The Idaho State Historical Society (ISHS) offers various programs that tie Idaho’s rich history into current events. If you are looking for things to do in Boise and beyond, ISHS sites offer something that appeals to all Idaho history enthusiasts. ISHS Members can receive exclusive discounts and offers on special programs and events throughout the year. Not a member yet? Sign up today to start taking advantage of discounts, early event registration, and other exclusive benefits!
Are you interested in being the first to know about new events and offers? Sign up for the Idaho State Historical Society’s monthly e-newsletter!
CONTACT US
(208) 334-2682
ANNUAL/RECURRING PROGRAMS
Upcoming Events & Programs
Abraham Lincoln and the Anti-Slavery Movement
Annual/Recurring Events & Programs
The Idaho State Historical Society serves over 110,000 people each year through educational programs, inspiring exhibitions, fun events, genealogy and family history, research use, and technical assistance. Annually, over 15,000 school-aged children benefit from ISHS programs and visits.
Captivating Conversations is the Old Idaho Penitentiary’s educational experience series, featuring a variety of guest speakers and topics ranging from the history of the Idaho State Penitentiary to the issues facing correctional institutions today.
Experience a unique tour of the Idaho State Penitentiary and its rarely seen prison cemetery. Explore the final moments of incarcerated individuals and their final resting places. Discover why more than half of the cemetery is filled with “Unknown” markers (or often no markers at all) and why some names cannot be found in any prison register.
Cemetery Tour registration includes a self-guided tour of the prison the day of your visit and access to open site exhibits.
This event is FREE for Idaho State Historical Society Members!
NOTE:
– Guests must be 18 or older to attend Cemetery Tours unless accompanied by an adult. Recommended for ages 13+ due to graphic content.
– Tours are limited to 25 people per session.
– Idaho State Historical Society event tickets are non-transferable and nonrefundable.
Enjoy a summer Sunday at the Old Idaho Penitentiary in celebration of Dennis the Cat, the Old Idaho Penitentiary’s historic animal mascot. Join staff for Prison Pets presentations (free with your pet food donations for Simply Cats and the Idaho Humane Society), limited edition Dennis merchandise, food trucks, local vendors, and more!
Between 1952 and 1968, Dennis lived among the staff and residents of the Idaho State Penitentiary, becoming one of the site’s best liked and most respected figures. Upon Dennis’ death in 1968, the prison population buried him nearby within the main yard, fashioning a durable engraved headstone marking his resting place during his funeral services. Today, guests of the Old Idaho Penitentiary regularly pay their respects at his stone, the only marked grave within the prison walls.
Old Idaho Penitentiary staff and volunteers will provide site tours at 6:30/7:30/8:30/9:00 (limited capacity/first come first served), or take a self-guided tour and explore the Old Idaho Penitentiary on your own!
Bring a flashlight and dress for the weather. This event is recommended for guests 13 and older due to mature content and site safety hazards.
One of the site’s most popular programs, these events benefit Old Idaho Penitentiary education programs and operations. Join Big River Paranormal as they use their unique equipment and knowledge to attempt to connect with prisoners and guards of the past.
The Old Idaho Penitentiary is considered one of the most haunted destinations in Idaho, and has been featured on television shows such as Ghost Adventures, The Lowe Files, Haunted Towns and Destination Fear.
Individual registration is $40 each. Participants must be at least 18 years old (Photo ID Required). Arrive at 9:00pm, Doors open at 9:15 pm. Event from 9:15 pm to 2:00 am.
Looking for something other than roses or chocolates this Valentine’s Day? The Old Idaho Penitentiary is offering a unique alternative to your typical V-Day dates. Stroll through the site, snuggle up with your Valentine and find the true meaning of “ball and chain,” with special exhibits on love stories and love letters from the Idaho State Penitentiary.
Free for Idaho State Historical Society Members.
Admission includes our Valentine’s Day “Partners in Crime” scavenger hunt, featuring unique looks into the site’s historic residents and what they loved – love of money, love of power, or commitment to those they loved.
The site will be open for self-guided tours in all publicly accessible buildings. Dress warm and bring a flashlight!
Due to popular demand and at long last, the Old Idaho Penitentiary is offering guests a chance to stay overnight! Sleepless in Stripes is a simulated prison experience, beginning with check-in, mugshots and even a souvenir “uniform” shirt! Guests will have chowtime in the yard and inmate “rec” time activities, a ghost tour of the site with Behind the Scenes exploration, and an overnight stay in our historic cell houses.
This is an 18+ only experience. Photo ID is required at the door.
