Idaho State Museum

Located in Boise, the Idaho State Museum is the state's official museum. Operated by the Idaho State Historical Society, the museum has a comprehensive collection of over 250,000 objects, which includes one of the country's largest collection of historical arms and military memorabilia. In addition to preserving and displaying items from its large collection, the museum hosts events and offers special traveling exhibitions and educational programs for schools. Over 30,000 people visit the museum each year. It has been closed for renovation and is expected to reopen in the summer of 2018.

The museum is part of the Idaho State Historical Society, which manages several other sites including the Idaho State Capitol. The Society was founded as the Historical Society of Idaho Pioneers in 1881, which became a state agency in 1907. In 1939, the state legislature authorized a new building that would become the museum. This was finally built in 1950. The museum expanded in 1983 and again in 2011 when the Pioneer Village outdoor exhibition campus was built. The museum was accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 1972.

"The History of the Idaho State Museum." Idaho State Historical Museum. http://history.idaho.gov/museum-history