Old Idaho Penitentiary Site

Luckily, I found a podcast a few months ago with stories of inmates from this Penitentiary. After binging episodes, I knew I needed to visit. I drove with my family from Utah to make an entire to out of Boise, a place I'd never been before. Secretly, I just wanted to visit this site. Having visited both Alcatraz and Eastern Penitentiary before, this place is more personal. It has a certain atmosphere of reverence while maintaining the history. I'm sure my family was overwhelmed by the stories I told (thanks to the podcast). The smaller size certainly helped you feel the family each inmate felt from other inmates. Stories of inmates were posted everywhere as a reminder of the souls who filled the walls, not just a place of lock up and punishments. My only regret is not paying for the tour. I wanted to do it at my own pace, yet I'm sure they would have accommodated or I could walk through alone again. I encourage everyone to make the pilgrimage to this place. Who knows how long before it crumbles away.

Had an amazing time here. I loved seeing all the different buildings and learning about the prisoners. The staff were quite friendly it also wasn't busy which was nice and the place is well kept. It's definitely an amazing time.

Lots of history here… from the first to last execution, good eaten, life and “funny” characters of prisoners. As usual I looked and demographics vs charges. It’s an American story, story of us. Loved it all. Mine was Self guided.

The buildings outside the penitentiary were restored and converted into offices and other uses. Inside the penitentiary, you are able to go into most of the buildings. The buildings that contain the cell blocks are still standing and you are able to peek into the cells. They also have interesting stories of inmates who were incarcerated there. If you are into guns, there is a very nice gun museum onsite.

Great visit, really wanted to see it after my dad visited a couple months ago. Fascinating, albeit very sad history of this area. We wandered around the buildings and did the cells last, and I recommend doing it that way. Most of the buildings on the left are either closed off to the public or damaged/ collapsed during the last riot. BUT the laundry room is still intact, the building in the back corner contains a weapons exhibit that is very interesting (dating back hundreds of years) and very well done, and the cell blocks are the most interesting part of the whole thing. You can walk around some of them, and you can enter a cell or 2 and see how people lived. Don't forget to go into the barber shop building as there is a whole timeline around the walls. Also, the women's ward is on the outside of the penitentiary walls and is free to enter. It's small but a lot of history and interesting to see.

We took a tour with mariah and I learned so much. She’s an incredible storyteller with a lot of passion and curiosity. If I walked around without the tour I would not have had the same experience. Highly recommend

Very interesting and informative historical site. In a beautiful location East of Boise. Staff were incredibly kind and knowledgeable! My favorite part was learning of Dennis the cat and his adorable legacy. The gallows were absolutely fascinating and briefly give you a glimpse into how Idahos incarceration and execution procedures operated historically. I wish we would have had time to ask questions and take a tour, so we will be back. You just have to go and “feel” the energy for yourself.

While visiting my niece in Boise this is the ONE place I really wanted to visit. We went on one of the guided tours, and our guide Leslie was so full of knowledge and lore of the prison. She was fantastic! She had terrific stories and insight. I highly recommend paying the extra $2.00 for the guided tour (and ask for Leslie!) because you get to visit a couple places that are off limits to regular guests. The admission price is very reasonable, even with the added price for the guided tour. Plan to spend at least two hours there, and dress warmly in the winter. There is a lot of walking outside (wear good shoes) and the buildings are not heated, with the exception of the Weapons Exhibit. I would love to go back because there were a few things I missed, like the headstone of Dennis, the prison cat. The Botanical Gardens were also closed, which is where the cemetery is, so we were not able to see the grave of Raymond Snowden. (Notorious prisoner, and last one to be executed there.) Don’t miss this place! It is on the National Registry of Historic Places for good reason! Update: I returned to the Penitentiary on Easter to see some of the things I missed. It was nice being there on such a nice, warm day. Once again it was a great experience with a friendly staff and the ability to see new artifacts and places.

This place is hands down worth the $8 entry fee. I extremely enjoyed our self guided tour around the prison reading up on the fascinating details of the past men, women and children inmates. Walking around the prison and cell blocks takes you back in time on what it would be like to be an inmate back in those times.

