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List of museums in Idaho facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This list of museums in Idaho contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included.

Museums

Name Town/City County Region Type Summary
Appaloosa Museum Moscow Latah North Central History website, history of the Appaloosa horse and its region of origin
Art Museum of Eastern Idaho Idaho Falls Bonneville Southeast Art website, includes five galleries
Bannock County Historical Museum Pocatello Bannock Eastern Local history website
Basque Museum & Cultural Center Boise Ada Southwest Ethnic - Basque-American website, Basque history and culture in Idaho
Bellevue Historical Society Bellevue Blaine Central Local history
Bingham County Historical Museum Blackfoot Bingham Southeast History website, operated by the Bingham County Historical Society
Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center Sagle Bonner Northern Aviation Historic aircraft, aviation and inventions
Blaine County Historical Museum Hailey Blaine Central Local history website
Boise Art Museum Boise Ada Southwest Art Focuses on 20th-century American art with an emphasis on artists of the Northwest, American Realism and ceramics
Boise Basin Museum Idaho City Boise Southwest Local history website, operated by the Idaho City Historical Foundation
Boise State University Vertebrate Museum Boise Ada Southwest Natural history Teaching collection of preserved specimens of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish, not open to the public
Bonner County History Museum Sandpoint Bonner Northern Local history website, operated by the Bonner County Historical Society, exhibits include pioneers, farming, logging, mining, the Kalispell and Kootenai people
Boundary County History Museum Bonners Ferry Boundary Northern Local history website, operated by the Boundary County Historical Society
Cambridge Museum Cambridge Washington Southwest Local history
Camp Tosobia and Camp Mead DUP Historical Museum Soda Springs Caribou Eastern Local history Operated by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers
Canyon Crossroads Transportation Museum Melba Canyon Southwest Multiple Operated by the County in Celebration Park, currently under construction, exhibits on area natural history, Native Americans, transportation
Captain John Mullan Museum Mullan Shoshone Northern Local history website
Cassia County Historical Museum Burley Cassia South Central Local history Operated by the Cassia County Historical Society
Chesterfield Townsite Chesterfield Caribou Eastern Open air Late 19th-century ghost town
Clayton Area Historical Museum Clayton Custer Central Local history Operated by the Clayton Area Historical Association
Clearwater Historical Museum Orofina Clearwater North Central Local history website
Collectors' Corner Museum Idaho Falls Bonneville Southeast Toy / collectibles Includes dolls, bears, antiques, trains, coins, stamps and military memorabilia
Council Valley Museum Council Adam Southwest Local history
Crane House Museum Harrison Kootenai Northern Local history Operated by the Crane Historical Society
Crystal Gold Mine Kellogg Shoshone Northern Industry - mining website, guided underground tour
Discovery Center of Idaho Boise Ada Southwest Science Interactive exhibits designed to inspire a lifelong interest and learning in science, technology, engineering and math
Eagle Historical Museum Eagle Ada Southwest Local history
Elk River Museum Elk River Clearwater North Central History
Experimental Breeder Reactor I Hailey Butte Central Science Decommissioned nuclear research reactor
Farragut State Park Athol Kootenai Northern Military Includes the Brig Museum with displays about Farragut Naval Training Station
Fort Hall Pocatello Bannock Eastern Military Replica mid-19th-century trading post
Franklin Idaho Relic Hall Franklin Franklin Eastern Local history Operated by the Idaho State Historical Society
Gem County Historical Village Museum Emmett Gem Southwest Local history website, operated by the Gem County Historical Society, displays include Native Americans, trappers, miners, settlers, agriculture, period room and business displays, early 20th-century period house, blacksmith shop
Glenns Ferry Historical Museum Glenns Ferry Elmore Southwest Local history Located in an early 20th-century schoolhouse
Gooding County Museum Gooding Gooding South Central Local history Operated by the Gooding County Historical Society
