Reviews of Old Idaho Penitentiary Site (Tourist Attraction)

Norman Kahler

It was great. If you like history this place is where you want to be. The military exhibit is a must see.

Tracy Pitt

The staff was friendly and helpful. The grounds were beautiful and horrifying at the same time. Most buildings we're still intact and gave you a true sense of what it was like.

David Jackman

Lots of interesting information and we really liked the guided tour. Definitely bring a water bottle and try to come when it's not super hot.

Vicky Leong

Great museum. Very cool to walk around and see where the women prisoners lived and read their stories.

Donald Kynett

Good place to see. There is a lot f history displayed there to see.

Mike Warzee

Got paroled..lol great gun collection

Doug Kolar

Fascinating place to visit. So much history and loved learning all about it. Highly recommend to everyone. If heat is an issue, go early AM or spring/fall time.

Denis Mallyugin

I highly recommend the tour. Its included in the entry price. Place is awesome for kids and adults. I suggest to be dressed warm. Tour guide has answered all the questions and was very knowledgeable about the history and facts or the place. Very affordable

Bruce Young

Open air so be prepared. Nice history class. Not for the weak of heart. Be prepared to realize history. Very good presentation. Loved the history lesson.

vicky hunter

Fun place to visit, wish it wasn't so hot when we went

Matt Reif

As you can tell from the reviews, make a point to go on the 1-hour guided walking tour. It's included with the price of general admission, so you only need to time your arrival with a tour time. The history is fascinating, going back to before Idaho was even a state. You'll hear stories of 10 year old prisoners, a 7-month treasured spoon, and a kill zone around the perimeter! It truly was interesting to learn about, and this is coming from a guy who has absolutely no background or interest in history. I brought my 3, 5, 7, and 8-year-old daughters. The older two were genuinely interested, but the younger two bored easily. The stinging cold of the winter is a great time to go to set the mood, but I've heard the rose gardens are breath taking in the spring. I'll definitely be bringing my out of state family here when they visit! Lastly, they also offer $1 off general admission to service members. Thank you, Old Pen!!

Chantell Gergen

A great place to visit! Each tour guide gives unique and interesting information.

Aaron Hughston

Great history. Fun place to visit.

Shannon Eve

We had fun looking around. Everyone was very helpful.

Dylan Okada

Interesting historic site. Lots of wonderful information and statistics. The two times I've gone I skipped the tour and walked around at my own pace. The provided map makes it super simple to find places of interest.

Shauna Schumann

Ok... We've visited twice. History is kinda our thing, if it's your thing you'll love it. If it's not, you'll still find it interesting. The tour guides (ours was Leslie) are entertaining and knowledgeable. The tour comes with the admission price, but you don't have to go on the guided tour, you can wander on your own too. If you go in the summer, it's very hot, so take water with you. The prison is full of 101 years of history and stories.

Samuel Gardner

Was an interesting place to explore however the construction going on made it hard for handicap people to get to the building

June C

Sobering and informative walk into history. I definitely recommend taking the guided tour so as to get all the stories.

Sheila Symons

Super cool tour. Our tour guide Vanesa was super knowledgeable. Only thing I recommend is bring some water. It was slightly toasty..and they dont sell them at the gift shop. Other than that.. honestly very cool.

Max Wenneker

Very interesting museum. Lots of good info on prisoners and prison. Takes about an hour.

Tye Lombardi

Want a totally unique experience? Participate in the Sleepless in Stripes event at the old pen! So much fun...but bring a mat to sleep on...those prison racks are brutal.

Ryan Johnson

My wife and I decided to do a guided tour, although you can walk around by yourself, either way it was $6 bucks per person. Our tour guide was Tae, she was awesome provided some great stories at multiple stopping points around the facility. If you love history and you have about two hours. Would definitely recommend doing this.

Karen Rollins

Full of great history and do the guided tour it doesn't cost extra.

Mike Ash

Very cool place and helpful workers.

Nicolas Van Tomme

Better than expected as it took us about 90 minutes to visit. It sure is worth the stop.

