Tucked right behind the Idaho State Museum is the Idaho Black History Museum. This small, one-room collection is housed in a beautiful old church that was moved to Julia Davis Park.
Idaho Black History Museum
To put things in a little bit of perspective, the entire black population of Boise used to fit in this one small church. This feels like a far cry from where I’m from what I’m used to in the South! The son (I think) of the pastor who used to preach at this church is the one who runs the Idaho Black History Museum now. I’m not sure if he’s the only one who runs the place, but if you catch him in there, he’s great to talk to.
The collection is arranged in a roughly chronological order starting from the right of the door when you walk in. It’s a great store of local information and many of the signs have QR codes you can scan for more information. Oddly enough, it’s here that I learned about Idaho’s “Area 51” a super-deep lake in the north where the Navy supposedly tests nuclear subs.
I learned that Idaho has a history of very equanimical treatment across the racial spectrum – to those that could make it this far out west. Currently, the majority of the black population in Idaho is comprised of more recent African immigrants than those who were born and raised here. Just looking around town, the population of Boise seems to be overwhelmingly white.
Admission & Hours
Admission to the Idaho Black History Museum is always free. The trick is finding it open. Their usual website doesn’t work right now, but you should be able to find the museum open from 10-2 on Saturdays and Tuesdays during the winter. In the summers, they add in extra days. Groups can call ahead to arrange for a tour outside those times by contacting request.information@ibhm.org.
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