Boise is the capitol city of Idaho, so you’d think there must be lots of things to do here, right? Yup—there are! In fact, there are many more attractions than can be visited in one weekend. Here are our top picks for a weekend itinerary.
When to visit: most of the sites in our itinerary are open year-round, but one of the sites is a botanical garden, so best time to visit is May through mid-September (May through July for heaviest blooms). Note the shorter Sunday hours for the air museum and the aquarium.
Warhawk Air Museum, Nampa, Idaho
If you are coming from Washington or Oregon on I-84, you really should make your first stop the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa.
The museum is not overly large and doesn’t have many aircraft—in fact there are more antique and military vehicles on display than there are aircraft, but that was okay with us as antique vehicles are just as cool as vintage airplanes!
The main focus of the displays are Korean War era F-86 and Mig-17, a later Mig-21, and WWII aircraft P-40 Warhawk, P-40 Kittyhawk (RAF version), and P-51C Mustang, and even a WWI Fokker DR-1 triplane. Now, before you exclaim with, “No way, how many DR-1s can still be in existence!” it turns out that this one was built roughly 55 years ago from authentic Fokker construction plans, from as near as authentic materials as were available. It must be very authentic as it was explained to me that the pilot who built it flew the aircraft one time—and one time only—exclaiming that the DR-1 was likely to kill him if he were to fly it again. If you’ve studied World War I aircraft, the pilot’s exclamation will sound very authentic indeed!
The museum has collected a great amount of memorabilia and documents and journals; a researcher would be truly excited to spend days here, but for the common traveler and even a history buff, you’re not likely to spend much more than one hour here, but it will be an hour well spent. Remember to bring water if your visit is during warm weather as the hangers can get warm.
Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:
Warhawk Air Museum, 201 Municipal Dr, Nampa, ID 83687; 208-465-6446. Open: Tue-Sat 9-5, Sun 11-4; open Mondays of Memorial Day and Labor Day, closed New Year’s Day, Mother’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving Day, Dec 5, and Christmas Day; closes early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Admission: Adults $15, Seniors and Veterans $12, Children 5-12 $5; gift shop on site. Free parking.
Aquarium of Boise
The next visit on our itinerary, and no more than 30 minutes away, is the Boise Aquarium. When you arrive you will notice this is a rather small facility—Sea World it’s not—yet what you get for a small admission fee is a lot of fun, and if you happen to have younger travelers with you it will be even more amusing just watching them. Chantelle loved the aquarium! A great selection of large and small tropical fish are on display and we got to pet stingrays that literally swim up to you and push their heads above the water and beg for attention. Chantelle also got to feed a rather large reptile—carefully, with only thumb and one finger holding the edge of the lettuce!
Your visit here is likely to be one hour.
Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:
Boise Aquarium, 64 Cole Rd, Boise, ID 83704; 208-375-1932. Open: Mon-Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5, closed Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Admission: Adults $13, 55+ and military $11, 7-11 $10, 3-6 $8, under 3 Free; gift shop on site. Free parking.
Zoo Boise
Zoo Boise is located in Julia Davis Park, just a short drive from the Boise Aquarium. The highlight of the zoo is the Africa exhibit. The zoo is partnered with the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique and a portion of every admission fee goes to support the park. Signs throughout the Africa Exhibit inform the visitor how Zoo Boise is helping to accomplish great things for both the wildlife and the people of Gorongosa National Park.
You will easily spend two hours at the Zoo, and perhaps another few minutes at the rose garden in Julia Davis Park right outside the zoo. If it’s hot be sure to bring water and perhaps a hat and sunscreen.
Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:
Zoo Boise, 355 Julia Davis Dr, Boise, Idaho 83702; 208-608-7760. Open: daily 9-5. Advance ticket purchase is recommended but not required; purchase tickets online at zooboise.org. Admission: 12-61 $12.50, 62+$9.50, 3-11 $9.50, under 3 Free. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Gift shop on site; free parking.
Dinner at Cottonwood Grille
Want to try new tastes with local cuisine? We have just the place for you! This highly rated restaurant is absolutely beautiful, all dressed up in knotty pine—and the food is fantastic!
The Cottonwood Grille sits right on the Boise River Greenbelt and has ample free parking. After dinner, go for a stroll along the serene, tree-lined greenbelt.
Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:
Cottonwood Grille, 913 W River St, Boise, Idaho 83702; 208-333-9800. Open: Mon-Sat 11-9, Sun 10-9.
Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial
Come to the greenbelt from the rear of the Cottonwood Grille and go left; a stroll of hardly more than a hundred yards brings you to the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, placed right on the greenbelt.
This cenotaph complex is an educational park worthy of a contemplative visit by any and all who come to Boise. The cenotaphs present quotes from a great many who suffered at the hands of the Nazis before and during World War II and includes recordings on demand about Anne Frank and her family and other Jewish victims of Nazi atrocity. The site also displays, etched in stone, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its entirety, one of only five such displays in the world to do so.
Don’t skip this one—the memorial may well be, for me, the highlight of our Boise itinerary. To make the most out of this site you will easily spend at least an hour here. The memorial is open 24 hours but you may want to visit the memorial before enjoying dinner at the Cottonwood Grille.
Old Idaho Penitentiary
Day two of your weekend visit to Boise brings more great sites to see! Even better, today’s sites are just down the road just off of Highway 26, through downtown Boise, and are right next to each other.
Great news—when visiting the penitentiary and the botanical gardens, you can park in the free parking lot adjacent to the sites and visit both locations without the need to move your vehicle!
If you are visiting in summer, visit the penitentiary site first as it can get quite warm inside the buildings. If your visit is after Labor Day, you can visit the garden first as it opens earlier, and then visit the penitentiary.
The penitentiary opened in 1872 when Idaho was a territory and was finally closed in 1973. The stone for additional construction after opening was quarried by inmates who also assisted with the new construction. In 1973, several primary buildings were destroyed by fire in a riot over living conditions, which resulted in the inmates being moved to the new state penitentiary and the old penitentiary was closed.
This is a fascinating look at a world we earnestly hope to never be a part of! The site is well worth the cost of admission and we heartily recommend a visit. You should plan for 1.5 to 2 hours as there are a lot of informational posters and interpretive panels about the site and the colorful and even famous or infamous inmates who spent time here. Be sure to bring water, maybe a hat, and sunscreen as much of your visit will be outside.
Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:
Old Idaho Penitentiary, 2445 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise, ID 83712; 208-334-2844. Open: daily (except on major state holidays) Memorial Day through Labor Day 10am-5pm, off-season 12pm-5pm; last admission is 4:00pm. Admission: 13+ $8, 60+ $6, 6-12 $5. Gift shop on site; free parking.
J.C. Earl Weapons Exhibit
This collection presents an extensive exhibit of weaponry ranging from the Bronze Age to recent history. The collector, J.C. Earl, donated the collection to the State of Idaho in 1999; the collection is housed at the Old Idaho Penitentiary and as such is included in admission to the penitentiary site. If you are a fan of history, all I need to say to you is, WOW! Viewing the exhibit is worth the cost of admission to the penitentiary site all by itself. You should plan an additional 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, dependent upon your level of interest.
Idaho Botanical Garden
The gardens comprise 33 acres on ground that at one time was the farm where Boise Penitentiary inmates grew most of their own food. Chantelle and I absolutely love gardens and this one did not fail to captivate us even though we visited late in the season—we want to visit again in late spring to see more flowers in bloom!
The garden includes a wide range of flowers and trees and most are well identified so that visitors can take notes and find flowers and other flora for their own gardens. The garden is divided into several specialty gardens such as an Idaho native plants garden, a rose garden, and even a vegetable garden—and includes a koi pond!
Plan your visit for two to 2.5 hours to roam the various sections of the garden. Don’t forget to bring a bottle of water and probably a hat and sunscreen—and a camera or smartphone! You might see garden features that you want to record as inspiration for your own gardens.
Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:
Idaho Botanical Garden, 2355 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise, ID 83712; 208-343-8649. Open: Wed-Mon, 9-5. Admission: Adults $14, 65+ $12, 4-12 $8; garden store on site. Free parking.
All that remains of your weekend is a safe drive home. We hope our suggested itinerary inspires you to visit Boise, or perhaps visit again if you’ve not experienced these great sites.
Updated June 2024
Hit the Road in the Pacific Northwest 