Kent Smith

If you are interested in Idaho's historic element, you must visit the penitentiary. Visiting in the winter may not be the best choice since most of the buildings are open to the elements, but it is still worth the time to check it out. Not too expensive as far as museum tours go and there is a great historic weapons collection inside the pen that is very worthwhile.

sue o

We were on a road trip from California to Idaho and heard about this place and it sounded interesting, so we stopped. We weren’t sure if we wanted to go on the guided tour or go around ourselves but the lovely lady at the cash register strongly suggested taking the tour and we’re very happy we did,.Jack was our guide and he was wonderful, we were able to have a small group so we could all ask questions, And it was very informative and interesting. We highly recommend it

Brat L

They have preserved things very well and have so much information and history posted throughout the Pen for you to read. They also have a very extensive weapons museum in the back of the lot that was extremely informative and very cool to look at. I came here with children and adults and everyone thought it was all very interesting. There are obviously adult themes being discussed on the placards so if you aren’t wanting to be exposed to that, be aware.

Amber Hawton-Hill

We went for a school tour. It was extremely interesting. The kids loved hearing about the inmate's cat and being locked in the cells. The tour guide was well informed and able to answer all of the kids great questions. The landscaping is immaculate and so strangely juxtaposed by dilapidated skeletons of buildings destroyed by the riot, fire, and time. My favorite part was learning about the hobby shop where inmates could buy paint to decorate their cells differently.

Matt L.

Had a lot fun, Olivia was a great guide and very knowledgeable. A lot of good information, short enough tour to not get bored, but also left a lot to go explore and learn on your own.

Alesia Nelson

People that work there are AMAZING!

Don Pedersen

Take the tour it is well worth the adventure.

Lynn Donadio

Took the guided tour, tour guide very friendly and informative

Joseph Kerski

Wonderful hikes and views history and geography !

victoria rodriguez

Very interesting and I suggest you take an entire day to really go through the entire penitentiary. Unfortunately, I didn't have a ghostly encounter.

jerrett porter

This is a fun historical place to take the family. it is full of interesting information about the old prison and the people that spent time there and what they were in there for. it very neat to see the old cell blocks and how the inmates lived. great place for a weekend adventure.

Jim C

Interesting bit of history. The true guide was knowledge. A cool place to visit.

Linda Mascaro

Very interesting and staff was informative. Lots of haunting stories and the staff will help you map out the best places to experience paranormal. Clean and well taken care of.

Elizabeth Harger

Very cool place! Could easily spend hours here learning local history.

ZimplyG c

This experience was totally awesome! A bit spooky but awesome

Darla Rohrs

We were there yesterday Sept 4, 19 for the 2:30 tour. Our tour guide, Jack was awesome. He was really informative and kept us interested.

Y. Salinas Flores

Interesting place. Amazing view at the top of the table rock trail. So worth the hike.

James Medley

Great place to visit. Interesting

Greg Croucher

Lots of history here. Fun place to visit

Brad Sharp

This place is such an exciting landmark of history than anyone passing through should take an hour or two to go see. Though it can be self-toured, my group went with a guided tour and it was fantastic. Our guide, Said, was an outstanding historian on anything and everything that happened within the walls of the penitentiary, lavishing on details and stories so thickly I half expected to brush up against one of the prisoners myself as we went from room to room. In particular I found the old dining facility and women’s ward the most interesting, but every building has the worn feel of a forgotten era. My only regret is that their prison tattoo exhibit, while insightful, seems to be fairly dated and in need of some new info/displays. Don’t miss out on a chance to see this relic of yesteryear. My group was so impressed we all plan to go back!

Stephanie Lilly

We lucked out and hot to take a guided tour which gets you into sone off limit areas. Our tour guide was awesome. We learned a lot and got lots of pictures I would recommend this to anyone who loves going to historical sites.

irene van lom

Took our boys 9-13 years old. Had a great time.

Corey Schenk

Very cool place just neat to see what it was like back then

Travis Dobbins

It was a great place with so much history. The guided tour is absolutely worth it. The staff was very knowledgable, friendly, and funny.

