Little secret in Idaho. Great place to see a beautiful view of Boise. Wouldn't have known about the…read moremonument or opportunity to watch an amazing sun set unless an Idahoan friend told us about it. Final drive to monument is on a dirt road with gravel.

It is very cool that Americans remember the past sacrifices made by common folk to enrich our…read morecountry. Unlike today's entitled mob demanding things they do not deserve, these people gave up everything to seek a better life. The families of the pioneers made sure that these efforts from over 160 years ago would not be ignored and lost, forever. This monument is placed at the SW corner of the intersection of two very busy roads today, Chinden and Eagle.

Tour guide Rob was fantastic! It only took us 12+ years to visit Boise Depot. Don't wait to take an…read moreengaging free tour and hear the fascinating history of railways in Boise dating back to 1887 (in current location since 1925). We had a small group at noon on March 22, 2026 and Rob was great about answering our many questions and curiosities! His next tour at 1:30pm was huge so we were lucky to have a more intimate gathering! Now I need to figure out a reason to have a party there and rent the space. So cool.

The Boise Depot is a historic Spanish-style structure operated by the Boise Parks & Recreation…read moreDepartment as a public ceremonial or meeting space & historic site. It was designed by NY architects & opened in 1925. However it was closed when we arrived Monday at 10:30 we came back in the afternoon and walked inside. We took the elevator up to the bell tower for city views. The Great Hall is a 3,542-sq ft multi-story atrium that once was the stations waiting room. Ten original benches line the walls of the Great Hall holding 300 standing & 165 seated people.. hours are limited because this venue is rented out The original 1925 Barkalow Brothers Newsstand is featured on the west wall. The newsstand has been slightly restored but remains in its' original form. This area is great for a buffet or display. The Great Halls' ceiling is lined with Spanish trusses, each imprinted with antique locomotives. The famous Platt Gardens are here.

I visited Boise ID with friends, and the Ann Frank museum was on our list to check out…read more Unfortunately, we could not fit it in. On Sunday, before the farewell brunch we were attending, we stopped by. It's a very beautiful and calm. We walked around the grounds and drank up the beauty and words of wisdom. We did not get to check out the inside of the museum since it was closed. If I make it back to Boise, I will make it a priority to visit the museum when it's open!

It's ironic that this is in a place like Idaho that does so much against kindness for all. As a…read morenative I'm frequently ashamed of us, but this place is lovely and actually seems to carry the message of what I hope things could be. Some people left their trash around and I don't love that for us, it was easy to pickup with trash cans near by-but otherwise, it was a lovely, peaceful, and calm place. It was so nice and cool on a long hot walk along the green belt and more work seems to be happening to expand it! Worth the visit!

This historically significant and grand building is open to the public from 7 am - 7 pm, 7 days a…read moreweek. I was pleasantly surprised, that yes, I can just walk up the grand staircase and into the rotunda. The liberty bell is currently being restored so it's not there but the rotunda and statues are all there. You can take the free tour and if not, just walking around and finding pockets of history is inspiring. For instance, the mail tunnels/gold slots are active ones so if you plan ahead, you can mail something out from the capital building (sadly, it doesn't have a special postmark). Also, the Idaho treasurer's office hallway is worth a visit because Spuddy Buddy dressed up as American heroes is just so Idaho. If you start there, you can pick up a 250th year scavenger hunt for kids where they can walk into the house of reps and collect stickers, bookmarks, and other things from the offices there. Also, don't skip out on the historical room with the bank vault doors. If you are into old bank doors (e.g. the bank door and vault at 8 Horses Lounge), they have two here with great random facts. I don't know what parking is like but many people ride Lime scooters and bikes there.

We visited Idaho's Capitol building while on a trip to the Gem state, and it's located in downtown…read moreBoise, which is its capital city, and their capitol is really quite impressive, massive and grand. Lots of incredible ornate architecture, marble and other fancy stones galore are used in many opulent carvings and designs throughout the building. There are many historical sculptures in this capitol and there's also a small museum like exhibit at the basement inside that goes over the history of Idaho and important past, recent, and current events. Their legislature's meeting hall was also quite large and regal. All in all, it was an eye-opening tour of Idaho's capitol building, it really is worth a visit here to see some pretty amazing sculptures, paintings, architecture (especially the rotunda), and to learn about this state's history in a real life way.

