Petersen Rock Garden
Redmond, Deschutes County, Oregon. Rock garden, museum, and peacock sanctuary.
Details
- Where
- 7930 SW 77th St, Redmond, OR 97756. Directions
- When
- Regular Hours: Thu-Mon 10am-4pm.
- Fees
- Suggested $10 donation.
- Phone
- 541-904-0557
- Managed by
- Petersen Rock Garden, a 501c3 nonprofit.
- Established
- 1935.
The 91-year-old Petersen Rock Garden outside Redmond was bustling Saturday afternoon as the historic attraction reopened after an extensive renovation.
Notable Events
- 1935Rasmus Petersen, fifty-two, began building his rock garden by himself, mostly during the winter when farm work slowed. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 1940Petersen built a museum of wood clad with lava rock and colored stones to display his rocks and minerals, and added a large pond with islands, bridges, and a lighthouse. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 1952After Petersen died in 1952 his widow Nyleta operated the attraction until her death in 1987, when the Hegardts and then Susan Caward took over. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 2013The Petersen Rock Garden was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 2016The garden closed to the public for a time due to an insurance company's concerns over the safety of its features. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 2022Susan Caward sold the attraction to Marci Wayman for $801,000; Wayman formed a nonprofit support organization and restored the property with volunteer help. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 2023The attraction reopened to the public in May 2023. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 2026The museum, updated by renovation work, celebrated a grand reopening on April 4, 2026. oregonencyclopedia.org
People
- Adele Hegardt, Nyleta's daughter; took over management of the garden in 1987 with her husband Harry (1987).
- Marci Wayman, Bought the garden in 2022 in honor of her late husband and formed a nonprofit support organization that restored it (2022).
- Nyleta Harris, Widow of Petersen who operated the attraction until her death in 1987 (1952-1987).
- Rasmus Christian Petersen, Danish immigrant farmer who created the rock garden single-handedly (1935-1952).
- Susan Caward, Adele Hegardt's daughter, who ran the garden before selling it in 2022 to Marci Wayman (2022).