Idaho State Historical Museum

Recently, the Explorer was in downtown Boise with a couple hours to kill, so he decided to check out the Idaho State Historical Museum. The Museum is located in Julia Davis Park, near the Boise Zoo and easily accessible by foot from both downtown and Boise State University. The cost of attendance is just five dollars, and the museum provides discounts for seniors, students, military, AAA, etc. For such a reasonable price, visitors can spend a couple minutes or couple hours enjoying two floors of exhibits and displays, plus an outdoor interactive Pioneer Village.

As you enter, the exhibits begin with the prehistory of Idaho, and later chronicle in great detail the Native American populations of the State. Following a winding path through the displays, visitors next learn about the fur trade which dominated the area during the early nineteenth century. The museum also hosts a great deal of information and artifacts concerning the journey of Lewis & Clark and the Oregon Trail – both of which passed through Idaho. Large numbers of Europeans did not begin settling in Idaho’s boundaries until gold and silver were discovered in the second half of the 1800’s. The museum has some great pieces from Idaho’s mining days, including an authentic hydraulic cannon used in the Idaho gold fields. There is also a very interesting exhibit on the immigrants who comprised the Chinatowns, prevalent in many Idaho cities and mining districts. Idaho’s ranching and lumber history (complete with information on labor disputes) are also well documented – with displays full of axes & saws, samples of barb wire, and authentic cowboy attire.

The second floor houses several recreated period scenes. The Explorer especially enjoyed seeing a restored, ceiling-high, antique bar as the centerpiece of a saloon scene. A placard informed the Explorer that he was staring at the M.C. Smith Bar, which had sat inside a Boise establishment in the 1880’s. Apparently it was constructed by the Brunswick Co. (which is still in business today) and shipped in pieces to the proprietor by rail.  Looking it over, the Explorer could imagine the bar in its heyday, and the multitude of characters that had saddled up to it to relieve their thirst.

Overall, the Explorer was very pleased with his visit to the Idaho State Historical Museum. The exhibits were well done, interesting and informative, and the Explorer tips his hat to the staff for doing a great job representing the diverse elements of Idaho history and society. The Explorer will no doubt be back in the future to check out the Museum’s rotating temporary exhibits. So whether you are visiting Boise, or you are a resident who has never wandered in, the Explorer recommends taking an afternoon to visit the Idaho State Historical Museum. 

Statue of Sacajawea in front of the ISHM

For more museum information, check out their site here: Idaho State Historical Museum

'Til next time, this is the Ungentlemanly Explorer, signing off.