Self-Guided Tours
Here you will find a collection of self-guided tours of historical sites and buildings throughout the state. Most are walking tours, but some of them might require the use of a bike or automobile to see all the tour highlights.
All tours are free to download as a PDF file. If you have a tour you would like to share with us, please email us at info@preservationidaho.org. Furthermore, if you have an idea for a tour, please let us know!
Available Self-Guided Tours
New Deal Architecture Tour
Building Boise: A Tour of "New Deal" Architecture in Idaho's Capital City
In 1932, at the depths of the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt pledged himself to “a new deal for the American people.” As President, he introduced multiple new programs and agencies to relieve the unemployed, reform financial institutions, and promote the recovery of the economy. Federal programs including the Public Works Administration (PWA), Works Progress/Projects Administration (WPA), Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and later the Federal Works Agency (FWA) put the nation to work building needed infrastructure and improvements. The architectural results of these programs, often overlooked, stand today as a symbol of this amazing chapter in our collective history.