Local Guides World
Top Tourist attractions in Boise, United States
Top Rated Tourist attractions in Boise
Capitol Boulevard Memorial Bridge
Boise Pavilion at Julia Davis Park
Boise Pavilion at Julia Davis Park
Idaho Military History Museum
Kathryn Albertson Park
The Military Reserve
Chief Eagle Eye Reserve
The Peregrine Fund's World Center For Birds of Prey
Idaho State Museum
Basque Museum and Cultural Center
Boise Rose Garden
Old Idaho Penitentiary Site
Top Reviewed Tourist attractions in Boise
Idaho Military History Museum
Idaho State Museum
Basque Museum and Cultural Center
Discovery Center of Idaho
Foote Park
Boise Art Museum
Boise Rose Garden
Zoo Boise
Boise Paddle Boat Rentals
Julia Davis Park
Terry Day Park
Franklin Park
Reviews
We always have lots of fun at this park it has large open grass area, lots of trees and picnic tables lots of shade. It's one of our favorite for the variety of playground equipment, it also has an excellent little outdoor gym to use with 4 or 5 machines to target different muscle groups!
A great value for a family experience. My 12 year old loved the museum and especially the interactive exhibits. Right now (early 2024), the Bob Hope WWII traveling exhibit fills a large room with amazing memorabilia, film footage, pictures, and memories. Don't miss it!
We bought the year pass this year and it has been a total bust. Traditionally this has been a great, hands on experience for my kids! We bought the pass right as they put up the Star Wars exhibit which has ZERO hands on and was up for the ENTIRE summer! Then they switched to the impressionist exhibit which has very minimal hands on as well. We miss the traditional exhibits. If they plan to keep doing these ones, they could at least switch them out more often. It makes the pass completely a waste of money for families with kids.
This zoo is amazing! You get to see animals super close up regardless they are roaming outside or getting cozy inside! It’s not massive, you don’t have to walk forever between animals or look forever trying to find out where are they hiding, but all animals look happy, healthy and well cared for! The type of animals they keep here are also quite unique! The decoration of the zoo, educational set up are so interesting too! We only had one hour time to check it out this time, but all 3 of us agree that next time we are in Boise we need to spend a day here!
This is a terrific little museum, detailing the history, language, and the impact of the Basque people -- particularly in the development of the American West. The staff was knowledgeable and helpful, and there were a lot of interesting exhibits about the Basque people. Definitely worth a look if you are in downtown Boise!
A small but good zoo to watch many animals like bear, tiger, giraffe, wolves, zebra, hornbill, monkeys, foxes, panguins, Sara's, lion, vultures, hyena. It takes 1-2hours to visit.
Opens from 10AM to 5PM
Senior citizens ticket is $6.50
Below 2years free.
12-61 years $ 9.50
3-11 years $6.50
Large group have discounted price of $5
Restrooms clean
Enjoyed
Opens from 10AM to 5PM
Senior citizens ticket is $6.50
Below 2years free.
12-61 years $ 9.50
3-11 years $6.50
Large group have discounted price of $5
Restrooms clean
Enjoyed
Love this little museum that could! Not sure if Boise realizes what a gem it has. I've been to larger museums in larger cities, and I think this museum is preferred. Not overwhelming, doesn't take a long time to get through and always a great selection of art.
I visited the Idaho Stare Museum on a homeschool field trip with my children. The museum is clean, the staff friendly, and there are exhibits including interactive exhibits that kept us busy for the entirety of an afternoon. We enjoyed it and will return.
The museum was great but not prepared to have a family come in with many children. Felt like we were under such heavy surveillance and could not breath and enjoy the arts. We could feel the bombardment of eyes on us like the secret service or even the paparazzi is on any prominent people. Uncomfortable and very stifling. Sad my children was enjoying it but guess people with large families are frown upon.
10/10 Museum, exceeded my expectations. Spent 2 hours but easily could have stayed longer. It is a very good size 3 floors of very well-thought-out exhibits with a lot of interaction and interesting reading/several fantastic videos.
This Museum has staff working there with horrible attitudes! I was in town and had a few hours so decided to check out the Museum. I have been to over 65 museums across America. The staff ruined the whole experience. I recommend going somewhere else if your looking for something fun to do!