It was a great place to visit. I had a guided tour and learned unique details about inmates and staff. I also learned about the buildings, who built the buildings and saw the difference between the holding cells throughout the years. It was worth the visit.

We did the 12:30 tour with Abby today and it was amazing! The grounds are absolutely stunning and packed full of history! Abby was phenomenal and her excitement about the history flowed out into the tour she gave us, 10/10 recommend!

Very nicely preserved historic location. Worth taking a look. We spent about 2 hours walking and exploring. They do offer tours so call ahead to get times on those. They do have bathrooms and water fill up stations. Take comfortable clothing and shoes for walking.

This is a good place to visit and get perspective on history - then and now. We probably spent two hours. Come with comfortable shoes and clothing. We would do this again if we had the chance. I heard they do night tours but is not year round.

My granddaughter and I attended an event at the gem and mining museum and afterwards we decided to take a guided tour of the Old Idaho Penitentiary. We were very fortunate to have Leslie as our guide. She is very knowledgeable and answered all the questions posed to her. This is a very interesting site rich in history and the information is plentiful. Wear comfortable clothes and comfortable shoes as it is a walking tour. The weather was warm so sunscreen and a hat is recommended. The grounds have some very beautiful flowers. The weapons museum is phenomenal with many types of historical pieces. I plan on bringing others back as it was such an interesting day.

Being somewhat of a prison nerd, this was my second tour at the Old Idaho Penitentiary. This tour was more important than the usual tours offered by the Historical Society, because it offered a glimpse of the prison's cemetery, which is only open to public tours for one week each year. Our guide Samuel entertained us as he acted out yard stabbings, shared stories about the prison's most infamous convicts, and allowed us to enter the gallows room. He led us from the basketball court, through a cell block, past the foundation of the infirmary, and outside Two Gate. We walked about a quarter mile from the penitentiary's 17-foot stone walls to a small, wire-fenced cemetery. Of the 129 recorded deaths over its 101-year history, at least 55 people were buried here, including six of the ten people executed. You may wonder how a prison ends up with a cemetery - some families cannot afford to claim their loved one's body, and other families turn their backs in death as they may have in life. In 2019, the Boise State Geophysics Club used ground-penetrating radar, magnetometers, and GPS to help locate the graves. More than half of the cemetery has Unknown markers; two markers have been installed by the US Army for veterans. One heart-shaped marker was made by fellow convicts for another who was so beloved. It snowed off and on as we made our way around the prison. Unfortunately, we had to leave the tour early to make our flight home and just missed hearing the tale of Dennis the Cat. Fortunately, his legacy will be there for next time.

Eric is our energetic guide, super informative. He is an animated and fun guide. Dining hall has shattered since 1973. Walking tour, it's an hour long. Walking through cell house 2, 3 and 4. 4 house is only 2 stories high for inmates to have a short fall. 2 house has one single radiator for the whole cell house. 3 house has 4 radiators. The honey pot is kept in the ventilation so the inmates would not knock it over at all, made for a smelly ambiance for the whole cell house. Lots of free labor from this prison. Made shoes, leather goods, road work and construction as well as furniture The penitentiary closed in 1973. They allowed guided tours even while the penitentiary was still running and even a gift shop. Siberia is an 8x3 cell. Egad. Anyone would go mad in there.

I believe our guide was Leslie. She was amazing. Very knowledgeable and was able to answer a wide variety of questions. I was also impressed with the way she modified information so that the younger members on the tour were comfortable yet the aged members were able to comprehend. I really appreciated that she took extra time with those who chose to learn more about Dennis. Such a heart warming story amidst all of the sorrow the old penitentiary holds.

I was visiting the area and decided to stop by. First it's easy to get to. The cost is very affordable it was under $15 for two adults and a child under 5. You can either take a guided tour or you can just walk around yourself. This place is very cool and interesting. It was very educational. I love how accessible everything was and how you can get an idea of how conditions really were. If you visit Boise this is a must stop. Definitely worth the visit.

We went to the botanical gardens and they had a deal where you could get admission to both so we went for it! This was really interesting. I liked reading about the inmates and being able to view this piece of history. My husband was interested in the museum of weapons, we were blown away by how crazy some of them looked! Glad we were able to check this place out.

