Entry No. 43 — the Coeur d'Alene file — filed under: outdoor

Center of the Universe, Wallace

A painted manhole cover in the middle of a Wallace intersection is officially proclaimed the Center of the Universe, declared by Mayor Ron Garitone in 2004 as a tongue-in-cheek rebuttal after the EPA labeled the old mining town a Superfund site (his logic: if pollution can't be disproved, neither can this). The whole historic downtown leans into the gag, and Wallace's downtown core is a National Register Historic District, making it a walkable folk-monument environment. It's a genuine roadside conceptual-art landmark about an hour east in the Silver Valley.

The move: Drive out for the day, stand together on the manhole cover for the obligatory 'center of the universe' photo, then poke through Wallace's antique shops and historic mining-town storefronts.

📍 Before you go About 50 miles east of Coeur d'Alene via I-90. The marker is in the street, so watch for the occasional car. Best paired with a full afternoon exploring Wallace's historic downtown.

• 📍 Wallace
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Corner of Bank St & 6th St, Wallace, ID 83873

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

Plan a visit & invite your people →

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

last checked: 2026-06-24