Great place for a cultural adventure with the family. Rotating exhibits keep it fresh and interesting. Well worth the membership for anyone.
Quiet and well maintained park. Equipment is new and different from other parks in boise. Really liked the exercise equipment under the shade.
Plenty of sitting area and tables to sit down and eat. Some construction going on, so a bit noisy but overall a fun place
Plenty of sitting area and tables to sit down and eat. Some construction going on, so a bit noisy but overall a fun place
Nice hike close to Boise
We thoroughly enjoy our visit to the zoo for our granddaughters 2nd birthday. The giraffe feeding was the icing on the cake! It's a nice small zoo so it felt more intimate and easy to enjoy the animals. Some animals weren't available but there were definitely enough to entertain us, especially the three littles! There were also plenty of things for them to do along the way!
We call this the tall slide park. There is a structure that features an enclosed area, kind of like a room, at the top of a 20-ft pole. You have to climb rope webbing to get up there, and there's a large metal slide that takes you down to the bottom. It's a heart attack for people with small children, but if your kids are seven or eight or older, it's a great place to go. It also features a small playground that's more of the modern approach. It's our kids' favorite park. It's worth a visit.
Such a great place for adults and kids! We learn a lot here. The Impressionist display was awesome! They updated a lot of things here!
I found this zoo to be quite pleasant. I arrived right at opening on a Saturday. I’d say 80 percent of the exhibits had animals in them and the whole place was much bigger than I expected.
A great cultural experience! We learned so much about the culture and history of Basque people!
Small museum that is very informative about the military history of Idaho. Expect to spend about an hour there. There is also some tanks outside of the building that you can look at. Entry is donation based.
It wasn’t clearly indicated where exactly to start the tour. I understand most likely all the docents are there on their own free time but they seemed super cranky and hard to speak to. One man entered the boarding house while we were asking him if it was where the tour started and he just looked at us and slammed the door on our faces. Then the lady at the entrance of the actual museum was yelling at a man telling him what to do in a very condescending manner; we decided not to waste our money on it because of this. Sorry Basque Village - we will have to admire the structures from the outside until you get some clear signs and some more kind docents! You’d want to do this if you really want the public to appreciate your culture especially you’re struggling to find funds!
This is a fun zoo. It is on the smaller size. We were able to walk the entire zoo at a slower pace in about two hours. The exhibits themselves are dated, but you can see most of the animals up close. I don't know if it was just bad luck, but it seemed a higher than usual number of animal exhibits were temp closed for one reason or another. Overall, it is a fun trip that you can easily do in a short period of time and get to see some interesting g animals.
Terry Day Park ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
One of the things I love about living in Boise is how much green space we have. The number of parks that we have never ceases to amaze me. Each one has their own distinct personality. These photos were taken on 6/2/23, when I stumbled upon this park while out running an errand. It’s one I had always meant to visit, but hadn’t.. I wasn’t able to go all the way back into the park because it was getting close to closing time. Enjoy!
One of the things I love about living in Boise is how much green space we have. The number of parks that we have never ceases to amaze me. Each one has their own distinct personality. These photos were taken on 6/2/23, when I stumbled upon this park while out running an errand. It’s one I had always meant to visit, but hadn’t.. I wasn’t able to go all the way back into the park because it was getting close to closing time. Enjoy!
Disappointing. The division into three galleries for different regions of the state makes the story jumbled and fractured. The exhibits are mostly panels and text, for a state museum it has very few artifacts. Some of the short videos are quite clever.
I went to this area for a veterans event. Although I didn't actually tour the gardens, it was spectacularly beautiful! Next time I'm in Boise I want to make a proper visit!
The most beautiful and diverse varieties of roses. Great place for weddings. Loved sitting in the gazebo enjoying the view after walking through the roses. Must see!
This is a really cool park in Boise! The toys are really interactive with lots of twist and turns and climbing opportunities for the kids, the tall slide is really neat and super high the kids have to climb a rope gym to get up to it. The park also has exercise equipment covered picnic tables a few mature shade trees but mostly small trees, a drinking fountain with a dog bowl water attachment ( dogs are only allowed on the sidewalks) and a misting structure to cool off. This park does not have handicap play equipment available . A porta potty is on site and is not handicap accessible
Great displays, staff had great knowledge, gift shop, educational, static displays. Both inside and outside displays and great real deal history collections. Please respect the collections and control your kids!!!
