Did you know that the Idaho State Museum was recently renovated? After four years of construction, it reopened last October.

Visiting the museum with my family has been on my to-do-list since it reopened. It took longer than expected to convince some of my older kids to go, but I finally succeeded.

From the moment we entered the museum, my family was surprisingly fascinated. At the entrance, there is an interactive map with information about cities and landmarks, all over Idaho. My kids (and husband) would have been happy to play with the map for a long time, if I hadn’t urged them to go inside.

Inside, there are several floors of the museum. The bottom floor has games and toys for younger kids, including a mock train station, mining station, and multiple interactive screens. It also has personal stories and information about individuals who made an impact on Idaho’s history; from radio broadcasters to military POWs to Idaho’s first female elected officials.

The upper floors are filled with artifacts and photos from Idaho’s history (also interactive). We learned about Idaho’s Native American Tribes and the various groups of people who  first settled around the state. There is information about the history of Idaho’s mining, forestry, agriculture and recreation. My kids enjoyed playing the agriculture game and sitting in one of the first designed ski chair lifts. Did you know that the world’s first three chairlifts were designed for Sun Valley in 1936, and were owned by the Union Pacific Railroad? We didn’t.

The museum was interesting, educational and fun for my entire family. I think we will go back every year.

Have you had a chance to visit the museum? What was your favorite exhibit?