Petersen Rock Garden facts for kids
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One of the rock garden's many miniature buildings, 2013
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| Established | 1935 |
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| Location | 7930 Southwest 77th Street Deschutes County, Oregon |
| Type | Rock garden |
| Owner | Susan Caward |
The Petersen Rock Garden is a special place in Deschutes County, Oregon, USA. It's a unique rock garden and museum spread across 4 acres. You can find it between the cities of Bend and Redmond.
A Danish immigrant named Rasmus Petersen started building this amazing garden in 1935. He used rocks he found near his home in Central Oregon. Petersen created tiny castles, churches, and other detailed buildings from different kinds of rocks. He also added bridges and water features to his designs. He worked on the garden until he passed away in 1952. His family has taken care of it ever since.
The garden is known as a fun roadside attraction with interesting buildings. It even has peafowl roaming around! There's also a museum with a gift shop where you can buy rocks. In 2013, the garden was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It closed in 2016 because repairs were too expensive. In June 2022, the Petersen Rock Garden was put up for sale.
What You'll See at Petersen Rock Garden
The Petersen Rock Garden is a cool place with "novelty architecture." This means it has buildings that are unusual and creative. It's located about 3 miles off U.S. Route 97.
You'll discover many "fanciful" miniature buildings here. These include tiny castles, churches, and cottages. They are all made from beautiful rocks like agate, jasper, lava, malachite, obsidian, petrified wood, and thundereggs.
The 4-acre grounds are also home to colorful peafowl that walk freely. There's a small museum with a gift shop. Here, you can find crystals, fossils, and pretty gemstones. The museum has a special room that glows in the dark! It features miniature castles made from rocks like manganese and uranium that shine under special lights.
The Story Behind the Garden
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Rasmus Petersen came to Central Oregon from Denmark when he was 17. In 1935, he began building the rock garden on his family's property. This creative farmer used rocks he collected from up to 85 miles away.
He wanted his designs to remind him of his home country. But he also built monuments to the United States. These included a concrete American flag and a 7-foot tall replica of the Statue of Liberty. Petersen added other cool features like bridges and water areas. He created lagoons, lily ponds, and streams.
Rasmus Petersen worked on his garden until he passed away in 1952. His family has continued to care for it since then. A plaque near the Statue of Liberty replica says, "Enjoy yourself: it's later than you think." The garden became very popular, attracting many visitors each year.
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Petersen's grand-stepdaughter, Susan Caward, and her family managed the garden. They worked hard to keep the lawns and sculptures in good shape. In 2011, the garden was named one of Oregon's Most Endangered Places. This program helps save important historic places that need care. The garden needed help with maintenance and funding.
In 2012, a contractor accidentally damaged one of the stone bridges. This led to an effort to create a digital map of the garden. A company used laser scanning to record every detail. This way, if parts needed rebuilding, they could match the original design perfectly.
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The garden closed for a few months in 2013 for repairs and review. The family and volunteers worked hard to restore the grounds. They cleaned up vegetation and old items. On May 25, 2013, the Petersen Rock Garden had its "grand reopening." Members of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs attended and blessed the garden.
On October 30, 2013, the Petersen Rock Garden was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. This recognized its importance as a historic site. However, the garden closed indefinitely in September 2016. This was due to high repair costs and the cancellation of its insurance. The garden remained in disrepair for some time. In June 2022, the property was listed for sale.
See also
- Geology of the Pacific Northwest
- List of museums in Oregon
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Deschutes County, Oregon