Big parking lot and could easily accommodate bus, trailers and RVs. Easy access from interstate.
Big parking lot and could easily accommodate bus, trailers and RVs. Easy access from interstate.
It was pretty fun, though the current exhibit of Star Wars fan art was fun to look at but not at all interactive. Our kids ran through the first two thirds of the museum in about 5 minutes and spent the rest of the time in the back third where the LEGO, Slime, Space, and Dinosaur exhibits were. Plenty of fun things to do, but they got bored in under an hour. Hopefully the next main exhibit will be more interactive.
It's beautiful all around and at Boise River next to green belt. Simply gorgeous!
This is a nice, simple park for families. The zip-line makes it a family favorite. The play equipment is modest, but entertaining. They have tennis courts, a small field and a scenic walk around a pond. They have picnic tables to sit in the shade and a sheltered picnic area for birthday parties. They have single-person bathrooms and water fountains.
The park is a little more difficult to get to from Federal Way in the sense that you have to make sure you are aware of what street you came from when turning onto Federal Way so you know whether to take a right or left onto Federal Way in order to find the park. For example, if you take Kootenai Street to get there, then you would need to turn RIGHT onto Federal Way to get to the park on the Right-hand side of Federal Way. If you take Overland Road to get there, then you will need to turn LEFT onto Federal Way to get to the park on the LEFT-hand side of Federal Way.
The park is a little more difficult to get to from Federal Way in the sense that you have to make sure you are aware of what street you came from when turning onto Federal Way so you know whether to take a right or left onto Federal Way in order to find the park. For example, if you take Kootenai Street to get there, then you would need to turn RIGHT onto Federal Way to get to the park on the Right-hand side of Federal Way. If you take Overland Road to get there, then you will need to turn LEFT onto Federal Way to get to the park on the LEFT-hand side of Federal Way.
This is truly one of the nicest state museums that I have visited. I loved the amount of interactive exhibits for the kids, and ones that actually gets their attention. The layout is slightly confusing and I wish they would place arrows on the floor to guide you along throughout the museum.
Such a great place to.take the family and your young ones to explore and use there mind to build and construct and to observe some of the scientific invention that they have. Great place to visit in Boise Idaho.
This is a medium-sized playground that seems well-maintained, but its biggest unique feature is a zipline with a seat that every kid seems to LOVE.
It has swings, shaded picnic tables, slides and other typically playground equipment, tennis courts, restrooms, and large grassy areas.
The only negative to this playground is that it sits relatively close to the very busy Federal Way, but as long as you keep an eye on them, it's not a problem. It's still relatively quiet.
It has swings, shaded picnic tables, slides and other typically playground equipment, tennis courts, restrooms, and large grassy areas.
The only negative to this playground is that it sits relatively close to the very busy Federal Way, but as long as you keep an eye on them, it's not a problem. It's still relatively quiet.
It was very interesting to learn about the history of Basque sheep herders and the role they played in the culture and development of the region in and around Idaho. Cool side stop while visiting Boise.
Beautiful park with excellent workout equipment for all essential upper body calisthenics (bodyweight) exercises!
You’ll find pull up bars, dip bars & a ladder for human flag & elevated pike push ups.
There’s not much leg equipment compared to Ann Morrison, just a couple elliptical stations for cardio.
Would highly recommend if you’re looking to get a great upper body calisthenics workout.
You’ll find pull up bars, dip bars & a ladder for human flag & elevated pike push ups.
There’s not much leg equipment compared to Ann Morrison, just a couple elliptical stations for cardio.
Would highly recommend if you’re looking to get a great upper body calisthenics workout.
Nice small museum with lots of interesting things to look at. Admission was free but a donation is recommended. And why not? Your donation is helping to preserve history! On our visit, the outside lot only had a few tanks but still very cool! They said they moved the other big stuff because they are doing some kind of renovation. That did not detract from our visit though. The only thing that bothered me was that some of the info cards for the displays I read (and to be honest I only read a few here and there) had some grammatical errors. Other than that, very nice set up. We were there about an hour. If you're just looking around, you'd probably be there less but if you're reading everything you'd probably be there longer. I would recommend a stop by. It would pair well with a history lesson if you homeschool, if your kids are learning about military history in school, or you just have interest in this subject.
