Some of the best places in Idaho hide where you least expect them, and this one waits in the basement of a college science hall. Behind a locked-looking door sits a collection of fossils, gemstones, insects, and hands-on touch zones that keep kids talking long after they leave.
It costs nothing to walk in, which makes the payoff feel almost sneaky. If you love finding a spot most people drive right past, this Caldwell gem belongs on your list.
A Hidden Collection Beneath Boone Hall
Tucked into the lower level of Boone Hall on the College of Idaho campus, this museum rewards anyone willing to look past its plain front door. You reach it through the basement, and first-timers often can’t believe how much fits into the space once they step inside.
Taxidermied animals line one wall as you enter, and a small counter of rocks and shirts sits nearby. From there a hallway opens onto room after room of specimens, each one labeled and explained…