If you look up the best things to do in Boise the Old Idaho Penitentiary will pop up on most lists, sometimes at the very top of the list. How often do you get to see an old defunct prison? The admission prices are as followed (as of August 2021): - $6 (adults 13+) - $4 (seniors 60+) - $3 (children 6-12 years) - free (members) This site housed prisoners and operated from 1872 until riots over living occasions caused the eventual shutdown in 1973. When you enter the courtyard you will feel like you've been transported back 40-50 years. The place is desolate, quiet, and just gray and tan all over. You know the saying "feels like a prison"? Now I know how that actually feels and looks like. As you walk around you'll come across different buildings that served different purposes when the prison was up and running including the dining hall, the commissary, the hospital, the barber, the laundry room, and of course the jail cells. There was only originally one building that housed prisoners but as the first building would get overcrowded with inmates they would build the next one and then repeat a couple more times. There ended up being a total of four buildings containing jail cells. And as you would expect, the prisoners were the ones who built these new buildings saving tons of money on labor costs. One of the more fascinating rooms in the entire prison was the one called the "trusty dorm" which contained lots of information on inmates stories, regional/global representation of people from all over the country and the world who spent time at the prison, and the crimes that they committed. Near this building is the rose garden, which while it sounds nice it was the location of several executions by hanging or firing squad. During the day there will be presentations in the back of the prison talking about the history and some of the interesting points that may not show up during the self-guided tours. It was only 30 minutes and I highly recommend listening in to these presentations. One thing that stood out to me was that people who ended up in "the dungeon" (aka solitary confinement) did not have toilets in their cells but instead there was just a hole in the ground with the entire prison's sewer system passing through. The presentation also highlighted some infamous inmates, such as Lyda Southard and Ray Snowden. Southard went on a murdering spree killing four of her husbands and multiple other family members for the insurance money. Snowden, known as Idaho's Jack the Ripper, murdered a woman leaving a bar and stabbed her about 30 times and was hanged in one of the prison buildings (5 house to be exact). There's so much more information and stories that I read about during my tour here and although I could type them all out I HIGHLY recommend you to just take the time and explore this place yourself. For the admission price the fascination levels are off the charts. You will find tons of things that range from interesting, shocking, to disgusting that speak to all your senses. From ghost stories to attempted escapes to even the weapons exhibit there's just so much to see!

We had the best visit to the penitentiary yesterday. Took a guided tour with Leslie. She is amazing and very informative and obviously loves her job. We enjoyed hearing the stories from the past. Thanks again! Highly recommend

One of my favorite places to go to when I'm in the area. I love it when they do their paranormal investigations with big river paranormal

In 1872, the Old Idaho Penitentiary opened. This prison eventually closed in December 1973 after 2 very destructive prison riots. The prison was built from mostly sandstone from a nearby quarry, by use of prisoner labor. This prison first started as a single cell but eventually grew to several buildings. There were several riots that occurs during the time the prison was operating, mostly due to unfair living conditions for the prisoners and lack of rights for them. During the time of operation, there have been numerous of famous inmates that were housed here. Raymond Allen Snowden was the last one to be executed by hanging in the 1950s. He killed a women, stabbing her 29 times (he was rather drunk when this happened). When it was time for his hanging, the drop broke and failed to break his neck so he suffered more than 15 minutes until he died. In addition to having male prisoners, there was also a women's ward for female inmates, which was from 1906- 1968. Most of the women who were here were convicted of petty crimes (forgery, insufficient funds, etc). But there were women who were also convicted for abortions, prostitution, adultery and even arson. Lyda Southard was convicted here and was known to be one of the very first female serial killers. It was believed that she had killed her husbands and family members in order to collect life insurance. She poised them by placing arsenic in a homemade apple pie (I guess pie can be the enemy). My husband and I came here on a Sunday afternoon and ended up spending about 3 hours here, reading everything and taking our time to visit all the different buildings and cells. In addition to learning about the inmates, you also get to learn about the different wardens that worked here and also some of the pets that lived here. There is actually a grave marker for Dennis the Cat that you can visit. It is actually kind of funny that coincidentally on the day of our visit, it was the anniversary of Dennis the Cat's passing, in which there was a party for him with cake and a presentation. Between 1952 and 1968, this cat lived at the penitentiary (he was smuggled in by an inmate). Many of the inmates really loved him and buried him near the main yard when he passed away. There is plenty to see and lots to read and learn. Amazingly admission is only $6 (for adults and $3 for children), which is very cheap. There is also free parking but parts of the parking lot can be limited since it shares the same parking as Table Rock. Definitely worth a visit if you are visiting Boise or if you live in Boise but have never been.

