round barn visitor center

Operated by the Jenkins rancher family. They're knowledgeable and friendly, and their book selection is just fantastic. They also have clothes, snacks, and soda. Don't come to the area without stopping in.

Such a great and well-preserved historic site. The building is so unique and it's unexpected to find an architectural gem in such a remote location.The visitor center is very new and a good place to stop. The docent was helpful and knowledgeable. They have a small, local ranching family museum, which is a work in progress and very nice. The limited snack and drink selection was reasonably priced. The restrooms are excellent.Absolutely worth a stop if you're traveling the Diamond Crater route.

We found the Round Barn but not until we got a little lost. getting lost in Eastern Oregon could be a problem because roads go on forever. In our case, we enjoyed the scenery so much it didn't matter.When we found the Round Barn we appreciated the history it represented and enjoyed filling our heads with how things were in the late 19th Century.Even more interesting was talking with Dick Jenkins, descendant of original Harney County settlers and currently the owner of the land on which the Round barn is located. Dick has -and we appreciated- a nuanced way of looking at environmental issues. His main message is that environmental protection works best when there is collaboration in planning, implementing and managing the land.Dick also has a lot of books for sale as well as sundry other products. There is also a small museum with items reflecting everyday life back then. Certain family members will love the amazing dollhouse!It's definitely worth the drive whether you get lost or not....

We almost drove right by. So glad we stopped! This was a very interesting building and well-preserved. One of three remaining round barns built in the late 1800s by a cattle rancher Pete French to train and exercise his horses in the winter, it is a great work of juniper timber and rock. Interesting historically, but just plain cool! This is part of an auto tour in the area. There is a nice "visitor center" nearby where you can use a restroom, get some information, look at a bit of a family museum and get some refreshments. It is also a VERY nice store with books, cards, gifts and fabulous western wear and equestrian gear. WOW! (The owner told me he has people come from Boise just to shop there - I believe it.) Bonus for birders: swallows nest in the rafters and it looked like a great horned own had a nest up in the very center.

Out in the middle of the Oregon high desert and in the midst of cattle country is this very large historical barn built and owned by a former cattle rancher, Pete French who used the barn to train horses during the winter months. The barn is a beautiful structure built in the 1870's or 1880's with very large juniper posts inside. Visitors are free to roam around on their own and there are sign posts to explain the history of the barn and the area. As you stand looking around you, all you can see is empty country for miles. It really gives you a feel for what it would be like to be a cattle rancher in this part of southeastern Oregon. It doesn't take long to look at the barn and there is no visitor center. The other attraction in the area is the gift shop/museum located about a mile away from the barn. My husband and I were very surprised when we entered the gift shop. The building does not look that large from the outside, but when you enter the shop, it is quite a large room and filled with all kinds of interesting things. There was clothing, boots, hats, a large collection of books, jewelry, artwork, collectible items, gifts, cards, etc. There are restrooms inside and a few snacks for sale. One side of the room is a museum donated to the Jenkins family which have ranched the area for generations. The museum includes memorabilia from the family. A member of the family owns and runs the store and is interesting to talk to. He told us that the sign boards at the barn were not entirely accurate and that draft horses were trained at the round barn for the army. We had been told by a local before going to the gift shop that Mr. Jenkins had read every book he sold in his store. When I asked him if that was true, he confirmed this and said that he felt he had to read them to make sure they were appropriate for his store. Many of the books are historical in nature. Mr. Jenkins also offers the Jenkins Historical tours which takes visitors to points of interest in the area. Mr. Jenkins explained that the gift shop/museum was built near the barn to "keep an eye on the barn." The barn and museum are part of the Diamond Loop Back Country Byway which we drove when visiting the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. The loop is an interesting way to experience the remoteness of southeastern Oregon and also includes the Diamond Craters Geologic area which is also worth a visit.