Museum of Idaho facts for kids
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| Established | 2003 |
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| Location | Idaho Falls, Idaho, United States |
| Type | history, science |
| Visitors | approx. 90,000 per year |
The Museum of Idaho (MOI) is an exciting history and science museum located in downtown Idaho Falls, Idaho. This museum is a fantastic place to learn about the social and natural history of Idaho and the surrounding Intermountain West region. It also brings amazing traveling exhibits from around the world right to Idaho! Its motto is "bringing the world to Idaho, and Idaho to the world."
The museum is a private, non-profit organization. It has about 12 full-time staff members and around 90 dedicated volunteers. Each year, about 90,000 visitors come to explore the museum. You can also find a cool store inside that sells books, educational toys, and souvenirs related to Idaho and the museum's exhibits.
Contents
The Museum's Story: How It Began
The Museum of Idaho has a long and interesting history. It all started with a group of women called the Village Improvement Society. They formed in 1898 to make Idaho Falls a more beautiful and cultured town.
In 1913, this group received a special grant of $15,000 from the Carnegie Foundation. This money helped them build a public library. The library was built between 1914 and 1916 and served the town until 1977.
Meanwhile, the Bonneville County Historical Society (BCHS) started in 1975. They began showing old artifacts in a small room in the courthouse in 1979. The BCHS worked hard to save the old library building from being torn down. They raised money to turn it into the Bonneville Museum, which opened in 1985.
The historic library building was even added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. This means it's a very important historical site!
In 1992, the BCHS bought land next to the old Carnegie building. They knew they would need more space as the museum grew. In 2000, a local helper named Greg Carr offered to donate another building, a former Masonic Temple, nearby. He wanted the BCHS to expand its mission beyond just Bonneville County history.
So, a two-story atrium was built to connect the old Carnegie library and the Masonic building. This new, bigger museum opened in 2003 as the Museum of Idaho.
Since then, the museum has continued to grow and offer more educational programs. In 2019, they opened a new hall for traveling exhibits, an education center, and a new lobby. Then, in 2021, the original Carnegie and atrium buildings were completely updated. They now feature even more amazing exhibits about Idaho!
Exploring Idaho: Permanent Exhibits
The Museum of Idaho has many permanent collections that focus on Idaho's history. These collections cover different areas like archaeology (studying old human history), paleontology (studying fossils), and geology (studying Earth's rocks and soil). They also feature items from Idaho's native people and early settlers.
Museum staff create special exhibits using these collections. The museum also has the important Wasden Collection. This collection includes thousands of objects and fossils, like parts of mammoths and other huge ancient animals. These were found at an archaeological site west of Idaho Falls.
Other cool things you can see include a life-size replica of a Columbian mammoth. There's also a unique American flag from the Revolutionary War era. You can also see the oldest English-language monument in the Northwest. Plus, there are pieces from the nearby National Reactor Testing Station, where early research on atomic energy happened.
Way Out West: Idaho's Flagship Exhibit
The museum's main permanent exhibit is called "Way Out West." It's divided into seven different galleries, each telling a part of Idaho's story:
- Idaho Origins: Learn about Idaho's early history and discover ancient fossils.
- Out of the Rocks: Explore Idaho's fascinating geology and rock formations.
- Into Nature: See exhibits about Idaho's plants and animals.
- People & Places: This section covers the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, trappers, miners, homesteaders, railroads, and farming.
- Regional Roots: Walk through "Eagle Rock, USA," a street that shows what the frontier town looked like before it became Idaho Falls.
- A Complex State: Discover items related to Idaho becoming a state and important issues like discrimination.
- Idaho Impact: Learn about Idaho's technology and how the state is seen by the rest of the world.
The Marie Putnam Discovery Room is a special area for kids. It has fun play areas related to early settlers and natural history.
Discovering the Past: Research and Archives
The museum actively collects new artifacts, objects, documents, and photos. They also gather stories through an oral history project. These collections are like a treasure chest of information about Idaho's past.
The museum's archives are open to the public and researchers by appointment. This means you can visit and look at historical documents if you make an appointment. Archaeologists can also ask to study the museum's Wasden Collection.
Amazing Journeys: Special Exhibits
Besides its Idaho exhibits, the museum hosts 1 to 3 special exhibits each year. These exhibits cover many different themes. Most of them are national and international touring shows, meaning they travel to museums all over the world!
Some past special exhibits include:
- A T-Rex Named Sue (2003, 2012)
- Columbian Mammoth (2003)
- Discovering Idaho: The World of Lewis and Clark (2004)
- The World of Giant Insects (2004)
- Space Journey (2005)
- Secrets of the Cave (2005)
- Savage Seas (2006)
- Guns & Hooks (2006)
- Ink & Blood: Dead Sea Scrolls to the King James Bible (2007)
- Ice Age Mammals (2007)
- World of the Pharaohs (2008)
- Wheels: Are We There Yet? (2009)
- Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition (2009)
- Lincoln: Preservation of a Nation (2009)
- Wolf to Woof: The Story of Dogs (2010)
- Decoding Da Vinci (2010)
- Bodies: The Exhibition (2011)
- A Grateful Nation: A Look Back at WWII (2011)
- King Tut: Treasures of the Tomb (2012)
- Carousels: Art and History in Motion (2013)
- Guitar: The Instrument that Rocked the World (2013)
- Race to the End of the Earth (2014)
- Glow: Living Lights (2014)
- CSI: Crime Scene Insects (2015)
- Real Pirates (2015)
- Hatching the Past: The Search for Dinosaur Eggs and Babies (2016)
- America’s Revolution: Rebels with a Cause (2016)
- Rome: Military Genius and Mighty Machines (2017)
- Space: A Journey to Our Future (2017)
- Dinosaurs in Motion (2018)
- Discover Steampunk (2018)
- Archimedes: Science and Innovations (2019)
- Darwin & Dinosaurs (2019–20)
- Body Worlds: Animal Inside Out (2021)
- Genghis Khan (2022)
- Toytopia (2022)
- Dinos of the Deep
- Under the Canopy
Learning and Fun: Education and Outreach
The Museum of Idaho is a great place for learning! It hosts school field trips from Idaho and nearby states. The museum also creates lesson plans and activities related to its exhibits for teachers to use online.
During the summer, the museum holds fun summer camps. They also offer many programs and classes focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and history. Educators can even take continuing education courses that include trips into the Greater Yellowstone area.
For adults, the museum has monthly "Museum After Dark" evening events. They also offer Haunted History Tours, special galas, and regular public talks. These talks cover interesting topics in the humanities and sciences.
See also
- Idaho Falls Public Library