Attended the Cemetery tour (March 17, 1pm) and Leslie was a fabulous tour guide! Answered all of our questions and told many great stories about the former residents of the Old Penitentiary. Highly recommend it.

This was so much fun! They have self guided or tour guides. It was a great price. There are multiple buildings and signs where you can learn all about the old prison. You learn about riots, solitary, death row, and even specific inmates that were there and what crimes they committed. They have a section where they have bios of people attached to the cell they were placed in. Some areas gave me the chills and were spooky. I have no complaints though bang for buck is amazing here. I highly recommend visiting while in Boise, we spent roughly 2.5 hours and we could have stayed longer.

Abby did an absolutely SPECTACULAR job on the 2:00 cemetery tour today! We learned a lot from her, and the way she told the stories of the inmates was both entertaining and respectful.

We had to practically drag our teens to join us on the self tour, since the thought of visiting a historical site on a stifling hot afternoon didn't sound appealing - but once we got started, the combination of creepiness and interesting info was enough to keep us there for more than an hour, with the kids leading the way and taking time to actually read all the placards. The air conditioning definitely helped.

Plan to spend about an hour here. Self guided tour and some aspects of it can be kinda creepy. Very informative and educational. Musuem/tour is indoor/outdoor and most buildings are not heated nor air conditioned. Beautiful scenery surrounds you as well.

My husband and I love history and this place was creepy and fun!! Next time we are gonna do the paranormal investigation..

Well worth a visit but be sure to pay $2 more per person to go on a guided tour. The facts of the prison are embellished with real stories about things that happened to inmates that stayed there. It was a bit intense at times and I recommend that you take caution if you have kids with you. The stories were graphic and actually going into the execution chamber could be a bit much for some. I had to plug my 10 year old kiddo's ears at times. A sensitive adult might also be bothered by some of it but most of our group really enjoyed the tour and I highly recommend it. Also to note the gift shop has a bunch of fun things to buy and a lot of it is not prison themed. Just really cute stuff.

A nice walk back into time and interesting to read peoples crimes. It was a real nice experience to walk into death row and actually see the death room where some inmates were hung.

We decided to stay an extra day in Boise, so we could do some ghost hunting at the penitentiary. We heard that it was fun to explore and that in "little Siberia" you were likely to encounter paranormal activity. So with our KII meter in tow, masks, and our excitement we began to explore! In fact, we did get some readings and overall the experience was fun to do as a family. (Nothing overly scary folks but you can sense the energy change when you enter the solitary confinement portion of the prison.

Creepy and fun. Lots of history and truly eerie when you go inside the cells. Must see if you come to idaho

Very interesting place to visit. This was my fourth time here since moving to Boise many years ago. Each time I learn something new because the tour guides prepare their own lectures and don't follow a prescribed script. They do tours a couple times a day, maybe more. I called ahead to make sure. It is a very fascinating place for adults and kids to visit!

This place was amazing and we did a guided tour with Eric. He was so full of knowledge & stories! I would recommend the guided tour with him 100%! We were visiting from AZ and stumbled upon this place. We had such a great time learning and seeing everything.

Had a wonderful time at the Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise. Leslie was exceptionally welcoming, engaging, informative and interesting. Highly recommend taking more time than you think you'll want ... it's far more interesting than at first thought.

Very cool! Would suggest guided tour do to the fact you probably get to see a little more!

Great place! Not from Idaho and decided to take the tour. Our tour guide Leslie was amazing. Full of knowledge and interesting stories. Oddly enough, one of her stories tied back to my hometown in WA! Love the spooky!

