Old Idaho Penitentiary
.jpg?width=1600)
.jpg?width=480)
.jpg?width=480)
.jpg?width=480)
.jpg?width=480)
.jpg?width=480)
Old Idaho Penitentiary is a museum in Idaho, at a modelled elevation of 845 m. Shafer Butte stands 2,308 m to the north-northeast, 12 miles off. The nearest named place is Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology, a museum 0.1 miles away. Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway passes 4.1 miles off. 58 named summits stand within 25 miles.
The story
The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site was a functional prison from 1872 to 1973 in the western United States, east of Boise, Idaho. The first building, also known as the Territorial Prison, was constructed in the Territory of Idaho in 1870; the territory was seven years old when the prison was built, a full two decades before statehood. From its beginnings as a single cell house, the penitentiary grew to a complex of several distinctive buildings surrounded by a 17-foot-high (5.2 m) sandstone wall. The stone was quarried from the nearby ridges by the resident convicts, who also assisted in later constructions. Less than two miles (3 km) southeast of downtown Boise and near Table Rock, the Old Idaho Penitentiary is operated by the Idaho State Historical Society; the elevation of the site on Warm Springs Avenue is approximately 2,770 feet (845 m) above sea level. Dennis, a kitten found in the prison barn by an inmate in 1952 was kept in the penitentiary for sixteen years. Guards allowed him to keep Dennis even though incarcerated men were not allowed pets. Dennis roamed the yard and made friends. The guards and inmates grew to love him. In 1968, Dennis died in his sleep. The inmates performed a funeral in his honor, even providing him a headstone. Dennis is the only "inmate" buried within the prison walls.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q7084260, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What to expect
How to reach it
- 4.1 mi off the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway
- 9.7 mi off the Payette River Scenic Byway, National
- 9.8 mi off the Oregon Trail Back Country Byway
- 11.6 mi off the Western Heritage Historic Byway, National
Named places within 25 miles
- Eagle Rock Park: 0.2 mi
- Warm Springs Park: 0.6 mi
- Foothills East Park: 0.7 mi
- Parkcenter Park: 1.0 mi
- Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park: 1.0 mi
- Boise B: 0.7 mi
- Historic Interurban Trolley Mural: 1.7 mi
- Salute: 1.9 mi
- Fantasy Flora and Fauna: 2.0 mi
- Eternal Wind: 2.1 mi
- Table Rock: 1.0 mi
- Lucky Peak: 5.1 mi
- Aldape Peak: 5.6 mi
- Highland Mountain: 6.3 mi
- Eagleson Summit: 7.1 mi
- Boise B: 0.7 mi
- Oregon Trail Memorial: 1.8 mi
- Oregon Trail marker: 1.9 mi
- Oregon Trail Obelisk: Developing Roads: 2.0 mi
- Idaho Fallen Soldier Memorial: 2.0 mi
- English Garden: 0.1 mi
- Rose Garden: 0.1 mi
- Meditation Garden: 0.1 mi
- Firewise Garden: 0.1 mi
- Idaho Botanical Garden: 0.1 mi
- Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology: 0.1 mi
- Idaho museum of mining and geology: 0.1 mi
- Joseph Bown House: 1.8 mi
- Discovery Center of Idaho: 1.9 mi
- Idaho Black History Museum: 2.1 mi
- Mesa Reserve (Satz Family Plot): 0.6 mi
- Chief Eagle Eye Reserve: 0.6 mi
- Mesa Reserve: 1.0 mi
- Foothills East Reserve: 1.0 mi
- Golda Harris Nature Preserve: 1.7 mi
- Historic Broadway Block: 1.8 mi
- A-10: 4.4 mi
- Camille Beckman Factory: 13.5 mi
- Ford Idaho Center: 17.3 mi
- Marianne Williams Park Picnic Area: 2.3 mi
- Barclay Bay Picnic Area: 8.0 mi
- Sandy Point Beach: 7.2 mi
- Riverside Beach: 8.3 mi
- Blacks Creek Rest Area I-84 Westbound: 9.0 mi
- Blacks Creek Rest Area I-84 Eastbound: 9.1 mi
- Baldwin: 4.7 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Old Idaho Penitentiary. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shafer Butte | NNE 17° | 2,308 m | 12.3 mi |
| Thorn Creek Butte | ENE 64° | 2,290.572 m | 22.8 mi |
| Bald Mountain | ENE 65° | 2,279 m | 23.1 mi |
| Mores Mountain | NNE 15° | 2,202 m | 13.5 mi |
| Doe Point | NNE 17° | 2,151 m | 11.0 mi |
| Deer Point | NNE 17° | 2,150 m | 11.0 mi |
| Bob's Knob | NNE 24° | 2,024 m | 12.0 mi |
| Gardiner Peak | NNE 31° | 2,011 m | 9.8 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:49 | 19:19 | 19:57 |
| June solstice | 06:04 | 20:46 | 21:30 |
| September equinox | 07:33 | 19:06 | 19:44 |
| December solstice | 08:16 | 16:24 | 17:11 |
Local time (America/Boise).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 32 | 38 | 45 | 51 | 60 | 68 | 77 | 76 | 66 | 53 | 40 | 32 |
| Precip in | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.5 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Boise AIR Terminal, 5 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOfficial siteOpenStreetMap element way/421958184
Day trips start here
Take the scenic way to Old Idaho Penitentiary.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.