Guide to Idaho City Museums

Visiting a museum is perhaps one of the most underrated things to do in Idaho City. Our town has a tumultuous history, being a gold rush boom town, and we have several museums in town that will teach you about various periods in Idaho City history.

We’ve listed some information about the Idaho City museums that you need to visit the next time you’re in town. 

Boise Basin Museum

• Address: 503 Montgomery St, Idaho City, ID
• Hours: (Memorial Day to Labor Day) Daily, 11 AM to 4 PM
• Distance from us: ~0.5 mile

The Boise Basin Museum is the premier Idaho City museum. It was originally a post office, built only 29 days after the previous office was destroyed in 1867 by the second great fire in our town’s history.

Over its lifetime, the building has been used as a store, a meat market, the home for the Idaho World Newspaper, and more. Now, the museum serves to shed light on life in the mid-nineteenth century, and how Idaho City came to be.

Visitors to the museum can enjoy:

• Historical photos of Idaho City pioneers and life within the town
• Artifacts from the gold rush, including clothing, mining equipment, and more
• A working replica of a mining operation
• Various displays focusing on aspects of culture and day-to-day life
• And more!

If you can only visit one museum during your stay, you should stop by the Boise Basin Museum. Note that the museum is open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, during weekends only in May and September, and closed the rest of the year.

Pon Yam House

• Address: 201 Commercial St, Idaho City, ID
• Hours: Mon-Sat: 11AM - 4PM, Sun: 1-4PM
• Distance from us: ~0.5 mile

The Gold Rush in Idaho attracted thousands of Chinese Immigrants to the State. In fact, in 1870, the Chinese population was higher per capita than California, and more than 30% of the local population of Idaho City at the time were Chinese.

The Pon Yam House allows visitors to learn more about the Chinese culture and experience in Idaho City. The home was named after Pon Yam, an important cultural figure sometimes referred to as the “King Merchant.” During his time, the building operated as both his home as well as a store where the Chinese community could purchase imported food and other goods they were accustomed to.

Today, the home is filled with displays and artifacts from the Chinese community, granting a glimpse into this integral part of Idaho City history.

Strauss House

• Address: 309 Montgomery St, Idaho City, ID
• Distance from us: ~0.4 miles

While originally built as a home and store in the 1860’s, the Strauss House is more well known today as the home of the Kenn Smith Wildfire Museum and Smokejumper Exhibit. 

A veteran of the Korean War, Kenn Smith moved into the home initially as a smoke jumper and transitioned to being an instructor, teaching hundreds of youngmen how to properly parachute to fight forest fires. When he passed, he left the home to the Idaho City Historical Foundation. 

The museum consists of exhibits showcasing the phases of fighting forest fires, displaying actual equipment that was used by jumpers over the years. You can also find a display featuring an impressive collection of Smokey Bear artifacts.

The museum is currently only open on special occasions.

The Gold Mine

After a long day of learning about the storied history of our town, you can always come back to the Gold Mine for a comfortable room and a great time. Browse our selection of rooms and book your Idaho City vacation today!