Order your coffee, grab a light bite to eat, and settle in for a night out talking about George Takei’s graphic novel memoir, “They Called Us Enemy.” Use the question prompts to get the conversation diving deeper and ask questions to the special guest speaker coming for one night only to share insights into this part of American history.

In this graphic novel, Takei chronicles his childhood experience of imprisonment in a Japanese American incarceration camp with his family during World War II. Find copies to borrow from the Library here: https://www.boisepubliclibrary.org/info/search/ or purchase one from the Idaho State Museum store or Rediscovered Books. The book club is free and open to the public.

The book club aligns with the Smithsonian Travelling Exhibition Service’s “Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II.” The exhibition is at the Idaho State Museum from January 25-April 5, 2020.

All three of these events offer a unique experience based on this one graphic novel.

• February 10: Boise Public Library, 7:00pm
• February 24: Neckar Coffee, 7:00pm
• March 9: Idaho State Museum, 7:00pm

Presented by the Idaho State Museum and the Boise Public Library.

For more information, please reach out to the Idaho State Museum at events@ishs.idaho.gov or by calling 208-780-5194.

Reginald Reeves, of Ketchum, Idaho, is attorney and retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army. Reeves was the first Black attendee and graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law in 1952. In 2014, he received the nations highest award for volunteerism and second highest civilian honor awarded by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Outstanding Public Service Award.

For questions contact:
Phillip Thompson
208-340-4448
phillip.thompson@ibhm.org

In this concluding event for the book club series, visit the Smithsonian Travelling Exhibition Service’s “Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II” for free at the Idaho State Museum before discussing George Takei’s graphic novel memoir, “They Called Us Enemy.” Set the discussion to the backdrop of Japanese American incarceration in America as well as here in Idaho at sites like Minidoka. Make origami paper cranes with Micah Hetherington, Visitor Services Representative at the Idaho State Museum, and broaden your understanding of Japanese American peoples’ experience during World War II.

Join us as we explore actor and activist George Takei’s graphic novel memoir, “They Called Us Enemy.” Takei chronicles his childhood experience of imprisonment in a Japanese American incarceration camp with his family during World War II. Drop by to enjoy coffee, discussion, history tidbits, and more. At the meetings, attendees will talk about the book, discuss the experience of Japanese Americans during WWII, and think critically about this time in American history. Find copies to borrow from the Library here: https://www.boisepubliclibrary.org/info/search/ or purchase one from the Idaho State Museum store or Rediscovered Books. The book club is free and open to the public.

The book club aligns with the Smithsonian Travelling Exhibition Service’s “Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II.” The exhibition is at the Idaho State Museum from January 25-April 5, 2020.

All three of these events offer a unique experience based on this one graphic novel.

• February 10: Boise Public Library, 7:00pm
• February 24: Neckar Coffee, 7:00pm
• March 9: Idaho State Museum, 7:00pm

Presented by the Idaho State Museum and the Boise Public Library.

For more information, please reach out to the Idaho State Museum at events@ishs.idaho.gov or by calling 208-780-5194.

Join the Idaho State Museum on Thursday, March 12th, for a special screening of the film Bamboo and Barbed Wire by Idaho filmmaker Karen Day. Afterward, hear about Karen Day’s experience researching and making this feature-length film. Bamboo and Barbed Wire documents the stories of Japanese-Americans incarcerated at the Minidoka War Relocation Center in Jerome County, Idaho.

This event is in connection with the new exhibit at the Museum from the Smithsonian Institute Traveling Exhibit, Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II, which opens to the public on January 25th, 2020.

Included in the screening and presentation, guests can visit the Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II exhibition presented in the Syringa gallery at the Idaho State Museum.

This event is free for members and $5 for non-members. Doors open at 5pm for visitors to explore the new exhibit. Program begins at 6pm.

Seating for this event is limited. Guests must bring a ticket or voucher for admission, even for free member tickets. Please register and bring the ticket or voucher in when you arrive for the screening.

All proceeds from this event will go to the Museum’s Traveling Trunk program. These trunks extend the Museum experience into classrooms all over the state of Idaho. They contain primary sources for students to engage with, along with three full hours of activities for teachers to facilitate with their students. One of the new trunks to be offered focuses on the history of the Minidoka Camp that was located near Jerome, Idaho.

For more information about the screening, please reach out to the Idaho State Museum at events@ishs.idaho.gov or by calling 208-780-5194.

What better way to spend a Friday the 13th than joining Big River Paranormal for the Old Idaho Penitentiary’s first Paranormal Investigation of 2020! The team will use their unique equipment and knowledge to attempt to connect with inmates and guards of the past.

Ticket sales begin this Tuesday, February 11 at 10:00am. Watch this page for the purchase link. Individual tickets are $45 each, and include self-guided tours of the site between 8pm and 10pm. Site opens 8pm. Last admission 10pm. Paranormal Investigation 10pm-2am. Participants must be at least 18 years old (Photo ID Required).

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as a family at the Idaho State Museum. Step into the shoes of an Idaho gold miner and try your luck at taking home a pot o’ gold through our hands-on gold panning activity.

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.

Experience a unique tour of the prison and its rarely seen inmate cemetery. Unlock the mysteries of the dead with us as guides explore where inmates died, what their final moments were like, and where they are laid to rest. Discover why more than half the cemetery is riddled with “Unknown” markers (or often no markers at all) and why some names cannot be found in any prison register.

Purchase Tickets Now!

Your Cemetery Tour ticket also entitles you to a self-guided tour of the prison the day of your visit and the information booklet, “Buried Secrets: Inmates of the Idaho State Penitentiary Cemetery.” Cemetery Tour tickets include admission to the Old Idaho Penitentiary site and exhibits.

The Old Idaho Penitentiary is open extended spring break hours March 21-27, 2020 (12:00pm to 7:00pm daily, last admission 6:15pm).

Cemetery Tours are offered at 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00 each day, March 21-27. Guests must be 18 or older unless accompanied by an adult. Recommended for ages 13+ due to graphic content. Tickets are $15 each or 2 for $25, and free for Idaho State Historical Society Members! Tours are limited to 30 people each – reserve your spot by pre-purchasing online.

Join us this spring to explore dry deserts, soaring mountains, and swift rivers during camps at the Idaho State Museum. Navigate the wild landscapes that make Idaho such a unique state. Campers will travel through the Museum’s exhibits and learn about the plants, animals, and people that call these places home. Create a desert themed board game, float a boat, or play farmer freeze tag as they learn about the ecosystems that have defined Idaho.

1st-5th Grade,

March 23rd -27th

9am-4pm

ISHS Members $160, Non-members $190

Learn more and register at history.idaho.gov/camps/

April is Jazz Appreciation Month. Listen to the smooth sounds of Idaho’s own Gene Harris and design a piece of artwork inspired by the music and instruments of jazz musicians.

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.