Basque Museum and Cultural Center

This was a fascinating look into immigrant life at the turn of the century, and into Basque culture then and now. I definitely recommend the visit, and getting there early enough to tour the boarding house as well (it closes earlier than the museum). We enjoyed the peek into daily life, and could have spent longer than we did. (We took just under an hour, and would have enjoyed another half hour.)

Very friendly staff. Lots to learn about Basque History. Part of the museum was closed for renovations, so tickets were discounted to $5 a person. The ticket also includes a tour of the boarding house next door. There is a small gift shop.

So proud to see how basque people did when coming to the USA! Proud of being basque and able to enjoy Jaialdi 2025

What a great place! Friendly, helpful folks who work there and a great presentation and artifacts. It's worth the price of admission just to go into the Basque boardinghouse next door. And then you can follow it up with a great meal just across the street! A real gem and pocket of history in downtown Boise.

Friendly folks. The Basque Museum and Cultural Center is an absolute delight! From the moment you walk in, you're embraced by a warm, authentic atmosphere that radiates the rich heritage of the Basque community. The exhibits are thoughtfully curated, offering insightful glimpses into Basque history, art, and traditions. What truly sets this museum apart are the dedicated staff and volunteers friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about sharing their culture. I was especially impressed by how well they made complex history both engaging and accessible.

I showed up eight minutes before they were closing. Several people were nice enough to ask me if I needed help while I was on the sidewalk contemplating even going inside. I didn’t want to be that person haha. They were very nice and allowed me to make a purchase that I would not have been able to before returning to South Carolina. Great people and great selection!

This is a wonderful museum that preserves the Basque heritage of the area. Very informative.

Very interesting part of Idaho (and American!) culture, then and now. Dedicated staff and impressive historical preservation!

Surprisingly the largest group of Basque people, outside of Spain are in Boise. The Basque Museum & Cultural Center is focused on Basque culture & history. It opened in 1985 and is the only Basque museum in the US. Inside the museum are artifacts, photographs & collections of manuscripts and tapes describing the Basque immigration to the American West. It is on the Basque Block between Capital Blvd & 6th St. close to spots to try some traditional Basque food. It's an example of conservation & documentation of a living ethnic neighborhood. It's comprised of 2 historic boardinghouses, the Basque Center, the Basque Museum & Cultural Center, Bar Gernika, Leku Ona, the Basque Market ... Unf, everything was closed today we went for lunch in the market.

Visited the Basque Museum & Cultural Center in March. We enjoyed learning about the Basque culture and history through the exhibits. The woman who we purchased tickets from was very nice and welcoming. She gave us a nice overview of the museum. It was not busy so we were able to discover the place at a leisurely pace. Admission to the Museum also gives you admission to the Cyrus Jacobs Uberuaga House next door. It was built in 1864 and housed families before becoming a boardinghouse. The tour guide in the house was great, very knowledgeable about the history of the house and the Basque culture. There is gift shop with various cultural items. Good museum experience.

The Basque Museum and Cultural Center is a very interesting and educational experience. I enjoyed learning more about the Basque culture and their history settling in Idaho. All of the staff are very knowledgeable about the culture and are very helpful in answering any questions and pointing you to further Basque resources. Gift shop is very nice, too.

This is a must stop when visiting Boise. The Museum is located on The Basque block near old downtown. Admission includes entrance to the historical boarding house next door to the museum. I would allow for two to three hours for your visit so that you can meander through the history displays in the cultural center and have time to listen to the docent next door relay additional history tidbits before you explore the boarding house. We spent about two hours altogether and really wished we had allotted at least another hour. Admission was relatively inexpensive compared to the overpriced admission fees to just about everything in California. You will leave this excursion with a wealth of knowledge about the Basque people, their history, culture, language and skill sets. You will also learn of their migration to Idaho, their struggles, and their contributions to their new country. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire Basque experience. The Basque Block is walking friendly and has lovely historical architecture. We did not get a chance to sample the cuisine offered by a few shops and restaurant, but that will be on our bucket list on our next visit to Boise.

