Best things to do in Boise

A lush greenspace, Boise River Greenbelt stretches over 32 km (20 mi). This once-neglected space was once used for dumping trash. In the 1960s, the city began transforming it for recreation. The greenbelt now stretches from Lucky Peak Dam to just past Eagle Road. Its trails are used for leisure by cyclists, joggers, and walkers. It's also an alternative commuter trail. Much of the trail is paved, but cars are prohibited. The tree-lined greenbelt winds through numerous riverside parks, communities, and wildlife habitats, as well as past landmarks, such as the Anne Frank and Human Rights Memorial.

Experience what prison life was like for the most notorious criminals of Idaho's "Wild West" and the guards that worked there at Old Idaho Penitentiary. The prison first received inmates in 1872 and remained a functioning prison for 101 years, housing a total of 13,000 inmates. Walk through buildings like the dining hall, women's ward, and the maximum security area--Cell House 5--which served as Death Row. If you are feeling brave, lock yourself into one of the solitary confinement cells to better understand the harsh conditions of the prison's past. You can also take a guided tour. The facility is home to multiple exhibits, notably the J. Curtis Earl Memorial Exhibit of Arms and Armaments, which features one of the nation's largest collections of military history from Medieval times, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, and World War II.

The Idaho State Capitol in Boise is the home of the government of the state of Idaho. Although Lewiston, Idaho, briefly served as Idaho's capital from the formation of Idaho Territory in 1863, the territorial Legislature moved the capital to Boise on December 24, 1864.
Construction of the first portion of the capitol building began in the summer of 1905, 15 years after Idaho gained statehood. Architects were John E. Tourtellotte and Charles Hummel. Tourtellotte was a Connecticut native whose career began in Massachusetts and skyrocketed further when he moved to Boise. Hummel was a German immigrant who partnered with Tourtellotte in 1903. The final cost of the building was just over $2 million; it was completed in 1920. The architects used varied materials to construct the building and their design was inspired by Classical examples.
Tourtellotte and Hummel used four types of marble: red marble from Georgia, gray marble from Alaska, green marble from Vermont, and black marble from Italy. Architectural inspirations included St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, St Paul's Cathedral in London and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The most prominent feature of the capitol is its dome. Surmounting this dome is a bronze eagle, 5ft tall. The capitol building is 208ft high, occupies an area of 201720sqft, and contains over 50000sqft of artistically carved marble.

The Idaho Botanical Garden (IBG) is a nonprofit botanical garden located on 50 acres (200,000 m2) at 2355 North Old Penitentiary Road, Boise, Idaho, United States. Until 1973 the site served as the Old Idaho State Penitentiary's farm and nursery. After the penitentiary was closed, the land lay dormant for more than a decade, and in 1984 the gardens were first created. The facility is operated by a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. To help fund the garden, an admission fee is charged for entry.

The World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, is the headquarters for The Peregrine Fund, an international non-profit organization founded in 1970 that conserves endangered raptors around the world.
Built 38 years ago in 1984, the World Center for Birds of Prey is located on 580 acres (2.3 km2) on a hilltop overlooking Boise, south of the airport and east of Kuna. The campus consists of the business offices of The Peregrine Fund, breeding facilities for endangered raptors, the Velma Morrison Interpretive Center, and the Herrick Collections Building, which houses a large research library and the Archives of Falconry.

The Peregrine Fund is known for its worldwide conservation and recovery efforts of rare and endangered raptors. The organization's first recovery effort focused on the peregrine falcon, which was facing extinction due to the widespread use of the chemical DDT. The peregrine falcon was removed from the U.S. Endangered Species list in 1999 at an international celebration held in Boise.

The Warhawk Air Museum is an aviation museum located in Nampa, Idaho.

Julia Davis Park is a municipal park in the downtown region of Boise, Idaho. Created in 1907 with a land donation from Thomas Jefferson Davis, it is the first park in the "String of Pearls", the group of parks operated by the Boise Parks and Recreation Department that are located along the Boise River. Being centrally located in Boise, the park contains several prominent sites, including museums such as the Boise Art Museum, the Idaho Historical Museum, and the Idaho Black History Museum, as well as other attractions like Zoo Boise, the Idaho Rose Society, and the Gene Harris Band Shell. The Boise River Greenbelt runs through the park, which is bordered by Broadway Avenue to the east, Capital Boulevard to the west, the Boise River to the south, and Myrtle Street to the north. Other amenities at Julia Davis Park include river access, statues, a rose garden, a playground and tennis court, a pond with paddle boat rentals, and a pedestrian bridge that connects the park to Boise State University.

Camel's Back Park is an 11-acre (4.5 ha) urban park in Boise, Idaho, managed by the Boise Parks and Recreation Department. The park includes picnic tables, play areas, an outdoor gym, practice fields, and facilities for tennis and volleyball. The park is adjacent to the 63-acre (25 ha) Camel's Back Reserve and the 292-acre (118 ha) Hulls Gulch Reserve.