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument Hagerman Gooding South Central Natural history Fossils of horses and tours of the fossil beds
Hagerman Valley Historical Society Museum Hagerman Gooding South Central Local history website, area fossils, Native American, explorers, pioneers
Heritage Hall Museum Dubois Clark Southeast Local history Located in a former Episcopal church
Herrett Center for Arts and Science Twin Falls Twin Falls South Central Multiple Website, part of the College of Southern Idaho, exhibits Native American artifacts, natural history, planetarium with gallery and observatory, contemporary art gallery, student art
Historic P&IN Depot New Meadows Adam Southwest Local history Operated by the Adams County Historical Society, restored Pacific & Idaho Northern depot, changing exhibits of local and state history and culture
Historical Museum at St. Gertrude Cottonwood Idaho North Central Local history website, heritage of the Monastery of St. Gertrude, exhibits include the Benedictine Sisters, the Nez Perce people, fossils and minerals, Polly Bemis, medical artifacts, Asian and European artifacts dating to the 14th century, area immigrants, pioneer life
Hughes Home Museum St. Maries Benewah Northern Local history Located in an early 20th-century log house
Idaho Black History Museum Boise Ada Southwest African American History and culture of African Americans, with special emphasis on African Americans in Idaho
Idaho Heritage Museum Twin Falls Twin Falls South Central Multiple Website, Native American artifacts, mounted game animals in their natural habitat, mounted birds, fossils, guns, coins
Idaho Military History Museum Boise Ada Southwest Military website State military history, including all branches of the service, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Gowen Field, and all the wars in which Idahoans have served from the Spanish–American War onwards.
Idaho Museum of Mining & Geology Boise Ada Southwest Industry - mining / science - geology website, mining artifacts, rocks and mineral specimens, state geology and mining history
Idaho Museum of Natural History Pocatello Bannock Eastern Natural history Idaho’s geology, fossils, Ice-age megafauna, native culture, plants and animals
Idaho Potato Museum Blackfoot Bingham Southeast Food - Potato Potato farming, food culture
Idaho State Historical Museum Boise Ada Southwest History Operated by the Idaho State Historical Society, state history, culture, occupations and experiences
J. Howard Bradbury Memorial Logging Museum Pierce Clearwater North Central Industry - Timber Local mining and logging history
Jefferson County Historical Museum Rigby Jefferson Southeast Local history Also called the Farnsworth TV & Pioneer Museum, pre-electric and early electric era, the history of Jefferson County, early photography, Philo Farnsworth, operated by the Jefferson County Historical Society
Jerome County Historical Museum Jerome Jerome South Central Local history website, operated by the Jerome County Historical Society, also operates the nearby Idaho Farm & Ranch Museum
Kamiah Valley Museum Kamiah Lewis North Central Local history
Kootenai County Jail Museum Rathdrum Kootenai Northern Local history Owned and operated by the Rathdrum/Westwood Historical Society, located in the former sheriff’s office and county jail, website
Kuna History Center Kuna Ada Southwest Local history Operated by the Kuna Historical Society
Lawson's Emu-Z-um Grand View Owyhee Southwest Local history website, includes pioneer and settler artifacts, period clothing, antique kitchen gadgets, early vehicles, frontier farming and ranching implements, mining equipment, Native American artifacts
Legacy Flight Museum Rexburg Madison Southeast Aerospace website, restored military aircraft
Lemhi County Historical Museum Salmon Lemhi Central Local history website, includes Lemhi Shoshone, ranching, mining, pioneer, and Chinese displays, archives of Lewis and Clark, operated by the Lemhi County Historical Society
Lewis-Clark State College Center for Arts & History Lewiston Nez Perce North Central Art Part of Lewis–Clark State College, changing exhibits of art and local history
Lochsa Historical Ranger Station Museum Kooskia Idaho North Central History website, operated by the US Forest Service in Nez Perce National Forest
McConnell Mansion Museum Moscow Latah North Central Historic house website, operated by the Latah County Historical Society, features historic rooms interpreted in different time periods from 1900 to the 1930s
