Boise is home to more people of Basque ancestry than anywhere outside the Basque Country in Europe. You can learn more by visiting the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, 611 Grove St. (tel. 208/343-2671; www.basquemuseum.com). Just a few blocks away you can wander Julia Davis Park, which houses the Idaho Historical Museum (tel. 208/334-2120; www.idahohistory.net/museum.html), the Boise Art Museum (tel. 208/345-8330; www.boiseartmuseum.org), Zoo Boise (tel. 208/384-4260; www.cityofboise.org/parks/zoo), and the Discovery Center of Idaho (tel. 208/343-9895; www.scidaho.org), a family-oriented science and activities center.
Head up to the Idaho State Capitol (tel. 208/334-5174), the nation's only state capitol building heated with geothermal water. Travel east of town on Warm Springs Avenue and take a tour of the Old Idaho Penitentiary (tel. 208/334-2844; www.idahohistory.net/oldpen.html), built in territorial times and holding prisoners until 1973. Also part of the Old Pen complex are the History of Electricity in Idaho Museum, the Idaho Transportation Museum, and the Museum of Mining & Geology.
Farther out, 6 miles south of I-84 Exit 50, don't miss the World Center for Birds of Prey (tel. 208/362-3716; www.peregrinefund.org), with a visitor center and injured-bird recovery area that serves as an introduction to the 500,000-acre Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (tel. 208/384-3300; www.birdsofprey.blm.gov), home to one of the nation's densest concentrations of nesting raptors along with over 250 other wildlife species.