What a great place! Friendly, helpful folks who work there and a great presentation and artifacts. It's worth the price of admission just to go into the Basque boardinghouse next door. And then you can follow it up with a great meal just across the street! A real gem and pocket of history in downtown Boise.
Excellent new park. The giant structure is a little scary to climb up! But a lot of fun for bigger kids. Medium and smaller size kids have their own playgrounds too. A couple covered picnic areas and misters at the playground provide options to cool down. A unique playground for kids to explore.
I came for the Star Wars exhibit and it *is* really cool - but I guess I was expecting more for the ticket price of nearly $30. It's 95% painted models with a few larger-scale set ups that are great for photo ops. It is impressive that it was all done by fans, though I wish there were more information about each piece - I already know the characters represented, I wanted to know more about who made what, how long it took them, the construction, etc. Maybe that would have made it a bit more impressive and interesting - wow, it took Bob from Detroit 230 hours to make this suit out of PVC! - something like that. As it is, I read everything, watched everything, took loads of pictures, and was still through it in 30 minutes.
The Star Wars exhibit takes up almost the entire space. Once you're through that, there's one room with several hands-on "experiments" with slime, magnets, friction, etc, plus a fun play space for small kids, 4 and under, I think.
To get my money's worth, I played with more than a few things, walked backwards through the Star Wars exhibit (it was early and there weren't too many people yet), then went through the whole thing again, took a good look through the fun gift shop, and even with all that, it was under an hour before I left. I'd feel a lot better about it if the price were closer to around $20.
Parking is free for 2 hours, plus it's adjacent to Julia Davis park with much more 2 hour parking, and there's a playground right on the other side of the small bridge from the parking lot.
The Star Wars exhibit takes up almost the entire space. Once you're through that, there's one room with several hands-on "experiments" with slime, magnets, friction, etc, plus a fun play space for small kids, 4 and under, I think.
To get my money's worth, I played with more than a few things, walked backwards through the Star Wars exhibit (it was early and there weren't too many people yet), then went through the whole thing again, took a good look through the fun gift shop, and even with all that, it was under an hour before I left. I'd feel a lot better about it if the price were closer to around $20.
Parking is free for 2 hours, plus it's adjacent to Julia Davis park with much more 2 hour parking, and there's a playground right on the other side of the small bridge from the parking lot.
What a beautiful place to walk through, and it smells divine! I was here a couple of weeks ago and nothing was blooming, then BAM, they call come out at once! Just stunning in the variety and color. There aren't really paved paths to the flowers, you're walking in the grass between the beds, but there's a wide path that cuts across it short ways to the gazebo, and openings on each long end in the fence.
Went there on a busy Sunday afternoon and the place was buzzing. Lots of activities for kids and lot of interactive learning activities. There are 3 different levels/floors. so a lot to cover if you plan to experience it all. The place can use some additional staffing to direct people but it sure was a great experience and place to visit, specially if you are looking to learn about Idaho history.
Most state museums fall into Best! State! Ever! sorts of narrative and the Idaho State Museum is no exception. But it's well laid out and has some really neat video elements throughout. I will say that I don't taking the volunteer-led daily tour adds much, at least it didn't for me.
On the main floor as you walk in is a lovely gift shop and the "origins" area - this is where they talk about the formation of Idaho, nature & wildlife, and there's an interactive digital "stream" and a wall with shifting projection mapping that you can view from two levels. A small theater plays Native American stories that is well worth watching.
The second/upper floor holds the bulk of the museum, with three areas, split into north, central, and south Idaho. The exhibits cover mining, forestry (with an immersive forest fire experience), skiing, rivers, pioneer history, agriculture, & industry. And many are interesting and interactive. There's even a video "bike tour", though it's currently not working. Historically, it seems to work best to tour from north to south, or from the right door first, but it doesn't really matter and there are "back" ways between all the rooms. Don't miss the "extra" Art Deco room and the Native American room at the far left of the building.