Sarah Neilson

More of a mini museum with pictures and small displays around the penitentiary with plaques to explain what happened there and some of the backstories of specific prisoners who were kept there.

Debra Hunt

It was a very interesting and sad place of history. It had lovely flowers and stonework from the nearby old quarry too.

Shanien Singley

Rich in history and creepiness. My family and I loved it. Would definitely recommend visiting this place.

Sam Finnell

I love the new museum they put in!

Kelly Campbell

Very unique, loved all the history. You can access pretty much the entire prison!

Nicholas Tenney

This is a really, really neat place to visit. It's sort of a piece of "odd" history, because it shows how the jail system improved, but it's also a last thing you think of when visiting Idaho.

Gina P

Pretty cool place! A little creepy but definitely interesting! Worth a visit for sure!

Kenneth Rochefort

Wow! So much history. Very interesting.

christopher coleman

The history od this place is enthralling truly! I went here for frightend felons with my wife and bestfriend and her husband we all had a good time I'm not a big drinker so naturally I embraced my inner nerd and started going over all the exhibits, a truly interesting place. We need more attractions that show us the richness of history that idaho has to offer! The more ya know !

Kshitij Saxena

Beautiful gardens with full rose blooms and a lot of history, really well maintained and informative. Must visit in Boise.

Ryan Schumacher

An interesting look into a piece of history. Ask when the next guided tour is and participate if you can. It's no extra charge, lasts ~1.5 hours, and you'll see some areas and learn some facts that you'd otherwise have missed.

Jason Weinel

So cool to step back in time and into a little what it was like for inmates in Idaho! Worth every dime to do the tour. Allow about 2 hours, worth every minute!

Rebecca Ganaden

Very interesting historic site. Lots to see. I loved that we were able to learn about the inmates and their lives as we walked through the prison. Awesome for history buffs.

Nathan Pabich

Neat look back into Idaho penitentiary history.

Goofy Mom

Outside of some very rude patrons who blocked the entrance in to the actual penitentiary and who were obviously unable to control the offspring, we had an enjoyable time once we got through the entrance and far away as possible from them. The staff was apologetic but it's not their fault there our stupid people all around. Would recommend this place to anyone who likes the old stuff...

Michael Hanson

Very interesting place. Lots of scared kids running around. I guess I shouldn't have been slamming doors and making ghost noises though.

Jesse Fleming

Went here and hiked table rock. It was fun. Give it a shot ya lazy bones. Youre heart will thank you.

Gary Canary

It was very very awesome they have self guided tours as well as guided tours every 30 minutes staff is friendly and knowledgeable

Jonathon Buckler

This prison was in use until the early 1970s. Admission is reasonable. They didn’t have guided tours the day we went. We did a self-guided tour, which was okay. You visit 3-4 cell blocks, including the old gallows and solitary confinement. Some buildings are closed for safety reasons, but you can peak in. They have story boards along the way, including information about inmates. One of the most surprising things were the beautiful flowers, mostly roses, in bloom on the grounds inside the prison walls. Outside the main prison is the women’s block. We spent about 1 to 1-1/2 hours wandering around. There are restrooms, a small museum and small gift shop area. I’m not sure there is a formal parking lot; we parked along the street.

Mary Hale

Went on a tour with Jack from the Idaho Historical Society. Very interesting and informative. Much was depressing but Jack was respectful in telling the histories involved. I certainly learned more than I would have by walking the grounds alone.

Tharding harding

Really enjoyed my experience just a really neat place and some interesting information in to Idaho history

stacy stover

This waa a good informational time for our kiddos. Way better than the discovery center

Justin Colkitt

Very interesting and informative. Well worth the $6 entry fee. We spent 2 solid hours and didn't get to read through everything.

Heidi Quast

Very interesting historical buildings. The history of the prison is laid out well in each and the weapons museum is very cool to look through. If you're into haunted places check out the cooler. Very creepy vibes in there!!

Aften Flake

Such an interesting visit. Guided tour was so worth it. Our guide Jacey was so patient with our large family reunion group with lots of young kids. He was amazing.

Linda Czarkowski

Great history of people who were incarcerated there.

