Idaho State Historical Society - Historic Sites

Historic Sites

The Historic Sites program oversees sites at Pierce, Franklin, Rock Creek, and Boise, including the National Historic Landmark Assay Office, where the State Historic Preservation Office is located. These sites give visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in locations significant to Idaho’s history. The Historic Sites managed by the ISHS include:

• Pierce Courthouse in Pierce, Idaho’s oldest public building.
• Rock Creek Station and Stricker Homesite, located southeast of Twin Falls. A popular camping spot along the Oregon Trail, the area was the location of the first trading post between Boise, and Fort Hall. It was the center of commerce in south central Idaho prior to the coming of the railroad.
• Franklin Historic Properties, including the Lorenzo Hill Hatch House, the Pioneer Relic Hall, the Franklin Cooperative Mercantile Institution, and the John Doney House in Franklin.
• The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site, the Assay Office, and the Bureau of Reclamation Building in Boise.

The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site is the largest site managed by the ISHS and one of the largest National Register of Historic Places sites in Idaho. The society's primary focus at the site is interpreting the history of the site for visitors in an effort to encourage those visitors to become advocates for its preservation. Programs available at or relating to the site include:

• self-guided tours of the Old Penitentiary to the general public
• guided walks of the Old Penitentiary to the general public
• interpretive programs of the Old Penitentiary for school/educational groups
• interpretive exhibits located throughout the various prison buildings
• interpretive video "Doing Time"
• information about and resources regarding the Old Idaho Penitentiary on the internet including the Old Idaho Penitentiary Educational Resource Kit and Old Penitentiary Worksheets.