The Jacobs family home began being used as a Basque boardinghouse in 1910 and functioned in that…read morecapacity until 1969. First rented by the Galdos, Bicandi, and Uberuaga families, it was finally purchased by the Uberuagas in 1928 for the sum of $2,000. Jose and Hermenegilda Uberuaga had three children: Joe P., Serafina, and Julia. As a boardinghouse, it was a home away from home for sheepherding men emigrating from the Basque Country to job opportunities in Idaho and served as a social center that preserved many elements of Basque culture including food, music, dance, games, and most importantly, their language, Euskera. Today as part of the Basque Museum on Basque Block, it serves as a touchstone for many thousands of Americans who trace their ancestry through Basque heritage. This is the oldest brick building in Boise and served as one of 400 Basque boardinghouses in the West. Over the years as Basque sheepherders settled and integrated into the many areas of the Western States where they now reside, they took up other trades, business and professional careers eliminating the need for boardinghouses.

The reason my daughter and I went to see this monument was because I am old and it was on my bucket…read morelist. This was because Lincoln was an incredible man, leader and President. Also, this replica was the work of the sculptor who carved the Mt. Rushmore monument and so that makes it exceptional and important. And the sculptor was born in Idaho! It was inspirational to put my hand in his and to realize how tall he and his hat and shoes were. Thanks to the sponsors that brought this treasure to us ( MLPierce) We need more Lincolns in our mist.

This statue is in Front of the Black History Museum and near the Boise Zoo in Julia Davis Park, in…read moredowntown Boise. This statue is very large and can withstand kids climbing on him. Abe Lincoln, our 16th President of the United States, is there for you to pose with. Whenever I visit the park, I see people snapping pics with good ol' Abe L and you should, too!

Located on Lucky Peak, the dicey drive up on pretty treacherous road was so worth it when we got to…read morethe top to observe and talk with the BSU students as they caught and tagged small migratory birds and raptors for this non profit, school of graduate studies effort. This area has one of the largest fall raptor migrations in the West and the students do raptor catch, banding and release. They also do net catch, banding and release of songbirds. And the same at night for owls. It is remarkable to have the opportunity to observe all this. Fitting for Review 1000. OPEN: To the public roughly mid July through end October. GETTING THERE: The trickiest part. Be sure to look at directions page on the web site. Your GPS won't get the job done for you. http://ibo.boisestate.edu/visit/#directions DICEY DRIVE: The road was repaired some last fall. Our visit was before those repairs were made. It was a treacherous drive along deep ruts in some parts. One of the guys in the car is the most expert driver I know and even he was concerned. Hopefully the repairs have helped. But plan on a four wheel drive vehicle and slow going! I understand the program offers rides at some times to a few people. Contact them for details. No H2O or LOO: There is no water. You'll need to bring your own. You'll also want to know that there is no Loo but for one pit toilet downhill of the site. IT'S COLDER AT ELEVATION: Lucky Peak elevation is high and you'll want to hang out for a while (be sure to stay for the raptor catch and release) so a jacket is a good idea. MORE OR FEWER PEOPLE: The four adults in our party thought a September Sunday early morning would be a good time to go to avoid crowds. HA! There was a grade school group with parents and teacher in tow that had camped there overnight (a brave lot, remember no water or bathrooms in the mix) and so there were a lot of people present to enjoy the setting, the birds and the grad students as they answered eager questions. If you want to plan a daytime field trip for a group or an overnight stay, you'll need to use the contact info on this Yelp page or at their web page to schedule with them. DATA COLLECTION: While we might advise a weekday excursion when the kids are in school if you're looking for connecting with the quiet Zen of the location, the kids were part of the fun as they were eager to hold and release the birds after the grad students took the ones they caught to weigh them, tag them and record them in the paper record keeping book. That was fun in itself, in this day of automated everything, to see scientists like these grad students keeping uber-detailed paper records. They use the data to identify migration routes, wintering areas, breeding areas, and mortality factors. HANDS-ON: I took the opportunity to release some of the smaller songbirds from my palm when offered the chance to do that. I passed on the chance to hold and release a raptor given absence of raptor gloves to wear to handle him or her. (Those talons are sharp!) But my friend was brave enough to do this and she described the experience of releasing that magnificent bird truly awe inspiring. ACCESSIBILITY: This location is more accessible to people with limited mobility than one might expect it to be. The surfaces at the site are relatively hard packed and the slopes between accessible entry parking and the bird activity site are doable with help. I have MS so had first hand experience with using same. I think wheelchair users might find it doable too. However, the Loo is not accessible. The raptor catch and release site was not walkable for me up a steep slope. They suggested I drive up, although vehicles are not typically allowed at the raptor ridge, to be able to participate like everyone else. Lovely! PARKING: Parking is outside a locked gate near the Loo. Park there and walk up. For people needing accessible parking or for those in pre-approved overnight groups, contact them in advance and they'll tell you the protocol to have the gate unlocked so you can drive up and park closer.