Very interesting story about the Basque Culture. I loved the gift store as well. It's great to see and hear the history of a people that few know about.

Interesting history, unpretentious, and documented firsthand accounts from the Basque population in the Pacific Northwest. The curator and the gift shop was super helpful with recommending the Basque market for noon time paella on Friday, which was an amazing experience. Definitely would recommend a visit if in Boise.

Through the tireless efforts of many members of and contributors from the Basque communities in Idaho and the Western US, this is a very special place to BEGIN TO LEARN some elements of the worldwide Basque culture. The exhibits have been changed this past summer and the new direction is emphasizing the Idaho Basque experience using video storytelling and some modernized media. It includes many personal stories of community. The Basque Block events and historical preservation are continuing through the commitment of community volunteers from the memberships of the Basque Museum & Cultural Center and the Basque Center Basque Foundation (Euskaldunak). The hours of operation may not fit the desired times of a visitor to Boise so it is strongly advised to check their website at https://basquemuseum.eus/visit/ prior to planning your visit. If you are interested in seeing the museum, the 160 year old Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga Boarding House and maybe eating some Basque culinary delights, a one hour parking meter payment will not be sufficient. There are three nearby ParkBoi parking structures where the first hour is not charged and any other hours are fairly priced. If you have unruly children or your ability to walk & climb is impaired, you would be best served by connecting to the virtual tour. https://basquemuseum.eus/see/virtual-exhibits/virtual-tour/ The beautiful handball court in the 108 year old Anduiza Boarding House (now a commercial building) is not open to the general public but is reserved for Basque handball clubs to use. Using the virtual tour from the Basque Museum website, you can view an actual game being played. If you are curious about the possibility of having roots in the Basque culture, check out this video site https://youtu.be/ZTYmUW9J6TQ. In addition to the museum and the historical buildings maintained in the area there is Boiseko Ikastol - the only preschool teaching Euskara in the United States! It is open to Basque and non-Basque students, alike. Also, adult Euskara language classes are frequently organized at the Museum. Inside the museum is a very well-stocked gift shop that is very responsive to special orders. Apparel, home items, gifts, souvenirs, Basque txapala (cap), flags, bota bags, music and books are readily available. During a recent visit, the Museum rates are: Adults $5; Seniors (65+) $4; Student $4; Children (6-12) $3 with Children (5 & under) Free. In addition, there are active duty military discounts and current teacher discounts. Frequently, there are Free days in conjunction with the "first Thursday" program of the City of Boise. The paid admisssion is good for entrance to the Uberuaga Boarding House, but between Sept to June it is only open on Saturdays with limited hours. Again, it is best to check the website before going. It is truly sad to read reviews from Yelpers who expend their sick attitudes demeaning the efforts of the volunteers of this valuable community and cultural resource. One review comes from a person who has no other reviews or friends. Experienced Yelpers know this vindictive type. Another sick review comes from a person who disclosed in multiple other 1-star reviews that she is being treated for a serious psychiatric condition in her home state of CA. Perhaps these sour people who come to the Museum expecting to be given a free, individual, tailored tutorial on all-there-is-to-know about the Basque history & culture compacted into the 30 minutes before their parking meter runs out will find happiness in some other aspect of their life. Doubtful, but forever optimistic.

Museum was very interesting. I learned a lot about the history of the Basque people in Idaho...I had no idea. It took about an hour to go thru museum...unfortunately the boarding house was closed when I visited. Lots of connection between Hemingway and the Basque culture.

Great place to visit. We went there in a holiday and we had the place all to ourselves. We expected it to be crowded, but enjoyed the small crowd. Stall was extremely helpful and courteous. .

