Old Idaho State Penitentiary
The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site was a functional prison from 1872 to 1973 in the western United States, east of Boise, Idaho. Visitors find it in Boise City. Albertsons Stadium comes next on our list, 1.7 mi away.
A museum inside Boise City
Summers are hot
July and August highs run 91–93°, and about 55 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
You can stay in Boise City
Old Idaho State Penitentiary is inside Boise City, which has 91 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun and Sep
May, June and September are the mild months, with highs of 73–82°. When to go ↓
An airport 4 miles away
Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field (BOI) has airline service, about 4 miles from Old Idaho State Penitentiary.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
When to go
Each month’s highs and lows around Old Idaho State Penitentiary are below.
Old Idaho State Penitentiary
The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site was a functional prison from 1872 to 1973 in the western United States, east of Boise, Idaho. The first building, also known as the Territorial Prison, was constructed in the Territory of Idaho in 1870; the territory was seven years old when the prison was built, a full two decades before statehood.
From its beginnings as a single cell house, the penitentiary grew to a complex of several distinctive buildings surrounded by a 17-foot-high (5.2 m) sandstone wall. The stone was quarried from the nearby ridges by the resident convicts, who also assisted in later constructions.
- Type
- Museum
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1974)
- Wikipedia readers
- 9.9K a year
Overnight near Old Idaho State Penitentiary
The nearest towns with places to stay are Boise City (91) and Meridian (18).
- 1Albertsons Stadium
- 2ExtraMile Arena
- 3Idaho Central Arena
- 4Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area
- 5Julia Davis Park
- 6Boise Art Museum
- 7Warhawk Air Museum
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Old Idaho State Penitentiary | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boise City | in town | — | 91 76 hotels · 4 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 5 RV parks | 238,429 | $485K | C+ |
| Meridian | 12 mi west | 20 min | 18 15 hotels · 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 142,988 | $532K | B+ |
| Garden City | 8 mi northwest | 10 min | 6 2 hotels · 3 motels · 1 RV park | 13,047 | $450K | C− |
| Nampa | 20 mi west | 30 min | 20 12 hotels · 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds · 4 RV parks | 120,384 | $371K | C+ |
| Eagle | 14 mi northwest | 20 min | 9 7 hotels · 2 RV parks | 34,658 | $773K | — |
| Caldwell | 25 mi west | 40 min | 13 5 hotels · 2 motels · 2 lodges & cabins · 4 RV parks | 76,629 | $367K | C |
| Robie Creek 26% vacation homes | 8 mi northeast | 15 min | 1 1 campground | 1,213 | $585K | — |
| Idaho City | 23 mi northeast | 35 min | 6 2 hotels · 1 motel · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 531 | — | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
More to see nearby
Also within 46 miles are these.
12 mi Stadium & arenaAlbertsons Stadium
22 mi Stadium & arenaExtraMile Arena
32 mi Stadium & arenaIdaho Central Arena412 mi Ski areaBogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area117 runs · 1,792 ft vertical
52 mi City parkJulia Davis Park
62 mi MuseumBoise Art Museum
46 mi LandmarkFort Boise
718 mi MuseumWarhawk Air MuseumPhoto credits
Albertsons Stadium: Iamneven, CC BY-SA 4.0 · ExtraMile Arena: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Idaho Central Arena: mark6mauno, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Julia Davis Park: Karakorum9, Public domain · Boise Art Museum: CamEQ, Facade of Art Museum designed by Trout Architects and Mark Mack in 1988, Public domain · Fort Boise: Sketch by William H. Tappan, Public domain · Warhawk Air Museum: Tamanoeconomico, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Know before you visit Old Idaho State Penitentiary
Is Old Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise City?
Yes. It’s inside Boise City, ID.
When is the best time to visit Old Idaho State Penitentiary?
May, June and September, with highs of 73–82°.
What is the closest airport to Old Idaho State Penitentiary?
Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field (BOI), about 4 miles away.
Where should I stay near Old Idaho State Penitentiary?
Boise City (in town, 91 places to stay), Meridian (12 mi, 18 places to stay) and Garden City (8 mi, 6 places to stay).
Word from Boise City
There are no tips yet, so start one in Boise City’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.