It’s that time of year! The Old Idaho Penitentiary’s annual Halloween bash is back! Enjoy an evening of Halloween exploration at the historic Idaho State Penitentiary, with music, photo ops, food trucks, alcohol available for purchase, spooky history presentations, and bumps in the night throughout the site, along with the the Old Idaho Penitentiary’s haunted cell block, Terror on Cell Block 4 (Idaho’s only haunted cell house), and the Haunted Infirmary! Plus appearances by the Thrill the World dance group, The Delphi Oracles, Big River Paranormal, and so much more!
Notes:
Ages 18+ only (ID required at the door).
Tours of the historic prison cemetery will be available throughout the night as an add-on to your admission.
Please print or save your receipt confirmation for use as your event admission ticket. Old Idaho Penitentiary event tickets are nonrefundable and non-transferable.
Costumes are welcome, although masks and prop or real weapons will not be allowed. Costumes and props must be appropriate for general audiences, and must not impede the experience or safety of others or the site. Costumes deemed inappropriate may result in visitor being asked to change or leave, at the discretion of site staff.
Haunted Houses are not wheelchair accessible, and include stairs, uneven ground, low ceilings, strobes, loud noises, and jump scares.
Squawky was an alcohol that those incarcerated ‘brewed’ at the penitentiary. The name may have derived from everyone squawking like birds once they got a few cups in. Men who were incarcerated at the site grew their own fruit and vegetables, prepared their own meals, and even had a canning plant outside the walls where they could collect ingredients. Key ingredients and flavors that squawky might include were apples, oranges, potatoes, grapefruit, or prunes. Add in some yeast and sugar and let ferment for a few days – and you have Squawky!
In our SquawkyFest competition at the Old Idaho Penitentiary, in collaboration with Idaho Brewers United, we are asking breweries to concoct their very own version of ‘squawky’. Using the key ingredients of squawky, breweries will create their own beer/cider for the public to enjoy and vote on who’s is the best. Stroll around the site while sipping on your favorite breweries’ squawky.
This event is 21+ (Photo ID required at the door).
Admission includes site entry and exhibits, and tasting cup for the Squawky Contest.
The yard is calling you… Enjoy the morning sunshine against the sandstone walls of the historic Old Idaho Penitentiary, as we present Yoga in the Yard! Previous yoga experience is suggested, but all levels are welcome (18+ only). This is a small, intimate experience, limited to 15 people per session (spaced properly for social distancing and the safety and comfort of our guests).
Guests must bring their own equipment and a water bottle.
Each December 14 marks the anniversary of the Old Idaho Penitentiary being open to the public as a historic site and museum! $1 admission! Tickets available at the door. Free for Idaho State Historical Society Members.
The prison first housed inmates in 1872 when it served the Idaho Territory. It became the Idaho State Penitentiary after Idaho’s statehood in 1890. 13,000 inmates called the penitentiary home at one time or another, including over 200 women, and inmates as young as ten and eleven years old. Today their stories are told through a wide variety of special exhibits and preserved cell house structures that allow guests to experience a taste of mid-century life as an inmate. The site also includes the J. Curtis Earl Memorial Exhibit, a world class collection of historic arms and armament dating back to the Bronze Age and featuring brand new exhibits on the war efforts of Idahoans during World War I.
Old Idaho Penitentiary
Built in 1870, the Old Idaho Penitentiary is one of only four territorial prisons open to the public today. During its 101 years of operation, the site saw escapes, scandals and the effects of Boise’s transition from the “wild west” to a mid-20th century capital city. Step inside the four walls of the prison yard and imagine a life of confinement as steel doors close behind you.
CONTACT US
(208) 334-2844
Camps at the Idaho State Museum bring history to life through activities, games, and hands-on learning opportunities. Campers explore the Museum exhibits and beyond to learn about the people, places, and animals that make Idaho great! Camps are offered during spring and summer breaks for students in grades K-8.
Running from Juneteenth to the Fourth of July, Civic Season unites the oldest federal holiday with the newest, mobilizing a movement to understand our past and shape our future. Civic Season is a new tradition for self-discovery and civic engagement, co-created by Gen Z and cultural institutions. Civic Season is the flagship program from Made By Us, a network of hundreds of museums, historic sites, libraries and archives unleashing access to history for younger generations who have the most at stake. The Idaho State Historical Society is a proud Civic Season partner. Check out our events page to see our Civic Season offerings this summer!
