Discover 35 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Boise (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: World Center for Birds of Prey, Zoo Boise, and Idaho State Capitol. Also, be sure to include Old Idaho Penitentiary in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Boise (Idaho).
Table of Contents
World Center for Birds of Prey
Visitor center in the Ada County, Idaho. The World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, is the headquarters for The Peregrine Fund, an international non-profit organization founded in 1970 that conserves endangered raptors around the world.
Built 38 years ago in 1984, the World Center for Birds of Prey is located on 580 acres (2.3 km2) on a hilltop overlooking Boise, south of the airport and east of Kuna. The campus consists of the business offices of The Peregrine Fund, breeding facilities for endangered raptors, the Velma Morrison Interpretive Center, and the Herrick Collections Building, which houses a large research library and the Archives of Falconry.
The Peregrine Fund is known for its worldwide conservation and recovery efforts of rare and endangered raptors. The organization's first recovery effort focused on the peregrine falcon, which was facing extinction due to the widespread use of the chemical DDT. The peregrine falcon was removed from the U.S. Endangered Species list in 1999 at an international celebration held in Boise.[1]
Address: 5668 W Flying Hawk Ln, 83709-7289 Boise
Zoo Boise
Park in Boise, Idaho. Julia Davis Park is a municipal park in the downtown region of Boise, Idaho. Created in 1907 with a land donation from Thomas Jefferson Davis, it is the first park in the "String of Pearls", the group of parks operated by the Boise Parks and Recreation Department that are located along the Boise River. Being centrally located in Boise, the park contains several prominent sites, including museums such as the Boise Art Museum, the Idaho Historical Museum, and the Idaho Black History Museum, as well as other attractions like Zoo Boise, the Idaho Rose Society, and the Gene Harris Band Shell. The Boise River Greenbelt runs through the park, which is bordered by Broadway Avenue to the east, Capital Boulevard to the west, the Boise River to the south, and Myrtle Street to the north. Other amenities at Julia Davis Park include river access, statues, a rose garden, a playground and tennis court, a pond with paddle boat rentals, and a pedestrian bridge that connects the park to Boise State University.[2]
Address: 355 E Julia Davis Dr, 83702-7670 Boise
Idaho State Capitol
Neoclassical seat of Idaho's government. The Idaho State Capitol in Boise is the home of the government of the U.S. state of Idaho. Although Lewiston briefly served as Idaho's capital from the formation of Idaho Territory in 1863, the territorial legislature moved it to Boise on December 24, 1864.
Construction of the first portion of the capitol building began in the summer of 1905, fifteen years after statehood, and the architects were John E. Tourtellotte and Charles Hummel. Tourtellotte was a Connecticut native whose career began in Massachusetts and continued when he moved to Boise. Hummel was a German immigrant who partnered with Tourtellotte in 1901. The final cost of the building was just over $2 million; it was completed in 1920. The architects used varied materials to construct the building and their design was inspired by Classical examples. Its sandstone exterior is from the state-owned quarry at nearby Table Rock.
The building was included in the Boise Capitol Area District listing on the National Register of Historic Places on May 12, 1976.[3]
Address: 700 W Jefferson St, 83702 Boise
Old Idaho Penitentiary
Building complex in Boise, Idaho. The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site was a functional prison from 1872 to 1973 in the western United States, east of Boise, Idaho. The first building, also known as the Territorial Prison, was constructed in the Territory of Idaho in 1870; the territory was seven years old when the prison was built, a full two decades before statehood.
From its beginnings as a single cell house, the penitentiary grew to a complex of several distinctive buildings surrounded by a 17-foot-high (5.2 m) sandstone wall. The stone was quarried from the nearby ridges by the resident convicts, who also assisted in later constructions.
