Self-Guided Visit
Self-Guided Museum Visit
Walk the three floors of exhibits on Deschutes County prehistory, Native peoples, homesteading, logging, and railroad history, inside the restored 1914 Reid School.
- Duration:
- 1.5 hr
Museum / Historical Site
Deschutes Historical Museum (Reid School)
Bend's county museum in the 1914 Reid School, where staff credit a contractor who died on the roof with moving and returning their things.
129 NW Idaho Ave, Bend, OR 97703
Wheelchair Accessible
Research-Backed · 4 sources
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Modest general admission; the Deschutes County Historical Society sets current rates on its website.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Renovated three-story brick schoolhouse on flat downtown blocks; elevator on site.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1914 · Built 1914 as the Reid School, an early permanent Bend schoolhouse · Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #79002053) · Home of the Deschutes Historical Museum since 1980
The building at 129 NW Idaho Avenue was constructed in 1914 as the Reid School, one of the early permanent schoolhouses serving the fast-growing mill town of Bend. The three-story brick structure was named for John W. Reid, an early Bend school superintendent, and it educated local children through much of the twentieth century.
During construction in 1914, a contractor named George Brosterhous fell to his death from the school's roof. According to accounts collected by the Deschutes County Historical Society and reported in local outlets including The Source Weekly and Central Oregon Daily, Brosterhous and his brother Ed were the contractors overseeing the job, and George was on the roof on June 3, 1914 when he fell. The detail is part of the building's documented history and is the seed of the museum's resident ghost story.
After its years as a school ended, the building was preserved and adapted for new use. The Deschutes County Historical Society opened the Deschutes Historical Museum in the Reid School in 1980, filling its old classrooms with exhibits on regional prehistory, Native peoples of Central Oregon, homesteading, logging, and the railroads that built Bend.
The Reid School is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #79002053). The Historical Society continues to operate the museum and runs community programming, including a seasonal downtown walking tour that revisits the city's ghost lore.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deschutes_Historical_Museum
- https://www.deschuteshistory.org/
- https://www.bendsource.com/outside/haunted-history-8082800/
- https://www.centraloregondaily.com/little-did-i-know/george-brosterhous-ghost-bend/article_7c359963-165d-5ec9-a825-cfbb2c83187c.html
Objects that vanish and reappear in the collectionElevator doors opening and closing on their ownA guest report of a seated man in an otherwise empty room
The museum's ghost story is unusual for being affectionate. Staff and volunteers connect the building's quirks to George Brosterhous, the contractor who fell from the roof during the school's 1914 construction, and they talk about him as a helpful presence rather than a frightening one.
As reported by The Source Weekly and Central Oregon Daily, employees describe asking George out loud for help finding a misplaced book or object, then later finding it sitting on a table where it had not been before. The building's elevator is said to open and close on its own, and items are described as disappearing and reappearing around the collection.
The single most-cited sighting involves a museum guest who reported seeing a man seated across from a staff member who was playing the piano, when the employee and the visitor were supposedly the only two people in the room. Kelly Cannon-Miller, the Historical Society's executive director, has spoken publicly about the George stories in interviews tied to the museum's Halloween-season programming, while framing them as the kind of local legend the museum collects rather than verified fact.
The museum leans into the lore each fall with its downtown Historical Haunts walking tour, which folds the Brosterhous story into a broader account of Bend's reportedly haunted buildings.
Notable Entities
George Brosterhous (contractor who died in the 1914 roof fall)
Media Appearances
- Haunted History (news feature, 2018)
- Historical Haunts Downtown Bend walking tour (walking tour, ongoing)
Plan Your Visit
2 ways to experience Guided Tour
Historical Haunts Downtown Walking Tour
The Historical Society runs a guided downtown walk around Halloween that covers Bend ghost lore, including the museum's own George Brosterhous story. Dates and tickets are posted seasonally on the museum site.
- Duration:
- 1.5 hr
Sources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Deschutes Historical Museum (Reid School) family-friendly?
A quiet local-history museum; the ghost story staff tell is gentle and helpful rather than frightening, and works well for curious kids. Overall family fit: High.
How much does it cost to visit Deschutes Historical Museum (Reid School)?
Modest general admission; the Deschutes County Historical Society sets current rates on its website.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Deschutes Historical Museum (Reid School) wheelchair accessible?
Yes, Deschutes Historical Museum (Reid School) is wheelchair accessible. Terrain: Renovated three-story brick schoolhouse on flat downtown blocks; elevator on site..