Idaho State Historical Society Review

This was an incredible visit. My children easily spent two hours there without getting bored.

Very well done little museum displaying lots of Idaho history. Everything was clean and working no problems with any of the displays. There was a whole playground area with lots of fun activities for kids to keep them interested. The display/movie for the big burn was impressive. The bathrooms were clean and well stocked. Overall I actually learned a lot despite being a local my whole life. I also really appreciated the respect that was shown to our Native American people in these works.

A lot of wasted space. My wife and I liked that there was plenty of room to move and walk around, but so little to see. Great place for the kids. Not so for adults,sorry. I liked the old old museum better. Back when the toy trains were set up. We were expecting to be blown away with things to see, but we're not.

We stopped by this museum on a Sunday after visiting Zoo Boise as it was nearby, but we found out it was closed on Sundays. It was also closed the next day, as it was a Columbus Day. Tuesday we were flying home but got there right as it opened on our way to the airport. Another problem we had as we were leaving we wanted to tour the pioneer cabin area but it was still locked because the key wouldn't work and they requested a new lock be installed which the staff thought would be done later in the afternoon. That was frustrating since we were unable to return.

Very nice visit. Not all were open because of the coronavirus.

Such a fun museum. I visit Boise a few times a year and it was great to finally visit after the renovation. Top fun for the whole family and so much about Idaho to learn. Completely wheelchair accessible which is great. The small art gallery was a highlight for me.

Our visit as a family was during an event. We were plesantly surprised to learn so much history in a fun and interactive manner. If it wasnt for the event we wouldnt have thought to visit. So glad to have had the opportunity. Approriate for all ages.

Friendly employees and very informative exhibits. Good first stop in Boise

Absolutely gorgeous! The new renovations really made it interactive and they were able to finally display all of their historical artifacts! Just wonderful and a true embodiment of Idaho

My boys and I had a great time at the Idaho state museum. We made some great memories. It was historic!

Great museum with tons to see. Learned stuff I didn't know and the kids made it over two hours which is some kind of record. Highly recommended.

Boring!!!! Dont pay to see! A lot of reading! Not alone of hands on stuff for kids. Very liberal museum. Covers people no one cares about. Not a true vision of Idaho's history! Very disappointed!

Very well laid out and interesting museum. Enjoyed exploring.

A beautiful, fascinating, and at times challenging (in the right way) museum. Great interactive exhibits for both adults and children -- wonderful place to take the family!

This is a fantastic taste of Idaho for adults and kids. It s a thoughtful museum that is worth a stop but small enough that you don t need more than an hour or two. Well worth a visit.

Amazing change from the renovation!!! Was very impressed!!!

A greatly expanded experience! Learned plenty of new information and could have spent hours more in this place. There is a kids section and a gift shop.

Lots of fun. Lots of exhibits. We took the grandkids- ages 5 and 7. We basically had to drag them away. They enjoyed all the interactive exhibits, so much to see!
A must see in Boise.

The remodeled museum is an absolute masterpiece! It is highly interactive and built in rooms that make it easy to manage groups of children. I went with a group of 4th graders and they were entertained for 2 hours. I felt proudly that it greatly represents our amazing state. It will easily impress visitors and locals. A must see!

Loved it and so did my 3 and 5 year old. They enjoyed the whole museum. Very organized and awesome for the small space. Just be aware it is tight in the exhibits so plan accordingly. We ditched our stroller half way through.

Wonderful place to spend the afternoon. The remodel is a great success.

Amazing remodel. Really interactive museum. Our favorite part was learning about the Big Burn and the mining area in Boomtown where kids can 'blow up dynamite', collect the ore and push the cart to place the ore on the conveyor belt. Kids 5 and under are free. Great place to check out this summer.

Incredible experience...had a great time! Highly recommend.

The Idaho State Museum did not disappoint! It has an excellent curated collection of artifacts and replicas. It combines art, technology, sound effects, and visuals to tell the history of the Gem State. The Big Burn exhibit was especially impressive. Kids will love the interactive presentation, which even incorporates artificial wind. Native Americans and women are well-represented. My favorite was the fashion exhibit. There really is something for everyone!

Due to COVID, some parts of the museum are not accessible, but there s plenty to see and read about in the open portions. Staff was disinfecting exhibits, extra precautions are being made to ensure the safety of guests, and everything appeared to be very clean.

Staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. My only complaint is that they do not offer a teacher discount. Bottom line: highly recommend.

Love what they did to the place. It does cost now but it is so worth it.

Since I was born and raised in Boise and have visited the museum my whole life...I was so disappointed in the new museum. After about a two year renovation, I was excited to see it. All the wonderful exhibits that were there before and the large Chinese section are gone. The Chinese were a huge part of Idaho and especially Boise history and they have been omitted. The old rooms and furniture that were there have been replaced by mostly reading information. There is a lot of wasted room and very few actual exhibits left. My sister and I went there today and have totally decided that if it doesn t change...we will never return. If I want to read about history rather than see what it was like, I will read a book.

I've been an Idaho Nyan all my life. I've had contact with the Idaho State Museum throughout most of it. I love the new look, the new exhibits, and pretty much everything else that they did. I definitely recommend it for its new content.

We really enjoy catering here. Great place to book your next event. Gary - A Lively Chef Catering

This is such a great place! I love all the improvements they have made. I especially enjoyed the vintage Oregon Trail game that you can play while learning about pioneers.

Great History museum, you gonna need 3 or 4 hours.
Enjoyed.

The displays were really interesting and engaging. There were a lot of opportunities for tactile involvement and I think would be fun for children.

In 1.5 hours, I learned more about the state in which I live than I have in the 22 years I have lived here! (Sad, yes?)
Interactive and excellently displayed presentations!
Can't wait to bring my kids and grands!
Check it out for free the First Thurday of each month from 5 PM to 7 PM! TOTALLY worth the usual $10 entry per adult, though. Less for kiddies. JUST GO!!

Spent 2-1/2 hours and still did not see everything in the newly remodeled museum. Numerous interactive displays as well as the more traditional exhibits. Lots to see here if you take time. Nice gift shop with the usual t shirts etc and a few more unusual item as well. Great place to take the family for an afternoon outing. Highly recommend.

I miss all of the old displays! It seemed like there was less stuff to see and it wasn t very serious which seemed odd to me considering some of the gravity of our states history. I really expected to see more cohesive serious exhibits. It was more entertaining for kids so that s why I m giving it two stars.

The museum is very well organized. Enjoyed it very much.

Such a wonderful place to go and learn about Idaho! We did go on a first Thursday so is very packed but it was very enjoyable to see all the new stuff that was added because of the recent remodel! It was nice to have interactive viewings to participate in an even informative videos to watch you can for sure bring your kids here! Are you in if you're an adult it's fun to learn.

They used millions of tax dollars, and took 3 years to ruin a great museum. And made tickets to get in expensive! Talk about insult to injury.

The first museum was full of original rooms and artifacts, including a Western bar and a Western kitchen, a fantastic room of Indian artifacts and paintings . . . and created tiny rooms with endless boards with information.

Who wants to go to a history museum and stand around and read?

Boise has too much money and apparently had decided to waste on fixing something that did not need fixing. We really need better government and better money management.

Awesome museum!!! Our daughter loves to go back there.

It was a fun place for our whole family. There was a decent amount to see and do and our young kids were fairly well entertained the whole time. There were kids educational play areas which worked well for us and still deeper content for adults. There is a good mix of digital presentations and traditional displays.

They have a very interesting selection of exhibits and one of my personal favorites is the theater in which you can watch Native American stories come to life. There is an art gallery that has rotating art exhibit and I am very excited to see what gets put in as the years go by.

The update on the Idaho State Museum is remarkable! The new exhibits are wonderful, informative and participatory. The refurbished artifacts really shine. Boise is a long way from many parts of our great state but I highly recommend making the trip to spend a day - or two - there. It will be well worth the effort! Best Wishes and much success to all who worked on this achievement! ~ from State Senator Shawn Keough

The museum is amazing! I love all of the interactive features. Great for all ages. I spent about 3 hours there, but I could have stayed all day!

This is an amazing transformation to modern technology! Need to go back there is so much to see!!