The Old Idaho Penitentiary is operated by the Idaho State Historical Society; the elevation of the site is approximately 2,770 feet (845 m) above sea level.[4]
Address: 2445 E Old Penitentiary Rd, 83712-8254 Boise (North - East Ends)
Aquarium
The Aquarium of Boise is a 501 c non-profit aquarium in Boise, Idaho, United States. It opened to the public in 2011.[5]
Address: 64 N Cole Rd, 83704-9105 Boise
Boise Public Library
The Boise Public Library is a public library system in Boise, Idaho, that includes a main library at 715 South Capitol Boulevard and four branch libraries within the city.[6]
Address: (Main Library) 715 S Capital Blvd, Boise
Ann Morrison Park
Park in Boise, Idaho. Ann Morrison Park is a 153-acre urban park along the Boise River in Boise, Idaho. The park is managed by the Boise Parks and Recreation Department and includes picnic facilities, bocce courts, a disc golf course, horseshoe pits, an outdoor gym, a volleyball court, a playground, tennis courts, and fields for softball, soccer, cricket, and football.[7]
Address: 1000 Americana Blvd., 83702 Boise (Northwest)
Idaho Military History Museum
The Idaho Military History Museum, located at Gowen Field near Boise, Idaho, features exhibits relating to every branch of the service and each war in which Idahoans have served from the Spanish–American War onwards; the Farragut Naval Training Station, Gowen Field itself, the Medal of Honor exhibit, and the well-traveled USS Boise are in particular of local provenance and interest.[8]
Address: 4692 W. Harvard St., 83705 Boise
Boise Art Museum
Museum in Boise, Idaho. The Boise Art Museum is located at 670 Julia Davis Drive in Boise, Idaho, and is part of a series of public museums and cultural attractions in Julia Davis Park. It is the permanent home of a growing collection of contemporary realism, modern and contemporary ceramics, as well as the largest public collection of works by acclaimed Idaho outsider artist and bookmaker James Charles Castle. The museum also features major traveling exhibitions and installations throughout the year.
The museum began as the Boise Gallery of Art, opening in 1937 through a partnership between the Boise Art Association, the City of Boise and the Federal Works Progress Administration as a space for people living in the Boise area to see local artists, traveling exhibitions and artwork on loan. The museum's original Art Deco and Egyptian Revival building was renovated in 1972 and again in 1988 when the name was changed to the Boise Art Museum and the museum increased focus on the development of a permanent collection and educational programming. In 1997, the museum was expanded again to include larger administrative offices, storage, a sculpture court and educational studios.
Today the Boise Art Museum is the only AAM accredited museum collecting fine art in Idaho and functions as a center for fine arts in the Treasure Valley.[9]
Address: 670 E Julia Davis Dr, 83702-7646 Boise
Albertsons_Stadium
Stadium in Boise, Idaho. Albertsons Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in the western United States, located on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. It is the home field of the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference. Known as Bronco Stadium for its first 44 seasons, it was renamed in May 2014 when Albertsons, a chain of grocery stores founded by Boise area resident Joe Albertson, purchased the naming rights.
Opened 52 years ago in 1970, it was also a track & field stadium and hosted the NCAA track & field championships twice, in 1994 and 1999. The stadium was used extensively for local high school football for decades until August 2012, when games were transferred a few blocks northeast to the new Dona Larsen Park, which is also the new home venue of Boise State's track & field team.
Albertsons Stadium is widely known for its unusual blue playing surface, installed in 1986, while Boise State was in the Big Sky Conference. It was the first non-green playing surface (outside of painted end zones) in football history and remained the only one among NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools for almost 20 years.
Since 1997, it has hosted the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (known as the Humanitarian Bowl and the MPC Computers Bowl prior to 2011), which is the longest-running outdoor bowl game in a cold-weather venue.[10]
Address: 1910 University Dr, 83725-0001 Boise
Lucky Peak State Park
County park in Ada County, Idaho. Lucky Peak State Park is a public recreation area covering a total of 240 acres on and near Lucky Peak Lake approximately ten miles east of Boise in Ada County, Idaho. The state park has three units: Discovery Park off State Highway 21, a roadside park for picnicking and fishing in the Boise River; Sandy Point at the base of the Lucky Peak Dam, with sandy beach and calm waters for wading and swimming; and the Spring Shores unit with boat ramps and marina at the northern end of the lake. The park was created in 1956 by agreement with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, following completion of the Lucky Peak Dam. The park is also home to the Lucky Peak Dam Zeolite Occurrence.[11]
Capitol Boulevard Memorial Bridge
The Capitol Boulevard Memorial Bridge, also known as the Oregon Trail Memorial Bridge, is a historic bridge over the Boise River in Boise, Idaho, United States, the is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[12]
The Egyptian Theatre
Theatre in Boise, Idaho. The Egyptian Theatre is a theatre and concert venue in the western United States, located in Boise, Idaho. It has also been known as the Ada Theater. Inaugurated 95 years ago in 1927, it is the oldest theatre in the city. When it opened, the local press wrote that it "embodies the characteristic features of the land of the Nile, from the truncated pyramids which form the great pylons, to the lotus bud pillars with their ornate frescoes." The great lotus pillars flanking the screen are based on those of Karnak. The theatre has been renovated by Conrad Schmitt Studios.[13]
Address: 700 W Main St, 83702 Boise
Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial
The Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial is a.81 acres cenotaph complex and educational park in Boise, Idaho near the Boise Public Library and the Greenbelt, the centerpiece of which is a statue of Anne Frank; it is jointly maintained by the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights and the Boise Department of Parks and Recreation, and is the only human rights memorial in the U.S. Designed by Idaho Falls architect Kurt Karst, a sapling of the Anne Frank Tree and quotations from some sixty notables and unknowns are prominent installations. It also features one of the few installations where the full text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is on permanent public display. The park has been recognized and accepted by the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. It was thoroughly renovated in September 2018, with an outdoor classroom and a new sculpture, "The Spiral of Injustice."
