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Group Travel Guide
Boise, Idaho
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by Jaron Balgaard
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Boise offers the culture and entertainment of a large urban area in a
place that feels a little like everyone's hometown. Groups can enjoy a
variety of cultural performances and festivals or visit the
city's many museums |
including a nature center and river observatory, territorial penitentiary, science center, historical and
art museums, and the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial. Nearby wineries
offer tours and tastings and outdoor recreation is plentiful along the area's scenic byways.
Themed Boise itineraries are available from the Bureau and make planning a cinch. Make plans to visit Boise soon!
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Top Attractions: |
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The Basque Museum & Cultural Center provides a glimpse into the history of Boise. Founded in 1985 with the purpose of celebrating the town's heritage, this museum is a testament to the immigration from the Spanish Basque Region to the Boise area in the early 20th century. Follow the tour of the museum with an authentic Basque meal served family-style while enjoying the colorful Oinkari Basque Dancers.
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The World Center
for Birds of Prey is a foundation which was founded in 1970 in order to save
the endangered Peregrine Falcon. After successfully learning how to breed
the Peregrine Falcon and release them into the wild, the small |
foundation soon became much larger and now is working with all birds of prey in an effort for conservation. The Velma Morrison Interpretive Center at the World Center for Birds of Prey is a place where you can learn about raptors through interactive displays, multi-media shows, and close-up views of a wide variety of birds of prey.
The Boise Tour Train travels around the city of Boise in a 1800s-style locomotive giving a detailed history of the town explaining everything from the gold rush to the modern day architecture.
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The train has been educating people about the history of Idaho since 1980, providing a fun and informative experience.
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| Click here for more information about Attractions in Boise |
| Top Festivals and Events: |
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The Capital City
Public Market runs from mid-April to late October every year and provides an
opportunity for consumers to purchase fresh foods and other goods directly
from the producer. Local farmers and other producers gather everyday in a
central location in |
downtown Boise, making for a unique and fun shopping experience.
Experience the arts like you never have before at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, an acting organization that is dedicated to performing the best plays the English Language has to offer and continuing to further the arts. Located on the Boise River, the Festival boasts a beautiful view from its state-of-the-art outdoor amphitheatre of the river and habitat reserve.
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Each year the Julia Davis Regional Park near Downtown Boise plays host to Art in the Park where local artists as well as artists from around the nation come to sell their work. Art in the Park is a great way to buy and admire the art as well as the beautiful outdoors.
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| Click here for more information about Festivals and Events in Boise |
| Arts and Culture: |
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There are many museums in Boise that are dedicated to region's history. The Idaho Historical Museum gives an overview of the state and its inhabitants, the Idaho Military History Museum details the state's military history from the 1860s to the present and the Museum of Mining and Geology provides a colorful history of the state's fascinating geological features. You can even learn about Old West prison life at the Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site and walk through its beautiful gardens.
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The Anne Frank
Human Rights Memorial was founded in 1995 after the "Anne Frank and World
Exhibit" visited Idaho and became a huge success attracting over 46,000
visitors. The Memorial is an educational park meant
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to be
aesthetically pleasing and to stand as a testimony to the beauty of the human
soul and the perseverance of the spirit in the midst of immense suffering. The
Memorial is located in the center of Boise's cultural district and has become an
essential part to the community.
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Sense of Adventure: |
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The Boise Foothills and River provide an amazing opportunity for adventure with their many hiking and biking trails and river expeditions. Boise River Tours or Cascade Raft and Kayak offer many kinds of river tours including whitewater rafting. Idaho has more river miles than any other U.S. state and was the first state to offer commercial rafting tours. Idaho's natural resources offer an endless amount of adventure through camping, hiking, fishing, rafting, skiing, etc.
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Tee Time:
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There are over
twenty golf courses in the Boise area most of which are full, 18-hole
courses. Two courses that stand out in the Boise area are The Sun Valley
Resort |
Golf Course, which
consistently ranks among the nation's top resort courses and was ranked #1 in
Idaho by Golf Digest, and Circling Raven Golf Club, which was named in the "Top
Ten" that you can play by Golf Magazine.
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Culinary Scene: |
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There is a wide variety of dining options in the Boise. The area offers several unique and luxurious restaurants such as Andrae's, a French restaurant serving fine cuisine and some of the finest wines in the U.S., or the Milky Way, a contemporary American restaurant which, within weeks of opening, earned the only four-star rating given by the local newspaper, the Idaho Statesmen. You can also find authentic Northwest atmosphere and food at a place like Cottonwood Grill, which is located right on the Boise River.
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| Click here for more information on the Culinary Scene in Boise |
| Group Hotel Rooms: |
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There are more than 4,600 rooms in over 58 different facilities in Boise which range from small inns to large, modern complexes with convention facilities - luxury suites and all the amenities to small, economy-minded, family-owned motels. Most of the larger facilities are close to downtown Boise and offer shuttle services.
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| Click here to find the best Group Hotel rates in Boise |
| Fast Facts: |
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Getting there (flight times):
Denver, Colo.: 1 hour 42 minutes
Chicago, Ill.: 3 hours 19 minutes
Los Angeles, Calif.: 2 hours 11 minutes
Phoenix, Ariz.: 2 hours 1 minute
Salt Lake City, Utah: 1 hour
Seattle, Wash.: 1 hour 20 minutes
Here to There:
The Boise Airport is just south of Highway 84 on the southern part of the city. The airport offers taxis, buses and shuttles from the airport to the city and area hotels.
Population: 185,787
Land Area: 64 square miles
Average Temperatures:
Spring: 44o-67o
Summer: 56o-84o
Fall: 37o-57o
Winter: 28o-43o
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| Don't leave without: |
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Visiting the Warhawk Air Museum, which displays rare and unusual World War II aviation artifacts in its 20,000 sq. ft. facility. The museum contains WWII airplanes, war memorabilia, which include ration books, letters, mother's flags and "victory puzzles", and artifacts and also is home to the two P-40s that were used in the film, Pearl Harbor.
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