What a cool place to visit in Boise! Well, cool and kind of scary, depending on how superstitious you are! My friend and I saw that there was a night tour of the Old Idaho Penitentiary, one of the most haunted places in Idaho, so of course we thought we were tough shit. We came here a few hours before the start of the night tour, to check out what the penitentiary looks like during the day. I recommend doing so, as you get to see some buildings that aren't on the night tour, like the women's ward and where the guards and minister lived, right outside of the main building. For night tour tickets you do not need to get them online or ahead of time, but at the door is fine, and you're charged the same price, which is nice. You check in at the main administrative building and another employee gives the night tour. For our group on a Friday evening for the 6PM night tour, we had about 20 or so people, so it was a large group. The tour takes about an hour and half. The tour gives you a background of the penitentiary, history, famous prisoners and reference to how times have modernized within the criminal justice system. Our guide was very friendly, and showed us many buildings on site, including maximum security, gallows, solitary confinement, etc... It definitely felt scary, especially since it was so dark. Some of the buildings we went in did not have lights, so it was advised to use the flashlights off our phones. Be prepared. The tour was also flexible where you can walk on your own to other buildings if they're open; the staff was accommodating. I enjoyed visiting the Old Idaho Penitentiary and learning more about Idaho's history and such. It's definitely a cool site to visit if you like that kind of thing, no matter if you believe in ghosts. But I will say that someone on our tour group did record a video at one of the buildings and there was an orb. So with that said, take what you will and have fun.

Such a sad old penitentiary. Pictures of inmates some as young as 11... he was a horse thief! This place is something to see especially if you have an imagination...... Some building are crumbling, but still lots to see. Built in the late 1800 and closed in 1973. Warden and priest had a real nice home there on the property.

If you're a tourist coming to visit Idaho I definitely recommend coming here. It's only $6 and there is so much to explore. Currently it's a self guided tour (which I personally enjoy more than a structured tour). You are able to roam the premises freely and take the time needed to go through each exhibit. There is a lot to see and read. Such an interesting piece of Idaho history! Definitely visit here.

Loved it! You can go almost everywhere by yourself and read the plaques but highly recommend paying for the tour, you can go a couple more places and get so much history. We had Leslie and she was fantastic! The names and dates she was able to incorporate into the stories she was telling were incredible. And she was able to answer every question, super knowledgeable!

Honestly for the horrors that probably and likely happened here it's managed to be a peaceful and beautiful museum where we are able to experience history. The roses that were perfectly placed throughout the outside/inside penitentiary smell just as great as they look. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Everything was easy to find and we spent about two hours briefly checking everything. Meaning you could probably and more thoroughly spend another hour or two here. This place packs a lot of history! Get ready to take it all in, and if you come early enough check out the botanical gardens next door! Worth the visit!

It was cool to see all the anichet artifacts and all the prison cell definitely recommend to go there if you're in Idaho

It was a great and informative activity to do while in Boise. Definitely recommend doing a guided tour as they give you the best inside stories about the penitentiary. You can always spend more time browsing around and learning more about it, before or after your tour.

I love this place. It not only is a great place to learn about some Idaho history but the events are fun to attend too (art events, music events, festivals!) Every time I visit, I learn something new. (Make sure to ask about Dennis.) If you haven't done so yet, make sure to take the tours, while it last over an hour, it is worth it to hear some of the crazy stories and crazy history. The tour guides are extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Facilities are extremely well kept. I love all the roses! Make sure you have a few hours to embark on a journey back in time. Read about the inmates, the buildings, and the history. As you can imagine, accessibility is a bit difficult here. Uneven sidewalks, stairs, and gravel paths. However, there are many buildings that are accessible to enter the main floor to be able to see the several floors of cells. Not all buildings give you access to the second floor but there are a few. Go enjoy! Learn about Idaho.

As a local attraction offering a bit of history, how can this be a bad thing. We had been there before on other occasions but decided to visit during the winter months. Okay, so I had a day off due to the holidays and wanted something to do. And gaining some history while you are at it, great. Not that a jail would be a typical place for a family outing, but when you see the offenses for some of these inmates, crazy. The size is small and takes about an hour and a half to go through the site. You can also visit the gift shop which has a small area off to the side showing a video. Not sure if it changes but when I visited it was on peoples experience there or memories. You can gain a small sense of what they endured through the winter months especially in the ice house. But, that being said, it was a prison. There is also a small military history museum on site as well that is worth the trip. During the summer you have a nice trail nearby as well that offers some great views.