Museum researcher Brigitte Sion has written that in seeking to use Anne Frank as a symbol for various universal and parochial issues, the memorial offers a sanitized version of Anne Frank that denies the reality of her history. Sion writes "Nothing in the Boise memorial's mission statement, its official literature, or at the site itself directly identifies Anne Frank as a Jewish victim of the Holocaust or explains the reason for her hiding, let alone for her arrest, deportation, and death in a Nazi concentration camp".
The site not only serves as a convenient staging area for rallies, marches, and protests (and more generally as a contemplative spot), it is where the Boise Police Department takes their newly commissioned officers before field training.[14]
Address: 777 S 8th St, 83702-7112 Boise
Idaho Botanical Garden
Nonprofit. The Idaho Botanical Garden is a nonprofit botanical garden located on 50 acres at 2355 North Old Penitentiary Road, Boise, Idaho, United States. Until 1973 the site served as the Old Idaho State Penitentiary's farm and nursery. After the penitentiary was closed, the land lay dormant for more than a decade, and in 1984 the gardens were first created. The facility is operated by a private, non-profit 501 corporation. To help fund the garden, an admission fee is charged for entry.[15]
Address: 2355 Old Penitentiary Rd, 83712 Boise (North - East Ends)
Boise Idaho Temple
Temple in Boise, Idaho. The Boise Idaho Temple is the 29th constructed and 27th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The temple is located in the city of Boise, Idaho.[16]
Address: 1211 S Cole Rd, 83709 Boise
Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
Cathedral in Boise, Idaho. The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, also known simply as St. John's Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral and parish church located in Boise, Idaho, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Boise. The church building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It was included as a contributing property of the St. John's Cathedral Block when the rest of the parish buildings on Block 90 were added to the National Register in 1982. That same year, the parish buildings were included as a contributing property in the Fort Street Historic District.[17]
Address: 775 N 8th St, 83702-8926 Boise
Boise River Greenbelt
The Boise River Greenbelt is a recreational and alternate transportation trail along the banks of the Boise River through Boise, Idaho, United States. The Boise Greenbelt is more of a greenway than a green belt since its character is linear. It extends more than 20 miles beginning at Lucky Peak Dam in the east to a short distance beyond Eagle Road in the west in Eagle, Idaho. Taking into account both sides of the river and other parallel trails and spurs, the total Greenbelt trail system measures more than 30 miles.
The Greenbelt connects Boise's riverside parks and connects Boise with neighboring municipalities. The majority of the Greenbelt is paved with asphalt or concrete on both sides of the river. However some sections are unpaved and bicycles may be prohibited on some unpaved sections. Where this occurs, bicycles have alternate routes on residential streets or dedicated bike paths. Motorized vehicles are prohibited on all parts of the Greenbelt. Segways are allowed on the Greenbelt in the City of Boise providing a special permit has been obtained.[18]
Rhodes Park
Rhodes Park, also known as Rhodes Skatepark, is a 1.28-acre skatepark between 15th and 16th Streets under Interstate 184 in Boise, Idaho, USA. The park is managed by the Boise Parks and Recreation Department and includes skateboarding and parkour challenges.[19]
Address: 16th and Grove under the freeway, 83702 Boise
C. W. Moore Park
C. W. Moore Park is a 0.28-acre urban park in Boise, Idaho. The park is managed by the Boise Parks and Recreation Department and includes architectural artifacts from some of Boise's demolished buildings.[20]
Address: 150 South 5th Street, Boise
Table Rock
Table Rock is a mountain pillar in the western United States, located just south-east of downtown Boise, Idaho, in the foothills of the Boise Range of the Rocky Mountains. Its summit elevation of 3,650 feet above sea level is 900 feet above the city center.