Emily McIntyre

I thought this would be kinda boring but it was a lot of fun. Very interesting

Kevin Feeney

Doesn't open till 12. Some of bldgs are ruins, others are closed. Woman's prison that is free to see was most interesting

Bethany Candalor

Very interesting self guided tour, the site is both harsh and intriguing. Both the penitentiary itself and the surrounding neighborhoods were worth the trip out. I wish I had planned more time, it was right next to the botanical gardens.

ThePUMPKIN2113

I've seen this place on the ghost adventure show.....so, I had to check it out for myself. Very interesting place and it's crazy why some people were locked up....Nowadays, it would be considered trivial matters (adultery, forgery) The third house & the maximum security building are definitely haunted. Make sure you hit the J. Curtis Earl exhibit they have some sweet Civil War rifles in there. $6. for an adult.....good times at the gallows.

leanne stanton

Very cool self guided tour

Lance Olson

Very interesting, worth a visit.

H.E. marcell

Great place to visit for the whole family. Surrounding areas relaxing for a picnic or short hike after visiting.

Andrea jean

An interesting little piece of Idaho history.

Shelby Thibodeau

Great place to visit while in Boise! Wonderful price for what you get. Not for young children; some immature content and not a safe place for running around. We came at the end of the day and had a great time, but make sure you block out an hour at least if you want to get a good look at everything!

Cassie Roberts

I love Idaho history. There are several buildings to visit at this location. My dad helped bust inmate escapees. It's fun to take a walk through.

Ken Skinner

Very interesting historical site. Lots of good information and exhibits.

DEBBIE RUHL

Had a nice tour of the place. Very interesting.

William Winder

Jack was an amazing guide. The facility was awesome. All-in-all I thought it was way cooler than I initially imagined.

Roland F.

Awesome place with lots of information about the prison, it's guards and prisoners. You can either go on a self guided tour or explore it by yourself.

Cristi Ady

This is always a good tour. I especially like the Idaho museum of mining and geology as well. Lots of Idaho history.

Michelle Creech

Their activities are always so much fun and very much affordable

Scott Valenkamph

I’m a history buff, with a bachelors in history, so I may be a little biased here. This was on the top of my list of things to see in Boise. I’ll be honest, I was a little underwhelmed when I pulled up. I thought it would be bigger. I have to say I was completely wrong. This is worth the price of $6 for admission, I’m surprised it’s even that low. It was impressive to get to walk around the whole complex and really get a feel for how the inmates lived. The exhibits on the women and prison tattoos were very informative. The military weapon museum inside the complex was an added surprise.

Mardell Davidson

Very interesting! Be sure to take the tour!

Jeffrey Odell

Am interesting stopover but the staff will leave you to friend for yourselves. There have to but the person on the desk was intentional about it.

Edward Fischer

Had a very educational visit to the old penitentiary. Great creepy building showing how prisoners were housed.

Misty Miller

We love going here. Always learn something new

David Hoelscher

The class field trip was a great success. Our tour guide was awesome.

Lord-Commander Jensen

This is a really, really neat place to visit. It's sort of a piece of "odd" history, because it shows how the jail system improved, but it's also a last thing you think of when visiting Idaho. The fact that it is there, extremely intact, and well maintained provides a wonderful learning and historic experience I highly recommend waiting for the tour guides though. Our tour guide specializes in learning about all of the escapes and escape attempts and knew all sorts of fascinating stories that truly made this a great tour.

joshua martin

One of my and my six year old son favorite places to visit

Jason Danio

Very entertaining, educational tour. The tour guides are fantastic. Tons of information. One of the most fun historical sites I've ever visited.

River Wolford

Pretty nifty place. I like the historic anecdotes. What struck me most was how small it was. I guess back in the day there weren't as many people to lock up. Either that or we simply waited for people to actually commit crimes other than being homeless, black, or poor. Who knows, maybe it wasn't big cause it wasn't built for profit. Regardless, it seemed small.