Though the museum portion was temporarily closed for an exhibit change, Bethany and her family welcomed me into the gift shop and house next door. Bethany took the time to explain the life history of the Basque family that built, resided, then boarded other Basques in the home at the cultural center and answered every question I had. I knew nothing of Basque people until I came to Boise and now I walk away with a much better understanding. The giftshop had her son and husband working there and they were very kind as well. Thank you for this!

So cool that the city of Boise has a Basque Museum and Cultural Center, honoring its Basque community and history. The Basque Block in downtown Boise signifies the large immigrant population from the Basque region, and its impact on the community. To learn more, my friend and I visited the Basque Museum and Cultural Center for a history lesson. We came on a Saturday afternoon, where we learned there would be a guided tour 20 minutes after we arrived. Until then we walked around the museum and read the information at the different exhibits. The museum and cultural center isn't very large, but offers a good overview of the Basque community in Boise, having the largest Basque population in the U.S. The exhibits were easy to read and a part of it was kid-friendly and interactive, having them learn about sheepherding, a profession that many Basque people participated in. Much of the museum also featured biographies of Basque women who settled in the area. Once the tour started the employee who was our guide took us to the house next door to the museum where the sheepherders would stay during the winter. When we walked outside in front of the house there was another tour group not affiliated with the museum. Our guide stopped right by the other group and didn't say a word. Many of us in the group looked at each other, confused whether or not we were supposed to listen to this other tour guide because this was a separate group from ours. The other group kept looking at us, wondering why we were listening in. When the other tour guide was done and their group started walking off, our tour guide said that he wanted us to listen in, so that he didn't have to repeat the same story. Well, many of us weren't listening because we were confused whether or not this was part of the tour or not. So, that was kind of weird. Then when he let us in the house he didn't say much about it, only told us to look around and read about the different items in the house. You had to ask questions if you wanted to learn more about the boarding house. The tour wasn't so much a guided one, but a self-guided one. Overall, I love that Boise has a museum and cultural center, celebrating its Basque population. It's great for locals and visitors to learn about the Basque community, getting a better sense of Boise's history. I'd recommend to check out the museum, but do not expect a detailed, guided tour. Do your own research for what you wish to learn here.

My goal was the Basque Market. I was walking around and went in because I was curious and they were open. They want $7 to tour but I'm not sure what there was to see. I went into the gift shop. I bought a US/Basque flag pin for my hat because I knew I was going to buy things at the market and wanted to support the museum. Got it home. Unwrapped. Big tag says MADE IN CHINA. . I obviously can't review the museum adequately but they should have original art/chatzkees from Spain, not knock offs from China.

The Basque Block of Boise focuses on one of the European groups of immigrants. The museum presents and overview of the why and how of the immigration. With a tour through the guest house, you get a picture of how the assimilation into the local area was accomplished and what life of an immigrant was like. There are is also a hall of pictures presenting individual stories that come all the up to the present day. I had not thought of how immigrants moved to areas where a relative had gone before them and that let to the cultural pockets found throughout the country.

Cute and quaint museum. I would suggest they have some information strictly on the language as it is so unique. If you go, make sure to visit the boarding house next door which is included with your ticket.

I found out recently that my family is from a basque background. Naturally, I was ecstatic to hear that there was a museum dedicated to the basque people. However, after reading through introductory basque "history" in this museum - the only knowledge I could gather the basque's common pursuit of shepherding after immigrating to the U.S. In fact, this information was exhaustedly repeated in the text over four times. It seems that the curator of this exhibit hadn't put the slightest effort into research.There is no information on the basque language and how it is unique to any other language in the world. There is no information on the culture of the basque besides their occupation of shepherding. To top it all off - while trying with my best effort to scour through the frivolous introductory paragraphs in search of some hidden gem of useful information, I was combatted vigorously by the staff of the museum speaking at an obnoxiously absurd volume to one another about their employment status amongst a very small room full of patrons. I was very disappointed to find that the majority of the exhibit is of a single artist of basque heritage with paintings of his relatives and friends from the boarding house. I wish it were more clear that this was mostly a personal art exhibit. The rest of the room is a display of old sheep shears, a few rusty cans on a wire that were used to frighten sheep, a sample of sheep wool to feel, and buttons on an old soundboard you can press to hear "sounds that basque people probably heard often" such as a thunderstorm, the wind blowing, and sheep baa-ing. It seems like the people who built this exhibit have no significant connection to the culture of the basque other than superficialities and a few memorabilia. This was truly a waste of time.

