old idaho penitentiary

Lizzyhuber

We went on the tour. The guide was a little monotone and hard to understand. His speech was not clear. And, he didn't ask for any audience participation. It was a poor presentation. The words and stories he shared were great, but presentation was lacking.The buildings are neat to visit, but there aren't really a lot of signs or additional information. If you go and don't do the tour you're basically walking from empty building to empty building without any knowledge of why.

Amy1918

This prison visit was the highlight of my time in Idaho. I was sightseeing while my husband was on business. I did my own tour and looked in every nook and cranny. It really was an eye opener, and quite creepy at times. I enjoyed the beauty of the terrain while looking into the past.

ken345

My grandfather was the warden at the old pen in the 30's so love visiting there. Especially with all the history involved. Well done.

MandC1980

Fascinating self guided tour. When you understand it was a functioning prison until the mid 70s, the buildings, cells, etc. become even more interesting. There is a separate building for the women and you should make sure you read the information about the inmates, both male and female. Great stuff!!!

landlocked_12

Visitors of all ages will enjoy the history and stories behind the Old Pen. If you have a tour guide, they'll make it come alive.

Archergirl0110

I am a history buff so I was happy to go check it out. There was a video at the beginning to tell you about the prison and it's history, and then you go on a self guided tour of the grounds. Even our 6 year old thought it was interesting. I can only give it a 4 stars out of 5 because the day we went was a sweltering 101 degrees and it was pretty hot. Go on a day that's not too hot, the prison (obviously) isn't air conditioned, and young or old may get too overheated. The military/weapons museum however IS air conditioned and we enjoyed that as well. My son liked the trench display. It would be challenging to take a stroller through the buildings and the only bathroom I recall seeing was the one by the weapons museum. Bring water if going on a hot day! They were selling waters when we went which we greatly appreciated. There are other things to do in the area of course but this was a fun thing to do- as fun as prison can be? Interesting, at the very least. At first I thought, is it weird to take our child to a prison? But I think it gave our son a lasting image of prison... a place you want to avoid!

529thomasc

Boise is a nice enough city with several outstanding Basque restaurants but there is not much to do here. While I liked the small cozy character of the state capitol, it didn't quite do it for me. If you are looking for something a little bit out of the ordinary, I would recommend the old prison where you can stroll on your own and see the miserable cells and the execution chamber where the last hanging took place in the late 1950s (if I remember correctly). The prison gardens are not bad either with magnificent rose bushes. Otherwise there is not much nature around Boise. The mountain desert is dry and empty with little of no vegetation. Idaho potatoes must come form a different part of the state... If you have time, drive out to Hemingway's place; it is well worth a visit but takes at least three hours to get there by car.

749janed

The old Idaho penitentiary is very picturesque in an eerie sort of way. the rose garden area is beautiful and can actually be booked for weddings. this attraction is right next to the Idaho Botanical gardens so be sure to see it also.

larryr774

I've taken a tour of the old Territorial Prison in Yuma Arizona and I would have to say that this one is more impressive. I believe it was still in use in the 1950's, so there is some fairly recent history. Not up to the standards of Alcatraz but still worth seeing.

ginic_13

We just happened to visit on Halloween so extra special with spooky stories. And do not miss the botanical gardens next door. Wonderful Christmas lights display in December.

CrayZee127

This is my favorite attraction to take out of town guests to, especially in the summer. It's almost all outdoors or in old buildings with no climate control, so dress for the weather. Whether you're there for the history, the hauntings, or just curiosity, you'll be happy you went. There is also an awesome weapons exhibit currently on display showcasing a huge variety of weapons throughout history. Everything from medieval swords to modern firearms. A must see! I can't wait to go to the adults only Halloween event next year.

REmom2

I was surprised this is a top attraction for Boise. It's neat for what it is- a really old prison. I think the hike up the hill behind the prison is more interesting than the prison tour, and the hike is free. We didn't have much time to tour around the town, and this was hard to fit in since it didn't open until noon and we had an early afternoon flight. I didn't think it was worth the hype.

762carolc

It's a sobering experience to walk through these ominous buildings and imagine how grim it must have been to be a "resident" during it's time. You should start with the 20-or so-minute film to get oriented. The self-tour map is easy to follow and there are a lot of strategically placed signs to explain "life in the Pen".I was impressed by how such an architecturally beautiful building housed such misery. There's a gallows and a squat solitary confinement building .....and a rose garden. The Pen seems a particularly odd place to find a gun collection, but there it is back by the laundry building. It's a small museum that houses a quite extensive gun and military collection of some guy named JC Earl. It's very well displayed and interesting.

Luvs2read2

Even though I'm a life-long Idahoan, I had never toured the Old Idaho Penitentiary. It was well worth the time and effort to see and learn about this little gem of Idaho history. The staff were wonderful and helpful to answer our questions.

Lambdini44

We took our kids and nieces to check out some of Idaho's history. It was pretty fun. The kids were excited because the Penitentiary was featured on Ghost Adventures. So they were convinced there were ghosts around every corner. The place is well preserved, and fun to walk around.