Brad Duncan

Awesome historical site! Definitely worth the time for a visit. Make time for a guided tour if possible, but explore the areas outside the tour too! It was neat to see the records and information that have been kept to preserve this site as it is, and to learn about the lives of the people kept in this penitentiary.

Clifton Weight

I thought this place was very interesting. There is a lot of history here and it was definitely worth seeing.

William Duncan

This place is very cool. Well worth the little drive out of the way to get to it. We enjoyed it and the history very much.

kim chaffin

Fun place to learn, could use a better walking path.

troye westergreen

Great tour. Lots of history. Can’t beat the price.

Jason Brown

Great tour! Such great and interesting stories and things to see here. Our tour guide Leslie was awesome!! Very informative and quick witted. Highly recommend! Just make sure if you small children (or if you’re sensitive) make sure you don’t mind them hearing about murders and executions.

Melissa Bovet

One of the best places to visit in Boise, with a rich history. Don't forget to also visit the beautiful Botanical Gardens next door!

Heidi Bragg

Have to say been out here for 5 years. But we are sorry we waited so long to go had an amazing time. Loved it.

Thad Farmer

Take the tour! That’s the only way to fully get everything out of the penitentiary. Ask questions, and have fun with it.

Angie Combs

Enjoyed the tour... hope I never go to prison. Got some fantastic pictures!

Paul Nottingham

An interesting piece of Idaho history. With limited federal funding post civil war, the warden utilized inmate labor to build, cloth and feed the inmates themselves. Only one hanging and because of the outcome executions in Idaho were forever changed. Seeing the architecture, and realizing the difficulty in securing the sandstone and transporting it and then crafting it adds to the amazement in how it was made(the prison itself). Good way to spend several hours and be sure to check hours for the guided tours, as these provide the most information and interesting factoids at no additional charge.

Christie Carroll

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.

David Berkowitz

An interesting enough and unusual kind of attraction, the historical value and stories aren’t as striking as others like the one in Philadelphia.

M S

We did a a actual tour. Jack led it. Fantastic. Took us on additional area not seen by others. Great history. Well preserved.

Kenneth Clayton

While visiting Boise Idaho, on our quest for all 50 states, we visited the old penitentiary. A very interesting museum. The history of crime in Idaho is trekked out in detail. Some famous names, along with some unknown, but unusual and interesting characters.

Christopher Ross

Great tour guide,well worth $6.00 admission.

Teresa Krueger

Idaho's old Penn is a wonderful place for all those with a curious mind. It boggles the mind to think that it only closed in 1973 because when you step in you feel like you're stepping into something hundreds of years old. There's a lot of walking, and it can get pretty hot out there in the summertime. But those conditions also help you imagine what it was like for the inmates to live there. I highly recommend this for anybody who has an interest in our country's history, the beginnings of Boise, and maybe a little interest in the Paranormal.

Dianne Payton

My sister and I went on a tour 2 days ago. Our experience was amazing. Jack, not only gave us factual information, but also interesting stories. We will recommend this tour to many of our friends. Thanks again. Dianne & Sandy

Brandon Thomas

A lot of fun, even for little kids.

Bella A

Super unique and fun place to go. Some sensitive material for children but overall its family friendly and educational. If you're interesting in ghost hunting go here

Bellingham Window And Gutter Cleaning

Some of the places were being redone but still had a great time. A lot of pics and info to look at.

Ned Bluestone

Whether for a fun tour of the Old State Pen or access to the Boise Ridge to Rivers trail system. This is a must stop in Boise

Eddie Rains

Very very interesting! Glad we did it. Lots of buildings to walk around. Lots of history there.

Guy Hadwin

Lots of walking so make sure the weather is good! Did the self-guided tour and walked around the whole facility (which was incredibly well kept) and loved every second of it. Guided tours are available as well. This is a self-guided tour but the "pen" is amazing. The construction was many, many years ago for the most part. Interesting history behind this attraction. We have seen another "pen" in Montana and this one is more interesting and documented.

Taylor Hunt

One of my favorite things to show off to tourists. Never want to get stuck in a place like this. Lay off that whiskey, and let that cocaine be!