The basement/bottom floor is a really fun kids' play area with a train and touch screens, plus a large room dedicated to notable Idaho natives. Many of the displays come with push-button music or examples for that person.
It's definitely worth it for the price and I spent much more time here than I thought I would - about 3.5 hours! If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't take the 40-minute tour and would have felt a little less rushed towards closing time, but I still was able to take my time and see everything there was.
On the main floor as you walk in is a lovely gift shop and the "origins" area - this is where they talk about the formation of Idaho, nature & wildlife, and there's an interactive digital "stream" and a wall with shifting projection mapping that you can view from two levels. A small theater plays Native American stories that is well worth watching.
The second/upper floor holds the bulk of the museum, with three areas, split into north, central, and south Idaho. The exhibits cover mining, forestry (with an immersive forest fire experience), skiing, rivers, pioneer history, agriculture, & industry. And many are interesting and interactive. There's even a video "bike tour", though it's currently not working. Historically, it seems to work best to tour from north to south, or from the right door first, but it doesn't really matter and there are "back" ways between all the rooms. Don't miss the "extra" Art Deco room and the Native American room at the far left of the building.
The basement/bottom floor is a really fun kids' play area with a train and touch screens, plus a large room dedicated to notable Idaho natives. Many of the displays come with push-button music or examples for that person.
It's definitely worth it for the price and I spent much more time here than I thought I would - about 3.5 hours! If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't take the 40-minute tour and would have felt a little less rushed towards closing time, but I still was able to take my time and see everything there was.
Love that they now have an area for toddlers. Kids had a fun time but I do miss the more interactive exhibits. The attention to detail in each Star wars exhibit was incredible. Overall everyone had lots of fun.
Great hike, small stream for Easter
Very nice park lots of shade for when it's hot and open space for running around as well. Lots lots of nice benches and places to relax and watch the fowl around the lake.
Beautiful trails, peaceful to walk around and hear the water close by.
Very clean and lots to do. Lots of things to do for older and younger kids. There is areas to walk laps and workout equipment. It's a new favorite spot.
Overall, the Star Wars exhibit was super cool. I expected more due to the price of entry. It was over $100 for a five person family to enter and we made it through the exhibit in 20 minutes. We walked very slow with small kids, took lots of pictures and videos And still made it through that quick.
This is a great museum! There were plenty of exhibits to keep my interest, and it was within walking distance of my hotel. There was a lot of information about Lewis and Clark, which is good for those of us who grew up in other parts of the country, where we learn less about them. I had a great time there!
This museum exceed our expectations. The staff was friendly and helpful. The exhibits were more than what we expected. When first arriving we were wow'ed by the tanks on property from the classic Sherman to the huge gun on the Howitzer. There was an impressive displays from every branch of the military and history on almost every major US conflict. Lot's to learn here. Even had 3 vintage jets on site. We recommend this for the entire family.
First Thursday of the month is free admission. Wandered in on my lunch and loved learning about the history and influence of the Basque peoples. 10/10 recommend.
Beautiful view of the river, down a steep dirt road, has paths that lead down to the river.
I stopped by this little cure rose garden before flying back home. It was such a nice day for a stroll. The garden was maintained well and the roses are growing beautifully. The mischievous squirrels all over the park.
It took a few mins to get to Rose Garden in Julia Davis Park from downtown Boise.
It was a nice gateway solo trip to Idaho.
It took a few mins to get to Rose Garden in Julia Davis Park from downtown Boise.
It was a nice gateway solo trip to Idaho.
This park has some striking new concepts when it comes to children's playground equipment. All my kids were captivated and their imaginations were sparked for a long time. They were doing things and playing pretend scenarios that never happen at other park playgrounds. It looks like a martian space camp training ground. Love the big slide and lookout / hideout area. The workout area is one of the best if not thee best in Boise. We will definitely be back.
Very nice, small museum with a variety of displays. Centered on Gowen Field history.
There's a lot to see in this smallish museum that makes it worth a stop. There's a great outdoor display of planes and military vehicles and the inside has a lot of weaponry and uniforms. My kids loved it. Entry is also free and donations are encouraged.
