Category: Historic Sites

This site is the point on the Bear River where water was first diverted by Mormon settlers to develop an agriculture industry in Gem Valley. It was completed in the early 1900's and was an engineering masterpiece for it's time. The Last Chance Canal Company was started with 64 original…

The Bingham County Historical Museum is located in the John Brown Mansion, a southern plantation style-home built in 1905, and served as home to the Brown Family before being deeded to the Stewart Hoover American Legion Post to serve as the legion hall until it was deeded to the county…

Gutzon Borglum was a prolific American sculptor best know for his presidents' sculptures on Mount Rushmore, South Dakota. Borglum was born in St. Charles, Idaho in 1867.

Open year round. Step into the past with a visit to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Museum. This museum is dedicated to those kind and generous people in our community who see a real need to tell our story from our point of view. With old photographs, displays and exhibits you will…

The De Smet Monument in Soda Springs, Idaho is comprised of a bronze bust of Father Pierre-Jean De Smet and four interpretive signs briefly describing the history and exploits of De Smet, a frontier missionary, peacemaker, world traveler and author.

Octagon Spring was a popular gathering place for local residents and for visitors to the famous Idanha Hotel,built in 1887,which was just across the street to the south of the spring.

The site is a 7 mile segment of "The Lander Cut-off of the Oregon Trail", the first road commissioned by Congress with funding for location and construction. F.W. Lander supervised the project.

Red Rock Pass was cut through a sill of resistant Paleozoic shale, limestone, and dolomite, and forms a narrow gap two miles long. At one time the pass was at the shoreline of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, 300 feet higher. Lava flows in the vicinity of Pocatello diverted the Bear River through Lake Thatcher into Lake Bonneville.

The store, built in 1908, is a last remnant of a small but important livestock community in that time. The once famous Henry Stampede Rodeo and Stockman's Reunion began here in 1918.

Corrigan Park or City Park as it is commonly referred to is located in downtown Soda springs right alongside Highway 30. At 11 1/2 acres it is the city's second largest park. View Historical trains on site. Look for the Byway historic maps on the south end of the park….

This district is architecturally and historically significant and is one of the regions most diverse and well-preserved urban street scapes. A variety of architectural styles are represented in the district, including Gothic Revival, Romanesque Revival, Sullivanesque and Art Deco, as well as many adaptations of early 20th-century commercial styles with…

Sheep Rock was the location of the first split of the Oregon-California Trail. The Bidwell-Bartleson Party and the Hudspeth Cutoff diverged from the main trail here. Oregon Trail Public Park and Marina – This park, on the shore of Alexander Reservoir, features a marina, picnic area and playground, and a remnant of the Oregon Trail.

The Academy is a unique 3-story Romanesque stone building, constructed in the early 1890s. It is one of three, out of 35, similar surviving buildings from the days of Mormon Church sponsored education. It was moved from Preston High School to it's current location in 2004.

Summer only. This small log and wood frame building over 125 years old, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In Georgetown’s early settlement, it functioned as a local chapel, schoolhouse and general meeting hall. For many years it was a focal point for the female society of…

In 1878, Ben Waldron lost his leg in a threshing accident. The leg was buried on the east side of the cemetery and was given a headstone with a leg carved on it, along with the initials “B.W.” and the date. Ben himself did not die until 1914, and he was buried on the west side of the cemetery, far from his lost leg

Open year round. Visitors will discover dinosaurs, ice-age mammals, how to live off the land, and more. They can also experience science hands-on in the Discovery Room! See fossils of animals that used to live right here in Idaho, including whorl tooth sharks and dinosaurs! Children will get excited about…

This cabin, one of the first built on the Nine Mile Creek in Marsh Valley, was erected by William Jason and Cyrus Coffin before 1866. Later it was purchased by Abigail Coffin, who with her sons, Nathan, Cyrus, and William were among the first settlers. They used the cabin for the first school and store.

The Cave was formed when basalt lava flowed out of a vent 500 thousand years ago forming a lava tube typical to this type of volcanic activity on the Snake River Plains. It was important to early settlers and native Americans for food storage. John A. Dalton, the original homesteader,…

Open year round. The Bannock County Historical Museum houses exhibits, objects, and records relating to Bannock County and Pocatello's history. Exhibit themes include railroad history, early medical practices, general store, the military, Victorian era parlor and  Shoshone-Bannock Indian artifacts. It sits adjacent to the Fort Hall Replica and the zoo in…

Open in the summer only. CHESTERFIELD is an early Mormon settlement 11 miles north of Bancroft, Idaho.  Founded in 1881, it is now unoccupied, but history buffs won’t let it go away.  They formed a foundation to refurbish and maintain 27 original structures now on the National Historic Register.  Many…

Over 300,000 emigrants used the Oregon-California Trail between 1840 and 1869. Three ruts are visible at the bottom of the hill, indicating that the wagons and oxen spread out to reduce the dust.