Minidoka County Historical Society Museum Rupert Minidoka South Central Local history
MK Nature Center Boise Ada Southwest Natural history website, operated by the state, also known as the Morrison Knudsen Nature Center
Mountain Home Museum Mountain Home Elmore Southwest Local history website, operated by the Mountain Home Historical Society
Mud Lake Museum Terreton Jefferson Southeast Local history Operated by the Mud Lake Historical Society
Museum of Clean Pocatello Bannock Eastern Technology website, history of cleaning devices, includes vacuums, washers, brooms, toilets, tubs, cleaning products
Museum of Idaho Idaho Falls Bonneville Southeast Multiple website, state and local history, culture, natural history, nuclear energy, Native Americans
Museum of North Idaho Coeur d'Alene Kootenai Northern History website, exhibits include logging, agriculture, steamboats, railroads, recreation, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe
Museum of Winchester History Winchester Lewis North Central Local history
Nampa Train Depot Museum Nampa Canyon Southwest Local history website, operated by the Canyon County Historical Society, exhibits include area railroad history, antique dolls, rodeo, mustache cups
National Oregon/California Trail Center Montpelier Bear Lake Eastern History website, features simulated wagon train experience of the 1850s, includes the Rails & Trails Museum about area history, railroads, pioneers
Nez Perce County Historical Museum Lewiston Nez Perce North Central Local history Website, operated by the Nez Perce County Historical Society
Nez Perce National Historical Park Spalding Nez Perce North Central Ethnic - Native American Spalding Visitor Center has a museum of the Nez Perce; Nez Perce National Historical Park has 38 sites spread over four states (Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington) with sites related to the Nez Perce
North Custer Museum Challis Custer Central Local history
Northern Pacific Depot Railroad Museum Wallace Shoshone Northern Railroad website, area railroad and mining history, located in an early 20th-century depot
Oakley Valley Historical Museum Oakley Cassia South Central Local history Operated by the Oakley Historical Society
Old Fort Boise Parma Canyon Southwest Military Reconstructed replica of Fort Boise, operated by the Old Fort Boise Historical Society
Old Idaho Penitentiary Boise Ada Southwest Prison Operated by the Idaho State Historical Society, includes J. Curtis Earl Arms Collection of historic arms and military memorabilia
Old Mission State Park Cataldo Shoshone Northern Native American Historic tribal mission for the Coeur d'Alene Tribe
Oneida County Pioneer Museum Malad Oneida Eastern Local history
Orma J. Smith Museum of Natural History Caldwell Canyon Southwest Natural history Part of College of Idaho, open on Friday afternoons and on the first Saturday of each month
Our Memories Indian Creek Museum Caldwell Canyon Southwest Local history website, operated by the Canyon County Historical Society, includes period room displays
Owyhee County Historical Society Museum and Library Murphy Owyhee Southwest Local history website
Palouse Discovery Science Center Moscow Latah North Central Science website, hands-on science and learning experiences
Pappy Boyington Veterans Museum Hayden Kootenai Northern Aviation [1], Registered 501c3, local aviation and military aviation history, includes artifacts of aviator Pappy Boyington and related Baa Baa Black Sheep television series "Stories From The Museum" . Retelling the lost stories of veterans.
Paris Historical Museum Paris Bear Lake Eastern Local history
Payette County Museum Payette Payette Southwest Local history website, operated by the Payette County Historical Society
Post Falls Historical Society Museum Post Falls Kootenai Northern Local history
Power County Museum American Falls Power Eastern Local history Operated by the Power County Historical Society
Priest Lake Museum Coolin Boundary Northern Local history website, exhibits on area Native Americans, pioneers, early businesses, history of the US Forest Service
Priest River Museum and Timber Education Center Priest River Bonner Northern Industry - Timber Exhibits on pioneer life, timber industry, located in the late 19th-century Keyser homestead house
Rock Creek Station and Stricker Homesite Twin Falls Twin Falls South Central History Operated by the Idaho State Historical Society, includes the mid-19th-century house, store, pioneer cemetery and outbuildings
