Top Things to do in Idaho
Top Hotels in Idaho
- 1. The Riverside Hotel, BW Premier Collection
- 2. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Boise Towne Square
- 3. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Coeur d Alene
- 4. Modern Hotel
- 5. My Place Hotel-Twin Falls, ID
- 6. Hampton Inn & Suites Boise-Downtown
- 7. Best Western Plus Coeur D'Alene Inn
- 8. The Grove Hotel
- 9. La Quinta by Wyndham Pocatello
- 10. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Twin Falls
Things to do in Idaho, United States: The Best History Museums
A mixture of forested mountains, alpine peaks, wildflower meadows, deep river canyons, and high plains deserts, Idaho is a paradise for golf, skiing, fly fishing, and river rafting. Boise, the capital, is the state's largest city and airline hub. North of Boise are golf, lake, and ski resorts from McCall in the south to Sandpoint and Coeur D'Alene in the north. East of Boise are the ski slopes of Ketchum and Sun Valley. East of Sun Valley are Craters of the Moon National Monument, Pocatello, Idaho Falls, and the small town of Island Park just across the border from Yellowstone National Park. Boise's Basque Museum and Cultural Center reflects having the largest Basque population in the U.S. Reflecting Idaho's diverse heritage, near the Idaho Historical Museum in Boise's Julia Davis Park is the Idaho Black History Museum's chronicle of the slave York who served the Lewis & Clark Expedition. After a family visit to the Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey and an outdoor performance at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, the next stop after Boise is likely to be Payette Lake in McCall or Sun Valley and Ketchum. About 100 miles north of Boise, past Cascade Lake, McCall takes you to the shores of Payette Lake. Go golfing, fishing, hiking, biking, waterskiing, sailing, boating, or whitewater river rafting. Ski or snowshoe Brundage Mountain or Tamarack Resorts, as well as Ponderosa State Park in winter. Ice skate year-round at Manchester Ice & Event Centre. About 450 miles north of Boise, there are resort lakes near skiing and golf at Coeur d'Alene, Hayden Lake, and Sandpoint. Golf, tennis, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, rafting, and hunting are popular in Sun Valley and Ketchum. Sockeye salmon may no longer do much spawning in Redfish Lake, but the boating and mountain scenery in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area make the short trip north to Stanley worthwhile. When the snows come the whole family will head for the slopes of Soldier Mountain, Bald Mountain, Dollar Mountain, or the Sun Valley Resort. A tiny forested town of about 250 people, Island Park has a large reservoir with fishing and boating, as well as Henry's Fork of the Snake River for fly fishing. It's only 15 miles from Yellowstone as well.
Restaurants in Idaho
1. Troy Historical Society
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
2. Mountain Home Museum
3. Crouch Museum
4. Wallace Mining Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 84 reviews
Museum that captures the flavor of mining in northern Idaho, from the days of the early gold rush to contemporary silver production.
Reviewed By STAN49_12 - Powell River, Canada
A tour of the mine should be high on one's list if stopping in Wallace. The guide we had was an ex miner and was great at conducting the tour with interesting stories and demonstrations of the equipment used when mining.
5. Idaho State Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 110 reviews
The Idaho State Museum is a fun, interactive experience where people of all ages and backgrounds come to explore the story of Idaho! Featuring over 514 artifacts on display, 800 photographs, and 46 individual multimedia exhibits, the museum shows the profound relationship between Idaho's land and its people shaping each other over time.
Reviewed By Way2013 - San Diego, United States
This is one great museum! Lots to see and lots to learn. Going through this museum is just one incredible educational experience. There are some volunteers at the museum and their knowledge of any subject at the museum is amazing. Well worth visiting.
6. Lewis-Clark Center for Arts & History
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 14 reviews
The highlight of this combination performing arts center and art gallery is a restored 19th-century Chinese temple, commemorating the early Chinese settlers who came here to mine gold. The center, housed in an 1884 building, features rotating art exhibits, book signings and concerts.
7. National Oregon / California Trail Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 245 reviews
The National Oregon/California Trail Center is at the junction of US 89 at 320 North 4th Street. The Trail Center Depicts the 2000-mile trek on the Oregon Trail in "Living History Tours." A wagon master guides visitors through an interactive tour that includes a ride in a simulated covered wagon ride. The rails and trails museum within the center displays artifacts, diaries, relics and pioneer memorabilia of Bear Lake Valley.Living history tours 10-5, May-September or by appointment in groups of 15 or more.
Reviewed By lesandmarsha - Boylston, United States
Great narrative given of the hardships of settlers as they took to the Oregon Trail--covered 1500 miles from Independence, MO to Oregon. The tour included a great simulation that put you back to the 1800s when the 500,000 pioneers were seeking a better life. The tour guides dressed in the clothing of the 1800s which was nice. A different kind of museum with its excellent displays and a great way to spend a few hours.
8. Canyon County Historical Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By kathyg650
This is a really nice little museum with several really interesting and unusual exhibits. Quite a bit of local history and a lot of train history. It changes seasonally so go back often!
9. Idaho Military History Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 29 reviews
Reviewed By Allfunallthetime - Twin Falls, United States
Very well laid out and informative. I'm not a museum type. Most are dull in my opinion. This place kept me looking and reading. Easy to find, right at one of the entrances to Gowen Field. Big parking area. The first thing that you'll see upon entering the parking lot is all of the airplanes and tanks, etc. WW2 era on up. There is no entrance fee, but they do accept donations. A small gift shop is right next to the front door, and it has some cool stuff. We bought 2 coffee mugs at reasonable prices. Displays in the museum cover mostly WW2-Vietnam, with some items from WW1 and even a Civil War diorama. The museum does a good job of delivering information about what it was like to be a soldier/sailor/airmen in the military during the many eras. Lots of items on display have been donated or are on loan from Idaho families. We spent about an hour and where able to see 90% of the displays. Highly recommend and will be back.
10. Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural and Education Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 120 reviews
This 70-acre park is located in the Lemhi and Salmon River Valleys in eastern Idaho. It is surrounded by the Beaverhead Mountains and the Continental Divide and borders the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural & Educational Center interprets the rich cultural and natural history of the Salmon and Lemhi River Country, deepening people’s connection to the unique place this area holds in our nation’s history, which was shaped in part by the Lewis and Clark Expedition and Sacajawea, as well as her people, the Agaidika Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. The Sacajawea Center is owned and operated by the City of Salmon. Our mission is to foster the knowledge and appreciation of the Agaidika Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, the Lewis & Clark Expedition, Western frontier life, and the natural environment.
Reviewed By ingridb850
we learned a great deal about the native Shoshone people who lived in the valley and their interactions with Lewis and Clark, and later settlers. Don't miss the walk by the Lemhi River and native structures and explanations of the Salmon Eaters. A guide for native plants was useful too.
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