.

              

Address

57090 Twentynine Palms Highway, Yucca Valley, CA 92284
Getting Here

Hours

Wed – Sat: 9:30 am – 5:30 pm

Closed Federal Holidays

 

Contact Us

Phone: (760) 369-7212 museum@yucca-valley.org
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© 2025 Hi-Desert Nature Museum is administered by the Town of Yucca Valley.  
Member of American Association of Museums, Western Museum Association and California Museum Association