Entry No. 62 — the Boise file — filed under: history

Idaho City & Boise Basin Museum

About an hour northeast of Boise on Highway 21, Idaho City was the largest town in the Pacific Northwest during the 1860s Boise Basin gold rush, with over 7,000 residents at its peak. Wooden boardwalks and restored 19th-century buildings still line Montgomery Street, including the old Pest House and county jail. The Boise Basin Museum sits in a building originally constructed as the post office in 1867 after a fire, and displays gold-rush artifacts and mining machinery. The hillside Pioneer Cemetery on the edge of town is full of weathered 1800s graves.

The move: Walk the boardwalks and gold-rush relics, poke through the museum, then wander up to the spooky Pioneer Cemetery above town.

📍 Before you go Boise Basin Museum keeps seasonal hours, mostly warmer months; verify before going. The town itself is open year-round.

• 📍 Idaho City
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: 503 Montgomery St, Idaho City, ID 83631

Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-24