Roseberry General Store and Museum Donnelly Valley Southwest History website, early 20th-century general store with historic displays and current merchandise
Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural and Education Center Salmon Lemhi Central Biography website, focuses on Sacajawea, her people the Agaidika, and the Lewis and Clark expedition
Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Museum Fort Hall Bannock Eastern Ethnic - Native American Culture and art of the Shoshone people
Shoshone County Mining & Smelting Museum Kellogg Shoshone Northern Industry - mining website, also known as Staff House Museum, exhibits on mining, smelting and cultural history of North Idaho's Silver Valley, located in the former Bunker Hill Staff house
Shoshone Indian Ice Caves and Museum Shoshone Lincoln South Central Ethnic - Native American / geology Lava ice cave and museum with Native American artifacts, minerals and gems
Sierra Silver Mine Tour Wallace Shoshone Northern Industry - mining website, tours of an underground silver mine
Soda Springs Historical Museum Soda Springs Caribou Eastern Local history Located in the 1919 Ender's Hotel
South Bannock County Historical Center Museum Lava Hot Springs Bannock Eastern Local history website
Spragpole Museum Mullan Shoshone Northern Local history Area mining history, logging, late 19th-century period room and business displays
Stanley Historical Museum Stanley Custer Central Local history Operated by the Sawtooth Interpretive & Historical Association in historic Valley Creek Ranger Station in Sawtooth National Recreation Area
Sun Valley Center for the Arts Ketchum Blaine Central Art Also operates in Hailey, Idaho, contemporary and historical art by artists from around the world
Sun Valley Museum of History Ketchum Blaine Central Local history Operated by the Sun Valley Community Library Association, located in the historic Forest Service Park, area cultural heritage
Teton Flood Museum Rexburg Madison Southeast Local history Website, operated by the Rexburgh Historical Society
Teton Valley Museum Driggs Teton Southeast Local history
Twin Falls County Historical Society Museum Twin Falls Twin Falls South Central Local history website, exhibits include, Oregon Trail migration, ranching, irrigated-farming, early 1900s life. In the old Union School building, offers outbuildings and perimeter displays.
Valley County Museum Donnelly Valley Southwest Open air website, also known as Historic Roseberry, operated by the Long Valley Preservation Society, includes the John Korvola Homestead
Wallace District Mining Museum Wallace Shoshone Northern Industry - mining website, features artifacts and model of the Sunshine Mine, area mining heritage
Warhawk Air Museum Nampa Canyon Southwest Aerospace website, historic military aircraft, military aviation history and artifacts
Weippe Discovery Center Weippe Clearwater North Central History website, library, museum and community center, exhibits about Lewis and Clark
Weippe Hilltop Heritage Museum Weippe Clearwater North Central Local history
Weiser Museum Weiser Washington Southwest Local history Displays include Intermountain Institute, agriculture, Native Americans, mining, local automotive history, military
White Spring Ranch Museum Genesee Latah North Central Historic house website, late 19th-century farmhouse, c.1876 Log cabin, c.1880 Curio Museum cabin
Wilford Woodruff Home Randolph Bear Lake Eastern Local history Pioneer relics of early Mormon pioneer leader Wilford Woodruff
World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame Boise Ada Southwest Hall of fame - sports Located on the campus of Boise State University, humanitarian contributions of athletes

Defunct museums

  • Hess Heritage Museum, Ashton
  • Ketchum Sun Valley Historical Society Heritage & Ski Museum, Ketchum, collections now part of the Sun Valley Museum of History
  • Sacajawea Museum at Spalding, former museum near the site of the Spalding Mission whose contents were sold off after a flood in 1963; featured a buckskin dress from Sacajawea, various Nez Perce Chief headdresses including two from the young Chief Joseph, and a dugout canoe from the Lewis and Clark expedition

Regions

Regions-id-us.png

The Idaho Department of Commerce tourism division has divided the state into these seven regions which are used in the table above:

See also

Idaho counties map
Idaho counties
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List of museums in Idaho Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.