Definitely my favorite place we visited during our trip to Idaho. We were only there for a day but this was on my list to visit. Great parking and great location. Staff was friendly and practice great Covid protocol. Lots to read and give you the vibe even if self guided tours were the only option.

History and the life of past prisoners is showcased well here. For $6 a ticket (1/2020) you can go on a self guided tour of the expansive grounds. There is a geology museum and war Museum also that are free to explore. They have a hIking trail that is pretty popular out back for added experience. So glad we stumbled upon this location, it's supposedly haunted and the Ghost adventures crew has visited, but don't let that stop you from coming, just seeing how extremely poor living conditions the old prisons had will make you glad to be alive in a more civilized era.

On this whirlwind trip up to Boise for the eclipse, we were lucky enough to find one of the few big attractions open on Sunday. Looking online, this seemed like an interesting spot, and so we loaded up in the truck and headed on over. Pulling up in front, the building looks very out of place. The rest of the town has sort of crept up on it over time, so now you find yourself suddenly exiting a neighborhood and finding this almost medieval-looking stone fortress rising up in front of you. Even more intrigued, we bought our tickets and headed inside. I've bene to Alcatraz before as a kid, but this seemed like a whole other sort of experience. Sure, far smaller crowds and whatnot, but also that this place was steeped in the lore of the western times and of the early 20th century. And, admittedly, a few quotes from prison movies were tossed around between us, too. Walking in, you are surprised to see the landscaped gardens alongside many of the prison buildings. Interesting to find out these were originally put in by inmates here, and maintained by the museum. The various buildings within the prison walls were built at various times, are in various states of preservation or decay, and served various purposes throughout their history. Several of the cell blocks are kept in a state where you can really feel what it was like for some of the inmates. And it seems odd to point this out, but the experience of walking death row and seeing the room used for executions was both interesting and, for some people, a bit disturbing. The building known as "Siberia", used for solitary confinement, really hits home just how harsh prison life could be. A couple of the buildings have been retrofitted as exhibit halls. Case in point, on the far side of the courtyard, you will find a display of weapons and firearms from prehistoric times up until the present. Seeing some of these antique and ancient swords alongside rare rifles was certainly a fascinating part of our experience. Outside the main wall are other historic buildings that were part of the prison complex. The separate women's prison block is an interesting sight, as are the preserved houses for the prison wardens and the local bishops. One building I especially enjoyed now houses the separate Idaho Museum of Mining & Geology. As far as geology museums go, this is a very small one, but the exhibits are fascinating nonetheless. Tours start at regular intervals, and the information presented delves much more into details and lesser known facts that you wouldn't get by just reading the displays. Parking is just around the corner and is very accessible. As an added bonus, there are two other prominent Boise attractions right next door to the old penitentiary, namely the Idaho Botanical Gardens, and the Idaho History Center and State Archives. Sadly, we were unable to visit either during this trip, but no doubt all of these sights together could easily take up most of a day to visit. Certainly can understand why the Old Penitentiary is often listed as one of the must-see attractions in Boise. I ended up enjoying it much more than I thought I would, and would advise any history lovers to give it a look.

After reading the background on the former penitentiary, and being someone who enjoys history, I really wanted to visit this place for a tour of this facility which was in service for 101 years. The guide (I wish I could remembered his name, he was a local teacher) for our tour was excellent, extremely knowledgeable, well versed, and had the perfect personality to conduct a tour. The place gave me a slightly uneasy eerie feeling as our guide wove the story of this place, the inmates, guards and wardens who served here over the years. Detailed stories about a resident cat, executions, riots, fires, and a couple of unscrupulous wardens over the years added to the intrigue. When this prison closed in 1973 there were still several cells without a toilet, many prisoners were still using a bucket as a bathroom when it closed. In summary I'm really glad we took this tour, as it did not disappoint. I found it extremely interesting, and well worth a stop. Additionally at certain times of the year they offer overnight tours which would add to the experience, I hope to try it some time in the future.