Located between downtown Boise and the foothills, table rock is a rock surface with multiple caves and ledges and overlooks the treasure valley area, which makes it a safe yet adventurous location for people of all ages.
A prominent local landmark, it is a popular spot for day hiking from the Old State Penitentiary which offers access to views of the Treasure Valley, Owyhee Mountains, and the Boise Foothills themselves. Trailhead access and parking is behind the Bishop's House in the Penitentiary Historic District. The Idaho State Historical Society manages Table Rock Mesa. Table Rock is open to foot and bike traffic from sunrise to sunset. Please check trail conditions before planning your hike. A gate is installed on Table Rock Road to prevent vehicle access.
An illuminated sixty-foot (18 m) white cross at its summit has been the subject of a lawsuit involving the separation of church and state (the cross itself stands on four square feet (0.4 m2) of land sold to the Jaycees for $100 in 1972, hence it stands on private property). The legality of the land sale to the Jaycees is disputed, as the land board meeting minutes, which discuss the sale, indicate that the sale was structured specifically to sell the land to the Jaycees for the purpose of insulating the cross from legal attack. The sale included language that allowed the Land Board to reject any offers, with the stated intent of rejecting offers other than from the Jaycees.
The Table Rock Mesa was first quarried in the 1860s with much of the sandstone around Boise coming from Table Rock, including the Old Idaho Penitentiary. It continues to be an active quarry today.
In 2016, illegal fireworks usage on Table Rock shortly after midnight on June 30 initiated a 2,500-acre (10 km2) wildfire.[21]
Morris Hill Cemetery Mausoleum
The Morris Hill Cemetery Mausoleum in Boise, Idaho, was designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel and constructed in 1937. The Art Deco, reinforced concrete building includes stained glass windows at the end of each wing, and a central stained glass window is across from a single, bronze door entry. The mausoleum was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The mausoleum is managed by Boise Parks and Recreation. It was constructed after a successful public offering of subscription sales promoted by George D. Mason of Glendale, California. The mausoleum was dedicated by Frank A. Rhea in 1938.[22]
Belgravia Building
The Belgravia Building in Boise, Idaho, is a 2-story, sandstone and brick structure designed and built by John S. Jellison as a set of apartments in the Romanesque Revival style in 1904. Originally known as DuBois Flats and later as Belgravia Terraces, the building was a subject of litigation shortly before its scheduled opening in September 1904, and legal disputes over payment of construction costs delayed the opening until June 1906.[23]
Boise State University
Public university in Boise, Idaho. Boise State University is a public research university in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees since 1965.
Boise State offers more than 100 graduate programs, including the MBA and MAcc programs in the College of Business and Economics; Masters and PhD programs in the Colleges of Engineering, Arts & Sciences, and Education; MPA program in the School of Public Service; and the MPH program in the College of Health Sciences. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
The university's intercollegiate athletic teams, the Broncos, compete in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) in NCAA Division I.[24]
Address: 1910 W University Dr, 83725 Boise
Cathedral of the Rockies
United methodist church in Boise, Idaho. Cathedral of the Rockies, also known as the Cathedral of the Rockies First United Methodist Church, is a United Methodist church located in the historic North End district of Boise, Idaho, United States. The church is the largest United Methodist Church in Boise, Idaho, the largest in the Oregon-Idaho Conference of the United Methodist denomination, and was the first Methodist church in Boise, founded in 1872.