Great collection of war time memorabilia. Lots of the items have been donated by local veterans and or families of local veterans. Highly recommend for school classes and or grandchildren.
Fun park, equipment is dark so a bit hot for the summer. Picnic tables were great. We passed through on a trip and needed a park to eat in and let the 4 kids stretch their legs. Also needed potty. Well maintained park.
Bathrooms were acceptable even for the girls the in our group.
Bathrooms were acceptable even for the girls the in our group.
It’s a small park with a big heart. Whenever I see a kid on that jungle gym / zip line, I wish I was a kid again so I could go on a ride and enjoy it as much as them. The pond has a nice variety of birds, but good luck catching a good pic of that heron (always takes off on ya!). I like to bring a burrito over from Adelita’s to munch while I give the stink eye to dogs waking past. There’s a few squirrels here that enjoy snacky’s, but they are bit more leery of humans than my regulars down by the river.
Absolutely loved this museum! Great place to visit for everyone! Packed full of artifacts from different periods of this countries wars! Especially cool that a lot of the artifacts are centered around Idaho and the men and women who served our nation who hailed from Idaho. Especially loved the tanks and planes they have for viewing. I highly recommend this place to everyone and is great if you're on a budget and want something to do cause it's completely free to check out, so get on down and check it out!
I visited Boise Rose garden, it is one of my favorite parks in Boise.
I enjoyed the beautiful flowers and flowers’ smells 🥰.
Thank you #boiseparkandrec of your hard work.
I enjoyed the beautiful flowers and flowers’ smells 🥰.
Thank you #boiseparkandrec of your hard work.
This facility consists of a relatively small but extremely informative museum about the Basque in western America and a house next door that represents how the Basque lived in America 200 years ago. These physical presentations of Basque life in America are great but what's even better was the interaction and history lessons from the lady at the the admission desk and Donny at the Basque house. Both provided fascinating insights about the Basque I'd never heard. This is an incredible place, well worth a visit.
This is such a beautiful little area. The roses smelled amazing. I didn't see any signs not to walk on the grass, but I wish they would've have some signs that would say whether or not it was allowed. We wanted to walk to one of the waterfalls but couldn't get to it without walking on the grass. Other than that, it was pretty breathtaking. Someone left bananas with a note on one of the benches, so that was a nice touch. Really beautiful people here.
Could not go very far before it got muddy and I had to turn back....I will try again when it's more dry....I didn't want to wreck the trails.
I love the peace and quiet, I'm just said too many people know we're it is and don't respect the land.
I went with a family member to Julia Davis Park. The weather was nice and we took some basic picnic food and a frisbee to toss around. Next time I would find a table without geese droppings by it. We took the hour paddle boat for $15. Half hour is $10. There were only about 6 other boats out so not crowded at all. Just opened yesterday. The owner was very nice and the youth helping you in and out of boats were friendly. Ask for a seat cushion for your back. Ducks eat popcorn but heard cheerios is better for them. Was relaxing and enjoyed our leisurely ride. Takes a little leg power but rest whenever you want and enjoy the view. Someone needs to invent something to pick up geese droppings.
Always good to learn about what makes the treasure Valley so special!...the historical posts are wonderfully protrayed!
Well maintained park, clean with a paved walking trail. The small pond is a great touch!
It's a very nice area overall: a cool playground with lots of climbing action and unique equipment. (Note: it is geared toward 5-12yo.) The tennis courts look maintained, as well. (Fall leaves being blown off during our visit.) There's also some nice lawn areas and a winding sidewalk (connects with neighborhood, I'm assuming?). My kid did hone in on multiple pieces of dog poop, so I think the dog walkers need to do better.
Not sure if bathrooms were open but the water fountain wasn't on.
Not sure if bathrooms were open but the water fountain wasn't on.
One of my favorite places in Boise. It’s calm and peaceful. Filled with vibrant beautiful colors and the sweetest aroma. The fountains are an added bonus. I brought my mom here when she visited Boise and she loved it just as much as I did. A Boise must see
Good place to picnic, play with your dog, play frisbee golf, or hike the hills. This is new opened first of october. The Morrison Knudsen Foote Park.
Never heard of the Basques until my visit here in 2003. Contributed so much to the fabric of Idaho.