Walking Tours

Preservation Idaho offers several walking tour series and is ever expanding its offerings. The list below are current guided and self-guided walking tour offerings. Preservation Idaho can offer a private, guided tour of its regular WalkAbout tours and may be able to create a customized tour for you. This service is available year-round.

walkabout boise

Join us for WalkAbout Boise — a 90-minute guided walking tour through 150 years of history and architecture. Let us introduce you to the built environment that makes downtown Boise like no other place. This tour is great for visitors and Idaho residents who want to learn more about how Boise's vibrant downtown was developed and the people who made it happen.

The walking tours take place every Saturday at 10 AM, starting on May 18th and continuing through November 23rd.

Tour Highlights Include:

• Downtown's evolution from gold rush boomtown, through urban renewal decline, and 21st-century revitalization.

• The oldest and newest buildings downtown, spanning 150 years of construction.

• Buildings associated with Boise's historic Basque, German, Jewish, and Chinese communities.

• The Idaho State Capitol and Boise City Hall.

• Buildings designed by early pioneers and nationally known master architects.

• The Egyptian Theatre.

Purchase your tickets in advance online or by calling (208) 424-5111. Walk-ups the day of are welcome if there is room (exact cash or check only).

The tours are held rain or shine; tours are not postponed or rescheduled, so plan to dress accordingly in comfortable walking shoes, bring sunscreen and an umbrella if needed, and a bottle of water.

Tours start promptly at 10:00 AM and end around 11:30 AM, beginning and ending in front of the Basque Museum and Cultural Center on Grove Street in downtown Boise. Our walking tour docent will meet you at the bench in front of the museum.

Cost is $10 for Preservation Idaho members, $15 for non-members, $8 for children 13 and under (credit card processing fees apply).

For more information, contact us at kellie@preservationidaho.org or call (208) 424-5111.

WalkAbout Boise tours are sponsored by Visit Boise and Visit Idaho.

custom tours

Preservation Idaho is comprised of many knowledgeable architectural historians and historians that may be able to create a customized guided tour of a specific area or topic of interest for you.  

Tour group types:

• Individuals, friends & families

• Reunions

• Special events

• Lectures

• School field trips

• Wedding and birthday parties

For more information about pricing and walking tour options contact us!

SELF-GUIDED TOURS

Preservation Idaho is proud to offer its newest, easily accessible walking tour option - SELF-GUIDED AUDIO TOURS of historic neighborhoods in Idaho.

Can't make one of our guided tours? No problem, we have recorded some of our best tour guides giving their tours which can be accessed online. 

These tours work best accessed on your mobile device. On these self-guided walking tours, you’ll learn from local architectural historians about historic places, buildings and their architecture, and historic preservation efforts to preserve and protect Idaho’s historic places. Invite your friends and family and enjoy a guided stroll through beautiful historic neighborhoods!

We hope you enjoy these accessible tours in the River Street Neighborhood in Boise, the Hyde Park Historic District in Boise’s North End, and in downtown Idaho Falls.

archwalks

Partner Organizations With Historic Tours

There are several other organizations around the state offering tours where you can learn more about local history. Here are a few that we are aware of. For more information please contact the partner organization directly.