Nyllek

Super fun! Lots of knowledge! Went there to see it when I saw the Ghost Adventures episode! Super fun to see it in person.

Annie Adams

That prison holds alot of history Im glad we did the tour made it so much fun

Ed & Denise Dorosz

Must visit for the chilling history and some touching stories. Best if you get the free guided tour.

Isaac Fenison

Amazing to see. Definitely recommend coming here if you're seeing this!!

David Sportiello

Always a great place to visit, I just wish they would take pictures of the buildings that were destroyed and rebuild them.

Jeff Denning

Missed the guided tour but it was no big deal; the lady up front was extremely helpful and just outlined the route that they go on! Great for history buffs or people who love sites with a creepy/dark undertone!

Jordyn Hanson

Great content, bonus gun museum!

Jay W

The Idaho Penitentiary site is an exciting place to visit. I wanted to make a side note for people interested in old signs, typography, and old design though. There's a wealth of classic signs and hand lettering types to be found throughout the prison, even where you don't expect to find them. Being one of these people myself, I couldn't help but be thrilled to find a nearly-unreadable "Troy Laundry Machine" stamped metal plate. An old "By Order of Captin" notice about clean laundry. A classic "No Loafing". The entirety of the prison is worth a visit for younger and older guests. I spent an entire day loafing around and still feel as though I likely missed a couple of spots. Worth making a second trip if you live in the area!

Raymond Lovelace

The staff was super helpful without being too in your face. Reasonable entrance fee, plenty to learn and experience! I plan on making many return visits, so much history to take in!

Kaylee Burns

Great piece of history. We have been here 20+ times and took our first guided tour today. I would recomend doing the tour at least once. Had a great time!

Kim Seaton

It was so interesting to go through. Be sure to allow extra time coming here as it closed for us before we were able to see it all

Hailey R.

Did the self guided tour which was super nice, going at our own pace. So many places to go which is also nice!

Undercoverloris Vandrake

We've gone a couple times. Once we did a self guided and this time we did a guided tour. Got to see and do things we couldnt do by ourselves. I highly recommend going

Richard Buckham

If you are going to take the tour make sure you are dressed for an extensive amount of walking. This is also an excellent opportunity for education about some of the colorful characters that were housed there over the years. You will also learn a lot about how inmates are treated now and then

Jan Chimera

I enjoyed walking around, but would have learned more with a guided tour.

Elisha Foster

Very cool place to visit. Would love to experience the paranormal investigations tour.

Lori Diaz

Halloween fun...so many awesome costumes..games...staff friendly...and the history behind it...

William t

Was fun and interesting could have been more fun if it was a more interactive experience. My 9 year old thought it was great.

sandy king

Had a great time with my sister from out of state. She loved it as well as I. Being able to walk the grounds and see the cells that prisoners were housed in was awesome. Great place to take the whole family.

Christopher Grago

What at first seems to be just a long-ago shuttered prison turns out to be a very well thought out museum that contains quite a bit of important state history. The Old Pen has several out buildings and areas that you can tour, either self guided or with a guide. Each area contains detailed history of events, timelines and individuals that once occupied these areas. There are interactive portions as well. Towards the end of the facility there is a separate weapons exhibit donated by a well known community member. It has implements of war dating all the way back to the Bronze Age. Admission is very affordable and they even have a small gift shop. Located very close to downtown Boise, there is plenty to do nearby. The trailhead to Table Rock is just outside the front gate.

fromFirst toLast

This place has a lot of stories to go with the visual appeal.. Nothing super exciting, but a good piece of Idahoan history. Our tour guide on our first visit was entertaining, but somewhat unprofessional and felt out of place, not that it was a bad thing. You can learn a lot of the history and stories in the entrance lobby and surrounding rooms, and wander around solo, although attending the limited tours enables you to a few extra perks... annndddd the Botanical garden next door is always awesome.

Rick Stull

Very interesting place. Good tour with lots of information. Our tour guide was well informed obviously quite interested in the details of it's history. The weapons museum is amazing. From ancient swords to Tommy guns and Gatling guns, they had more than you'd ever imagine. Our niece loved it.