The present building was constructed 1958-1960 under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Herbert E. Richards, and covers an entire city block. The stained glass is a notable and unique feature, depicting Biblical history as well as themes of the history of Christianity and aspects of American history including local references to Idaho and the city of Boise. The church is popular as a visitor destination, and attracts worshipers from all over America and the world. This is the third building to be used by the congregation. The original 1872 church was located at 8th and Bannock streets, site of the present Hoff Building (old Hotel Boise), near the Idaho State Capitol building. In about 1903–05, a new church was constructed at 10th and State streets (where the YMCA building is now located).
The new Cathedral of the Rockies structure was consecrated in December 1960, with a series of impressive ceremonies. During the year 2010, a number of church events are being held to commemorate the opening of the new church. In 2002 the structure was extensively expanded under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Steve Tollefson. The new Emmaus Center was designed for contemporary worship and other social events; and more classroom and office space was also added, considerably enhancing the facilities.
In 1984, the cathedral served as the location for Senator Frank Church's funeral.
In June 2020, the church announced that it would remove its stained-glass window featuring Confederate general Robert E. Lee. The image had been under discussion since 2015 and a decision was made following the murder of George Floyd.
The ministries of the Cathedral of the Rockies are extensive, involving many services to the surrounding community. Educational ministries are available to children, youth, and adults. A full-time children's center and pre-school operates year-round. Many small groups are offered, and ministries are offered to the homeless and needy.[25]
Address: 717 N 11th St, 83702-5365 Boise
Joseph Kinney Mausoleum
The Joseph Kinney Mausoleum at Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise, Idaho, is a Classical Revival entombment designed by Tourtellotte & Co. and constructed in 1905. The structure is made of granite and features a Doric portico with bronze doors below a recessed pediment with a simple stone carving. Corner pilasters frame two side windows. The mausoleum was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[26]
Basque Museum & Cultural Center
Museum, Specialty museum
Address: 611 W Grove St, 83702-5971 Boise
Barber Park
Park, Relax in park
Address: 4049 S Eckert Rd, 83716-8814 Boise
Idaho Shakespeare Festival
Theater, Concerts and shows
Address: 5657 E Warm Springs Ave, 83716-8700 Boise
Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology
Museum, Specialty museum
Address: 2455 E Old Penitentiary Rd, 83712-8254 Boise (North - East Ends)
St. Michael's Episcopal Cathedral
Cathedral in Boise, Idaho. St. Michael's Episcopal Cathedral is an Episcopal cathedral in Boise, Idaho, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Idaho.[27]
Address: 518 N 8th St, 83702-5515 Boise
Jack's Urban Meeting Place
Community center in Boise, Idaho. Jack's Urban Meeting Place is a creative activity center in the western United States, located in Boise, Idaho, with facilities for public meetings, workshops, and exhibition space. An amphitheater and multi-purpose studios for art, movement, and cooking are included. A collection of 52 tractors are on display at various locations in the facility.[28]
Address: 1000 W Myrtle St, 83702-7004 Boise
Idaho Building
The Idaho Building in Boise, Idaho, is a 6-story, Second Renaissance Revival commercial structure designed by Tourtellotte & Co. Constructed for Boise City real estate developer Walter E. Pierce in 1910–11, the building represented local aspirations that Boise City would become another Chicago. The facade features brick pilasters above a ground floor stone base, separated by seven bays with large plate glass windows in each bay. Terracotta separates the floors, with ornamentation at the sixth floor below a denticulated cornice of galvanized iron.
The building replaced Thompson's Livery barn at 8th and Bannock Streets. The Chicago firm of H. Ellenberger was responsible for construction, and the Idaho Statesman said of the building in 1911, "The architectural scheme is one of extreme simplicity, and the builder has given his work the appearance of massive solidity."
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places December 8, 1978.[29]
Ahavath Beth Israel
Synagogue in Boise, Idaho. Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel is a synagogue in Boise, Idaho. Its 1896 building is amongst the oldest synagogues in continuous use west of the Mississippi River. The congregation is affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism.[30]
Address: 11 N Latah St, 83706-2621 Boise
The Grove Plaza
Convention center in Boise, Idaho. Boise Centre is Idaho's largest convention center. It is located in downtown Boise. The Centre offers 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, and is currently expanding to add 36,000 additional square feet of space. Upon completion, it will be able to accommodate groups from 10 to 2,000. The expansion was scheduled for use from September 2016.
Boise Centre is an operating entity of the Greater Boise Auditorium District.[31]
Address: 850 W Front St, 83702-5803 Boise