So, I've lived in Boise for about 13 years and I've been all over the area near the Old Pen, but I've never been brave enough to step foot in the place....until it was on the agenda for a day with Leadership Boise. So, I decided safety in numbers and tried it out. Here's what I learned... This place is really cool and kinda spooky with a ton of history about Boise, the early days of criminal justice and prison life. You can tour a ton of places inside, there are a bunch of buildings with information everywhere about daily life in the Pen, stories of the people who were there, and displays to enhance your experience. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Admission is really reasonable. It's a great historical treasure that's well preserved and adds a cultural aspect to this area. Not for the faint of heart, if you're a little bit of a scaredy-cat like me, it's still a fun place to visit...just maybe not on Halloween:) Seriously though, check it out, you won't be disappointed.

This stop was well worth it! First off, be sure to ask about AAA discount ($1 off each person - regular admission is $6 for adults) which adds up if you have a big family We absolutely loved this place. We didn't participate in a guided tour as we opted to move at our own pace. So much history and so many interesting stories to read about. It's amazing to see how things were back in the day. I feel like there is more to say but instead, you need to see it in person. I would definitely stop by the women's ward and read up on some of the crimes committed by women. They show pictures and provide summaries of what their crime was. The same in the men's cells; including death row. Very interesting.

I've heard about this place before and really wanted to check it out. We went for an art show where local artists painted/drew about the prisoners here. They had drinks and food trucks in the court yard which was super fun. You can walk around in each building, including the execution area. The energy up there feels super heavy and dark so beware! The laundry room as well as solitary confinement cells are also open for viewing. Come learn about Idaho history! Oh! You can also play dress up in prisoner gear if that's your thing.

On a visit from California, we visited the Old Idaho Penitentiary. They have done a great job of maintaining this landmark. Our tour guide Monica was very knowledgeable and had a very pleasant voice. If you are in Boise check it out!

A hundred years ago, it started off as a jail for males only, then had to make an adjustment as a final count of 222 debauched women eventually came into the picture. A complex of buildings made of architectually interesting carvings and grey sandstone walls are reminders of the stark difference in jail life of the 1800 and 1900's to today's quarters. Not that I would know....thankfully. You can take a guided tour, or simply walk the grounds at your own pace, reading the signs along the way. The best place to start is with the short historical video that runs about every 20 minutes in the main building. The main entry has a few rooms staged to see what prison life was like from both viewpoints (prisoner and enforcer), and a roomful of artifacts in large glass cases. The air feels thick as you pass through many areas. Imagine the associations to crime and violence and inhumane, the depressing punishments given (sometimes too harsh for the crime committed). There is still the evidence of the raging flames that licked the cafeteria and kitchen building as a result of the riot of 1973 that ultimately decided the fate of this spector of a facility. That entire grey stone building is now nothing more than a roofless, hollow shell with a visible depressing underground network of tiny rooms below the main floor that were used for food prep, storage, and who knows what. One old, still intact building is devoted solely to the history of tattoos and their significance to prison life. Large photos of notable inmates and their stories are posted on the walls. Quite fascinating. Another building is set aside for a vast gun collection, old military weaponry and displays to depict life in the trenches of WWI. The trap doors covering holes in the ground and narrow dark cells used as tortuous solitary confinement chambers can be seen as you wander the grounds. Some buildings that were open for viewing include the creepy, multi-leveled cell blocks for the masses, with rusty doors and peeling institutional paint. I cannot imagine enduring the extreme weather conditions and lack of significant protection. The pathways are frequently cracked, uneven, and difficult to maneuver for those with physical disabilities, yet in contrast, some of the grounds have been cheerfully landscaped with green grass and flowers, a juxtaposition of the underlying morose tone. Playing with your imagination, it is haunted in my opinion. It took a hundred years until it finally closed its doors to this chapter in Idaho history. Interesting place to visit. But I sure wouldn't want to live there.

Very neat to see how the system worked. I liked that there were placards outside of some cells that indicated the reason for their improsonment. It was neat to be able to go see the cells and get a feel for some of the conditions the inmates lived in. I liked the section on the women who were imprisoned as there were so few of them. There are many places to be able to take great pictures; my favorite was where all the makeshift weapons that were confiscated and displayed. Its a neat place to visit on an afternoon. Maybe not as interesting for small children. Oh, also there is an area with different weapons and an exhibit on some of the wars the Americans have fought in. It is separate from the penintentiary but included in the admission price and worth checking out.