China Hat and China Cap are rhyolite domes that formed around older volcano lava flows. There are many faults located in the area which have had a part in forming these land forms as well as multiple "grabens". This is also a great Bird Watching area. The best bird viewing…

The January 29, 1863 Bear River Massacre of 250 or more Native Americans, by Colonel Patrick Connor and his troops, occurred here. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990. The battle became one of the worst disasters for Native Americans in the west.

The Bear River Heritage Area straddles the Idaho-Utah border where the Great Basin and the Rocky Mountains meet. Come and experience its unique and varied cultural heritage. www.bearriverheritage.com

Soda Springs boasts having the world's only captive geyser. On November 30, 1937 in an attempt to find a hot water source for a local swimming pool, a well driller set free the natural geyser at a depth of 317 feet. It is located on Pyramid Spring, a travertine mound described by Fremont in his 1840s expeditions, along with other area springs.

Pioneer Handcart Adventure for groups. Put on a bonnet or hat of the times and pull handcarts to 20 campsites where you learn interesting pioneer history and reenact actual pioneer experiences. For example: scrubbing clothing on a wash board, using body language to negotiate with Native Americans for buffalo jerky,…

Open summer only. The oldest continually settled town in Idaho, Franklin was founded in 1860 by Mormon pioneers. Several original buildings stand in the historic district: the Relic Hall, the old ZCMI store, the Hatch House, and others. The Old Yellowstone Route is just outside of Franklin where stagecoaches full…

The first department store in Idaho, the Evans Co-op, which was part of the Mormon cooperative movement, ZCMI, of the 1860s, in which local production and purchasing was encouraged through cooperatives. The co-op is now a True Value Hardware Store, carrying house wares and appliances, sporting goods and hardware.

Emigrants by the thousands entered present day eastern Idaho at this location traveling along the Oregon-California Trail. Emigrants on the trail encountered Big Hill, thought to be the steepest and longest descent found on the trip west.

Open year round. Both permanent and rotating exhibits about the history of the Lava Hot Springs area and development of the surrounding rural communities of Arimo, Inkom, Downey, McCammon, Virginia and Swan Lake.

Closed in the Winter. The National Oregon/California Trail Center is located near the Clover Creek Encampment of the Oregon Trail in Montpelier at 320 North 4th Street. The trail center depicts the 2000-mile, 5-month journey along the Oregon Trail in daily Living History tours during the summer. Allinger Community Theatre…

Built in 1892 by Isaac Evans, the Blue Goose was originally a furniture store and Post Office. Clarence Hughes runs this charming store, which was moved to the town park in Samaria to keep it from being torn down. He sells local crafts, cookbooks, candy and sodas, and has video rentals.

Olive Osmond, born Olive May Davis, who died in 2004, was born in the cabin in 1925. Olive Osmond was the mother of Marie and Donny Osmond and the Osmond Brothers. The cabin was rebuilt Luke Waldron.

The Bank of Montpelier was robbed by Butch Cassidy with his Wild Bunch Gang in 1896. They escaped with $5,000 – $15,000 in gold, silver and currency. The museum owners have managed to save and restore the last standing bank in the world which was robbed by Butch Cassidy and…

A Shoshone Indian Chief who gained national notoriety during the struggle between white emigrants and Native Americans. When he died in 1884, he was buried in a deep spring in Idaho along with his clothing, guns, knives and hunting equipment. The city of Pocatello is named in his honor and erected his statue at the Pocatello Visitor's Center.

Open year round. The Idaho Potato Museum celebrates the humble spud and its contribution to humanity. Located in Blackfoot, Idaho, the Potato Capitol of the World, the Idaho Potato Museum explores the history, cultivation and harvesting of potatoes. Displays showcase unique artifacts including the World's Largest Potato Crisp, as noted…

Historic Thomas Mercantile in Swan Lake Idaho has been restored and is now open. They have a convenience store, deli, game tables, souvenirs, fresh bakery items and much more! Located on Highway 91 between Preston and Downey. Visit their Facebook page for daily specials and restoration stories and photos.

Free, clear sparkling soda water still is available in a beautiful Soda Springs city park located two miles north from the center of town. A prime attraction for more than 160 years, soda water from these springs was known nationally after rail service reached this resort area in 1882. W.H….

Part of Massacre Rocks State Park, was an emigrant campground where travelers inscribed their names on basalt boulders. As travelers on the Oregon Trail paused at Register Rock, they succumbed to the all too human desire to leave word of their passage.  They inscribed their names and often the date…

Celebrate Welsh Culture and History in Samaria Idaho. Malad Valley Heritage Square is a wonderful collection of Pioneer era cabins, an old fashioned Ice Cream store, covered wagons and farm machinery. It includes the Osmond Family Homestead. Visit their Facebook page for news and events. View a poster of Malad Valley…

Fort Hall Replica and Commemorative Trading Post & Pocatello Junction, A Frontier Town Replica The Fort Hall Replica and Commemorative Trading Post is a replica of the historic facility that served pioneer travelers along the Oregon Trail. Enter the massive wooden gates and wander through the Company Hall, Frontier Room,…

Open summer only. The museum features exhibits detailing the history and development of Power County. Visitors take a trip back to the era of the moving of the town to make way for the American Falls Dam. We have pamphlets available with the list of National Historic Place