Having grown up in the Treasure Valley I fondly recall having visited the Idaho Historical Museum many times as a child and we have enjoyed the museum with our own children many times too. So after the long closure and all the excitement of the reopening, my daughter (now an adult) and I were so excited to visit the newly renovated museum. Honestly, we were both underwhelmed. So much reading, much of which can only be done 1-2 people at a time so if it's crowded you've got to wait in line to read. So much of the visually stimulating draw at the old museum, especially for children, has been removed and replaced with endless reading vignettes. We spent some time the in children's area and I just think they really missed the mark, there just was so little for kids to do that is interesting. There is a huge room devoted to Idaho politician's dresses, many of which are from the last 30 years, which is such a niche interest I'm just shocked that there wasn't something more interesting that huge space could have been used for. This is a place where you may go once, but I doubt many people would return for a second visit - especially with the higher prices ($10 adult p/p). Hopefully they still plan to have Museum Comes to Life.

god almighty what a beautiful place to go and take the kids!!!!!!!!!!

Always was fascinated with our old museum. Have not yet made it down to the new and improved . I hope they didn't do a drastic change . This is coming from someone that hates to read ,it puts me to sleep but I always loved going here.

This is a surprisingly high quality museum! Really interesting exhibits with lots of interactive and modern displays. There is an entire floor that is geared towards children, and is an excellent place to let them play a while if the adult exhibits get too boring for them. I am extremely pleased with thos facility.

What a huge disappointment the newly revamped museum is for those who love seeing the actual items that form our history and make Idaho what it is. We can get a virtual experience anywhere. The point of history is that it was real! Real people. Real challenges. Real tools and artifacts!

Very interesting. Love the updated displays. Fun area for kids downstairs.

This museum was really well done! So many interactive exhibits. My 8 year old loves going to this museum, and I enjoyed it as well!

A really interesting museum full of a great balance of interactive technology, photographs, artifacts and truth in presentation. Staff was also friendly and helpful.

Love the redesign! Great place for kids and adults.

High quality museum and staff! I was greeted by Alyson (with a Y, she said), she was super welcoming and kind, she stood up to greet us. She engaged with my kids making sure they felt important. As a leader in customer service for over 15 years, I recognize good service. Alyson has it.
This museum is excellent! My kids loved the interaction aspect of the place. TownBoom was so fun! My kids loved the dynamics of the train. Will visit again.

Lots of fun interactive displays while learning about Idaho history! The perfect field trip for young AND young at heart!

A fantastic museum with impressive exhibits and a huge face for children to experience history in addition to the adult exhibits.

Totally different from what they had before. The remodel is nice. There three floors of more than enough to keep you busy and kids love all the new interactive things. Some of the cool stuff they used to have has been reduced down from a whole exhibit to a few pieces. For example they had what looked like a full size Chinese apothecary in the old one but only a few select items now. If your wondering the two headed calf is still there.

I have only been once since the remodel. Went with my girlfriends had a blast! Looking forward to many more visits!

Visited with my wife and daughter. We all enjoyed it. A lot of information on many subjects including history, geology, industry, and politics. My daughter loved the many interactive displays.

The new museum is beautiful. My only critique is that I wish they covered more prehistory of Idaho. Worth visiting if you love Idaho like I do!

This is a great place to take family to learn about Idaho! It is very interactive for kids as well!

They have done a fantastic job on the rebuild. There are so many ways to interact that even my kids enjoy it and learn much about our state.

I an so excited that the museum is back open! It is the BEST 4th grade field trip! Thank you to the excellent staff, it was a great experience!

Lots of interactive displays for young and old alike. You can learn a lot and have fun doing so. Take your time a plan on a few hours here to enjoy it all.

So much information, I suggest going for a good 5 hours to appreciate everything they have there I missed out on 1 large room and I was there a good 3.5 hours trying to read as much as possible. They include a lot of different topics and one room changes periodically. There are MANY hands on interactive things to do for children or people like me who love touching things

It looks so amazing now that they finally finished renovating it. There are several interactive displays, and you could totally bring small kids here without them getting bored. They have a room with stories from people who lived in Idaho in the past, and was really cool to read them all. There is something for everyone to enjoy.

Definitely a cool place to learn about idaho's past

You will certainly come away with the story of Idaho. Plan a couple hours.

Seem like the Museum in IDAHO dont know how to post on web page if they are open or not. Even when you to see if open. Poor business. We came from Hawaii and now this is the second place closed...

4 1/2 stars. Very well done remodel, worth going (kids will enjoy a number of things. Curious kids even more

My wife, thirteen year old son and I really enjoyed our first visit.