This is a well thought out museum. I enjoyed my tour of their exhibits. Didn't read all the profiles, but the ones I did read were well written giving me an insight about some of the founders and early residents of Boise and the surrounding areas. One image I carry to this day is the shepherd's wagon. The wagon showcased what a Basque shepherd carried with him into the fields a he watched a flock for months. It was enlightening and depicted what a rough life each shepherd lived and worked. Definitely well done and informative way to showcase some lives of the Basque of the 19th century.

Small but sweet Museum to give you local stories and history of the immigrant population that makes Boise unique. If you want to learn about the Basque locals and see now they have thrived, it's a nice stop for an hour or so.

I really looked forward to going here the first time but it was marred by a creepy jerk that works there In the gift area! I walked I. With my daughter. I reached for and picked out a brochure. Then I felt some man grab my shoulder-that I didn't know- then he said, "you got the wrong brochure- you got the Spanish one the English one is there. " I said no I got the one I wanted. The creep walked all the way across the front. To grab my shoulder?! Then he's watching what language of brochure I picked out?! Then he saw that I was upset and he sniped , " I didn't know you were Spanish! Why would that stranger know? Why does he care? Was he taking a tally? Was he going to preclude me from there? Not there 5 minutes and I was grabbed by a stranger, demeaned for my Ethnicity, what a terrible experience. Even hours later I'm still upset, furious. What gives a man I don't know the right to touch me, try to attack my Ethnicity? None, no one should grab a stranger or not make a remark I can hear about my language! I won't go back here. Be careful you don't want grabbed or groped!

I was only vaguely aware of the Basque people and their history until enjoying every corner of this loving and respectful museum. The historical block on which it is located is equally fascinating, and one of the most interesting in Boise. A treasure!

This museum is an important part of the story of the Basques and how they contributed to the development of the Western States over the last 120 or so years. Delightful people are there to greet you. The displays are chocked full of historical information and all of the material is very educational. This museum is a tribute to the hard-working community of Basques who are justifiably proud of their heritage.

This is a great little museum. They have a well developed timeline that really tells you everything about Basques in Idaho. I thought the whole thing was fascinating and well thought out and laid out. I would've loved some more context with the wagon as I thought that was one of the best objects on display. The front desk staff was really friendly as well. Entrance fee is reasonable and it is a great way to spend a hour or two!

The only problem we had was the staff. all 9 of us agreed the staff wasn't doing there job. We walked in the museum to see how much it cost and the lady there told use to give her our money before we go through. She said it in a way that sounded not so nice. she could've had good intentions but she had the wrong tone. She didn't really give us lots of information about the basque culture. she made it sound like we should know about it already. After we went to the museum we went into the house. the second we walked in the man walked fastly over to us and asked for our tickets. that's was okay but he came off strong. he started to gather us and told us he had to give us the rules. he told us not to sit or touch anything. you could tell he was watching us closely and followed us in every room we went in even though there were other guest. it could of been because of the 10 year old we had. He followed us and didn't even give us information on that artifact. I would think that since he was following us he would give us a run down on it, but no. overall the place was okay but the staff needs to be more efficient and helpful

The Basque Museum was so interesting and informative about their history. I highly recommend going there.

$5 for a one- to two-hour museum. It's a small space, but is impressively packed with lots of info, both human interest stuff (e.g., Basque athletes, dancing) and linguistic history and the unfortunate socio-economic background for the Basque dispersion from their homeland.