Boise is the capital of the US state of Idaho. The city’s history goes back to Fort Boise, which was established as a trading post by the British Hudson’s Bay Company. However, it was not located near today’s Boise, but the American Fort Boise di, which was built as a military outpost in 1863. That was the year of the establishment of the Idaho Territory, and the area attracted settlers due not least to the discovery of gold in the Boise Valley.

Boise became the capital of the territory, which became a state in 1890. The city grew rapidly, with construction on both sides of the Boise River. In 1891, the first line of a major streetcar network opened, and in 1925, Boise joined the transcontinental railroad network. Since then, the city has grown to be one of the largest urban areas in the Northwestern United States.

Today you can take a nice walk in the streets of downtown Boise, where the modern metropolis meets some of the buildings from the city’s early years. The main street is called Main Street, and you can begin a stroll at the Egyptian Theatre, built in 1927 with an Egyptian decor. The theater was opened in the golden age of cinemas and still stands beautifully in its 20th century splendor.

From here you can walk east along Main Street, where you get an impression of historic Boise in some of the blocks, as part of Boise’s old buildings from before the era of the surrounding high-rise buildings have been preserved. Examples are the U.S. Assay Office from 1871 located at 210 Main Street and the old Idanha Hotel at 928 W Main Street.

You can also head out for some nice walks along the Boise River with green areas and parks. Between the river and Main Street is Boise’s Museum District, with several interesting museums like Boise Art Museum, Idaho State Museum, Idaho Black History Museum and the city zoo. If you want to learn about the history, people and nature of the state of Idaho, the Idaho State Museum is the right place. The Boise Art Museum opened in 1937, and here you can enjoy a fine collection of works by James Charles Castle. If you go southwest from here, you will come to Boise’s railroad station from 1925, which was designed in Spanish style.

East of downtown you can see the John O’Farrel Cabin, which was built as a log cabin in 1863 as the first house in town. The small cabin was moved to its current location on Fort Street in 1912. From almost the same time, you can see several official constructions and residential buildings from the city’s early years. Examples are the 1863 Officers Quarters and the 1864 Surgeons Quarters, located in the same area as part of the VA Medical Center. You can visit the Cyrus Jacobs House from 1864 in downtown, which today forms part of the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, one of the city’s well-known cultural centers.

The most impressive building in Boise is the Idaho State Capitol, which is the government building for the state of Idaho. Boise has been capital in the territory and later the state since 1864, and the State Capitol was erected starting in 1905. The building was opened in 1912 and expanded with the two wings in 1920, where the chambers of the state senate and the house of representatives are located. The dominant architectural element is the Capitol’s large dome, which was inspired by the Capitol building in the United States capital of Washington. On the street in front of the Idaho State Capitol there is a large bell. It is a copy of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, which rang in 1776 for American independence.

Southeast of downtown Boise, you can visit the historic Idaho State Penitentiary, which was opened in 1872. For years, the place was used as a prison, while today it is a museum, where you can see the old facilities for criminal in the state. Next to the old prison is the Idaho Botanical Garden, which is a lovely park with nice walkways between the many plants. The area of ​​the garden belonged until 1973 to the Idaho State Penitentiary, which used the area for agricultural production. Today there are a rose garden, a meditation garden, an English garden and a garden with plants native to Idaho here.