A California Trail site of exceptional interest, the City of Rocks is a place of geological enchantment. A rock-climber's paradise, this National Historic Landmark is located 50 miles south of Burley. Today, this major Oregon Trail barrier has become an important state park and a crossing is reenacted each year. The local community hopes to build a major interpretive center someday. For an overview of Idaho history, a visit to the Idaho State Historical Museum in Boise's Julia Davis Park is a good bet.
Exhibits change periodically and special events are held throughout the year.
The names Harry Orchard and Diamondfield Jack still echo through the halls of the Old Idaho Penitentiary, a fascinating Boise tourist attraction that offers one of the most informative prison tours in the West. The last prisoners were moved from the prison in 1973. Visitors can also see the Museum of Electricity and the Idaho Transportation Museum within the walls. The Idaho Botanical Garden is located nearby. Placerville and Centerville were Idaho City's neighbors and between them, formed a rip-roaring gold mining area, rivaling anything the California '49ers created.