The Community Day program at the Idaho State Museum provides an opportunity to celebrate Idaho’s rich cultural diversity through performances, activities, and programming. Each Community Day brings together community members and local organizations to host meaningful events featuring educational opportunities, craft demonstrations, resources, and more. Community Days are collaboratively created with community partners. These days are free to the public!
Family Second Saturdays will take place on the second Saturday of each month. Families are encouraged to drop in any time to create and learn together through these hands-on activities.
All ages welcome! Free with Museum admission.
Each year communities gather to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, observed September 15 to October 15.
Join us at the Idaho State Museum as we celebrate Idaho’s Hispanic heritage and diverse cultures with music, food, dancing, activities, vendor booths, and a special pop-up exhibit.
Idaho State Museum
The Idaho State Museum features over 80,000 square feet of exhibit space with over 500 artifacts combined with immersive, innovative technology to tell the story of Idaho. Visitors can explore all corners of Idaho, from the deserts and canyons of the south to the rich forests of the north. Learn how Idaho’s land and people have shaped and continue to shape each other over time.
The Museum’s two rotating galleries, Syringa and Treasures, provide spaces to expand on themes within the exhibits by highlighting additional artifacts from the collection and acquiring national exhibitions for display.
See below for descriptions of each exhibit and current exhibits featured in the temporary gallery spaces.
CONTACT US
(208) 334-2120
The Idaho State Archives is hosting a new recurring program on the second Saturday of every month. Join the Dead Relative Collectors for family research tips for Idaho and beyond. Each month the group hosts a specialist in a different field or on a different topic. The event is free and open to the public and will be held on select Saturdays from noon to 2 pm, in the Research Center at the Idaho State Archives.
Idaho State Archives
The Idaho State Archives (ISA) and Research Center provides public access to records of fiscal, administrative, legal, vital and long-term research value to the citizens and government of Idaho. ISA preserves a large and unique collection of materials that relate to the history of Idaho and the Pacific Northwest, including photographs, books, maps, manuscripts, oral histories, and government records.
The Merle Wells Research Center at the Idaho State Archives features a seasonal rotating exhibit space, as well as the free permanent public exhibit, A. Lincoln: His Legacy in Idaho.
Recurring events and programs relate to historical collections and records, genealogy and family research, and highlight notable events and figures from Idaho’s past.
CONTACT US
(208) 334-2620
This legacy program of the Territorial Sesquicentennial commemorates Idaho’s past, present, and future. Idaho Day is celebrated on the anniversary of the day President Abraham Lincoln created Idaho Territory in 1863.
This year, the Idaho State Historical Society (ISHS) is celebrating 140 years of serving Idahoans and protecting Idaho’s historical places, artifacts, and stories. To commemorate this anniversary, we are honoring the dedicated, passionate, Idaho organizations and citizens that care for, educate, and tell the story of Idaho and their community. Idaho stories are found in many forms and places, including museums, historical societies, archives, sites, structures, highway markers, artifacts, and more.
The Esto Perpetua Award takes its name from the state’s motto, “let it be perpetual” and for the past 22 years, the Idaho State Historical Society has recognized people and organizations who have preserved and promoted Idaho’s history through professional accomplishments, public service or volunteerism, and philanthropy.
Since the award was created in 1999, ISHS has recognized the inspiring local preservation efforts of more than 160 individuals and organizations throughout the state of Idaho. The work of an Esto Perpetua award reflects a lifetime of achievement and their commitment to and passion for Idaho and its history.
National History Day in Idaho (NHD) is a year-long student-led academic program focused on historical research, interpretation, and creative expression for 4th-12th grade students across Idaho. By participating in NHD, students become writers, filmmakers, web designers, playwrights and artists as they create unique contemporary expressions of history. The experience culminates in a series of competitions at the local and state levels and an annual national contest in June.
Students who participate in NHD build skills that are key to success in college, career, and citizenship. NHD teaches critical thinking, writing, and research skills. They learn to speak publicly, collaborate with team members, communicate ideas effectively with diverse audiences, manage their time, and persevere through challenges.
Idaho State Historical Society
The Idaho State Historical Society is a unique system of cultural and historic resources whose mission is to preserve and promote Idaho’s history. The Idaho State Historical Society is a trusted guide through our state’s history, offering essential programs to the state on all levels. Committed to its statewide leadership role, the Idaho State Historical Society actively engages communities throughout Idaho to share Idaho’s history and build history literacy.
The Idaho State Historical Society serves over 110,000 people each year through educational programs, inspiring exhibitions, fun events, genealogy and family history, research use, and technical assistance. Annually, over 15,000 school-aged children benefit from ISHS programs and visits.
CONTACT US
(208) 334-2682