Stand at the foot of the Idaho State Capitol Building on a weekday morning and you can ring the bell at the base of the steps before the downtown offices fill up. From there, Capitol Boulevard runs straight toward the river, past the Basque Block and into a green corridor of parks.
Boise suits travellers who want a compact downtown they can walk in a morning, with museums, a zoo and a river greenbelt close together, and who are happy to spend an afternoon east of downtown among gardens and old stone walls. It also suits anyone using the city as a base for the surrounding mountains, since outdoor recreation here is a major industry.
This guide covers the specific sights in and around downtown Boise, grouped by where they sit, with a one-day plan at the end.
Top things to do in Boise
1. Idaho State Capitol Building
The Capitol sits downtown at the northeast end of Capitol Boulevard. It reopened in early 2010 after an extensive renovation that closed it, including to government officials, for the better part of two years. Guided tours are by reservation only, but there is an exhibit about Idaho and its government on the ground floor, and all exhibits and floors are free and open to the public except for government offices and the legislative chambers during government sessions.
If you are bold, ring the bell at the foot of the Capitol steps. It is open Monday to Friday 7AM-7PM and Saturday and Sunday 9AM-5PM, which makes a weekend morning a good time to start a downtown walk here.
2. Basque Museum & Cultural Center
The museum sits on West Grove Street downtown, between Capitol and 6th Street, in the part of downtown known as the Basque Block. The Boise area is home to one of the largest concentrations of Basque populations in the world outside of the Basque Country, and the museum is worth visiting whether or not you are of Basque descent.
It is full of heritage material and even has a bar to hang out at. It is open Tuesday to Friday 10AM-4PM and Saturday 11AM-3PM, with admission at $5 for adults, $4 concession and $3 for children. Pair it with a walk along the Basque Block itself.
3. Julia Davis Park
This Olmsted-esque urban park sits downtown with entrances on Myrtle Street and Capitol Boulevard, across the Boise River from Boise State University. It is open sunrise to sunset and contains many of the downtown attractions in Boise, including Zoo Boise, the Rose Garden, Boise Art Museum, a scenic railroad and the Idaho Black History Museum.
Because so much is inside its boundaries, treat the park as a base for a half day rather than a single stop. Enter from Myrtle Street if you are coming from the downtown core.
4. Boise Art Museum
Inside Julia Davis Park on Julia Davis Drive, this museum shows contemporary art at a very reasonable price, with strong local pieces as well as other western art. It is planned out beautifully and offers more than most would expect from a town the size of Boise.
It is open Tuesday to Saturday 10AM-5PM and Sunday noon-5PM, with admission at $6 for adults, $3 for students, $4 for seniors and $4 for military. It is free and open later on the first Thursdays of the month, which lines up with the First Thursday events downtown.
5. Idaho State Historical Museum
Also in Julia Davis Park, on North Julia Davis Drive, this museum covers the history of Idaho from prehistoric days to now, with exhibits on Native Americans, Basques, pioneers and Chinese history. It is open Monday to Saturday 10AM-5PM and Sunday noon-5PM.
Note that due to renovations, a small temporary exhibit is at 214 Broadway Ave and open Monday to Friday 11AM-4PM, so check which site is operating before you go.
6. Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial
Downtown next to Julia Davis Park on South 8th Street, this is a park with reflecting pools, waterfalls and a statue of Anne Frank. The tribute, titled "Never Again," honours Anne Frank and all those who struggle to advance the dignity of us all.
It is free, and its position beside Julia Davis Park makes it an easy addition to a walk between the downtown museums and the river.
7. Zoo Boise
In Julia Davis Park on Julia Davis Drive, Zoo Boise is one of the most popular attractions in Southern Idaho and a living science facility. It is open 10AM-5PM, and on Thursdays there is discounted admission.
The zoo built an extension themed around Gorongosa National Park in 2019 as part of a 20-year improvement plan that is still ongoing. Summer admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $7 for children; winter admission is $7 for adults.
8. Discovery Center of Idaho
Next to Julia Davis Park at 2nd Street on Myrtle Street, this is an interactive science museum offering educational programs and sensory exhibits designed to make the sciences, technology and math tangible. It is open Monday to Saturday 10AM-5PM and Sunday noon-5PM.
Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for youth and $11 for seniors. Its location beside the park means you can combine it with the park's other attractions in one outing.
9. Idaho Black History Museum
Located in Boise's Julia Davis Park on Julia Davis Drive, the museum is housed in the historic St. Paul Baptist Church building. It is open Tuesday 10AM-3PM, Wednesday and Thursday 10AM-4PM, and Saturday 11AM-4PM, and admission is free.
Tours are by appointment only, so arrange yours before you travel if this is a priority for your visit.
10. Old Idaho Penitentiary
About two miles east of downtown on Warm Springs Avenue, this museum is set in the Old State Penitentiary, where guests can sit in old prison cells and solitary confinement and explore the inner workings of the supposedly haunted prison. It is open noon-5PM.
Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children. Bus 17 serves the area, and the site sits on the same road as the Idaho Botanical Garden and the Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology, so the three can be visited together.
11. Idaho Botanical Garden
On Old Penitentiary Road, two miles east of downtown on Warm Springs Avenue, the gardens are a serene place to visit, with vibrant flowers and other vegetation. They have been the site of many weddings and performances because of the setting.
At no cost, it is a superb setting for a picnic. If you happen to be visiting in December, you will find the gardens decked out in an impressive display of holiday lights. Adults $5.
12. Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology
On Old Penitentiary Road, two miles east of downtown on Warm Springs Avenue, this historical museum includes photos and exhibits from the earliest days of mining in Idaho, along with displays of the geological treasures of the state.
It shares its road with the Old Idaho Penitentiary and the Idaho Botanical Garden, making a natural third stop on an east-of-downtown afternoon.
13. MK Nature Center
On the Greenbelt at 600 South Walnut Street, about 1.5 miles east of downtown on Warm Springs Avenue, the museum and stream-walk present a glimpse of Idaho's wildlife. The walk includes viewing windows that give a glimpse of life in the river.
Because it sits on the Greenbelt, it works well as a stop on a walk or ride along the river rather than a separate trip.
14. Barber Park
About seven miles east of downtown on Warm Springs Avenue in Southeast Boise, Barber Park is a local favourite and a refuge for wildlife including deer, elk, bald eagles, hawks, various birds, salmon and trout. It is open 8AM to sunset.
Barber Park is also the starting point for a summer tradition in Boise: floating down the Boise River. Plan it as a summer afternoon rather than a quick stop.
15. World Center for Birds of Prey
About twelve miles south of downtown on Cole Road, this centre is a fascinating place to visit, with many birds of all types constantly in your line of sight, including hawks, eagles and other big birds of prey. Admission is $7 general and $5 for youth.
It is the furthest-flung stop in this list, so give it its own half day rather than trying to fold it into a downtown morning.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the Idaho State Capitol Building, where you can ring the bell at the foot of the steps and see the ground-floor exhibit on Idaho and its government. Walk down to the Basque Museum & Cultural Center on the Basque Block, then continue into Julia Davis Park and choose between the Boise Art Museum and the Idaho State Historical Museum, adding the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial on South 8th Street as you pass.
Afternoon. Stay in the park for Zoo Boise or the Discovery Center of Idaho, or head east on Warm Springs Avenue to the Old Idaho Penitentiary and the Idaho Botanical Garden, with the Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology on the same road. If you are on the Greenbelt, the MK Nature Center is a short stop on the way.
Evening. Return downtown. If your visit falls on the first Thursday of the month, the Boise Art Museum is free and open later, and First Thursday brings a gallery stroll, live music and in-store entertainment across downtown.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce Boise?
Most local and longtime residents say BOY-see, as given on the city's website. Visitors from elsewhere tend to say BOY-zee, and the difference is sometimes used as a shibboleth.
When is the best time to see the Idaho Botanical Garden?
The garden is a good picnic setting at no cost at any time of year, but if you visit in December you will find it decked out in an impressive display of holiday lights.
What is the cheapest way to see the Boise Art Museum?
Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for students, $4 for seniors and $4 for military, but the museum is free and open later on the first Thursdays of the month.
Where does the Boise River float start?
Barber Park, about seven miles east of downtown on Warm Springs Avenue, is the starting point for the summer tradition of floating down the Boise River.
Pick your dates around a first Thursday or a summer float, then build the rest of your days from the downtown core outward.