Tour guide Rob was fantastic! It only took us 12+ years to visit Boise Depot. Don't wait to take an engaging free tour and hear the fascinating history of railways in Boise dating back to 1887 (in current location since 1925). We had a small group at noon on March 22, 2026 and Rob was great about answering our many questions and curiosities! His next tour at 1:30pm was huge so we were lucky to have a more intimate gathering! Now I need to figure out a reason to have a party there and rent the space. So cool. read more

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The Boise Depot is a historic Spanish-style structure operated by the Boise Parks & Recreation Department as a public ceremonial or meeting space & historic site. It was designed by NY architects & opened in 1925. However it was closed when we arrived Monday at 10:30 we came back in the afternoon and walked inside. We took the elevator up to the bell tower for city views. The Great Hall is a 3,542-sq ft multi-story atrium that once was the stations waiting room. Ten original benches line the walls of the Great Hall holding 300 standing & 165 seated people.. hours are limited because this venue is rented out The original 1925 Barkalow Brothers Newsstand is featured on the west wall. The newsstand has been slightly restored but remains in its' original form. This area is great for a buffet or display. The Great Halls' ceiling is lined with Spanish trusses, each imprinted with antique locomotives. The famous Platt Gardens are here. read more

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ALL ABOARD The Boise Train Depot is a must visit. This beautiful historic Spanish-style structure has been fully restored. It's also available to rent for your next event or meeting. The building was designed by New York architects and it opened in 1925. It's location is a focal point in the capital city. There's even a steam engine called Big Mike on display. He's retired but I'm sure he could still run. I was amazed to see the restored BARKALOW BROS. CO. Newsstand. It closed in 1962 due to a decline in rail passenger traffic. At its height, they had 1200 locations. Union Pacific had ordered that all the stands be torn out but the locals in Boise decided to sheet rock it in forever entombing this piece of history. During restoration it was discovered by the crew and was eventually restored to its full glamour. I was told that only three of these kiosks still stand in the United States. It's a unique part of history. There's also a 96 foot bell tower. The best news is they installed an elevator so you don't have to climb stairs. There's great views of Boise from up here. Once a bustling hub for train travel, their was a decline in usage. The last Portland Rose passenger train left the depot station in 1971. It's a great free activity but it's only open on Sunday and Monday from 11am to 5pm. We got lucky as we we decided to visit on a Monday. read more

The Boise Depot in downtown Boise is a remodeled train station from 1925 that now is open for tours and private parties & events. Sitting atop a hill, the Boise Depot allows for beautiful views of the city along with an up close look at this station and a restored locomotive. It is a serene and quiet place where you can take a load off and overlook Boise. Unfortunately we couldn't go inside as there was a private event taking place but the grounds are nice and the views are wonderful read more

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My son loves trains so we stopped by the Boise Depot. The trains don't run here anymore but there was one posted outside. You can take an elevator ride up to the tower and get a beautiful view of the capitol and downtown Boise. In front of the depot is a beautiful garden and waterfall. read more

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The Union Pacific Railroad constructed Boise Depot in 1925; in that same year, train service began between Boise Idaho, Portland Oregon, and Chicago Illinois. In 1990, Boise-based the Morrison-Knudsen Corporation bought the depot and then renovated the property to its original condition.  The City of Boise acquired the Depot in 1996 and subsequently opened it to the public for special events and tours. Flash-forward to the present day.  The Depot is an interesting piece of local history and a good place to visit, except for a couple of big drawbacks: - The Depot is only open two afternoon a week (Sunday and Monday) - There's only one train  Despite the drawbacks, the Depot's building is quite beautiful, and it's got an outstanding view of both the Capital and downtown Boise.  The grounds are very well maintained, and it's totally worth dropping by for a look-see if you're anywhere in the neighborhood. read more

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This place is really neat to stop by on the weekend, especially with family. Inside is train and depot memorabilia and antiques. Admission is free. Take the ride up the elevator to the top and enjoy an amazing panoramic view of downtown. Including a direct shot down Capitol Blvd looking at the Capitol Bldg with the foothills in the background. Perfect photo op! read more

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Excellent tour. Great tour guides. Very knowledgable. Highly recommended. About an hour long.

The Boise Depot is a former train station and is on the list of National Register of Historic Places. It is a prominent landmark of Boise. We came on a Saturday, so it was closed. It is open to the public Sundays and Mondays from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. There were a lot of dressy high schoolers and their parents taking pictures. Homecoming? Anyways... Even though we didn't get to go inside, we enjoyed the view of downtown Boise from here. You can even see the Capitol building. The Platt Gardens located on site was also nice. It was a quick stop. read more

Sooooo, as you can assume, Boise Idaho is a tiny little city and there isn't a whole lot to do and experience. I think you could easily do the whole city in a day, maybe a day and a half. But it's a quaint little place. So the Boise Depot is probably one of those places you will definitely visit in your stay here. It is a historic railway station (that is no longer running, or at least was not when I visited). The entire station is beautifully preserved and has a lot of information about both Boise Depot and the Boise area. As someone from Philly/ the east coast, it was interesting to learn about a place whose history does not go that far back and therefore is much more well documented. The depot is up on a hill, so you get some great views of the city below when you climb up here, so make sure to come and get some Instagram-worthy proof that you really did visit Boise, Idaho. read more

Boise Depot - View from the top, all of Boise before you! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Beautiful historic train depot with a real working train track out back. Although it's no longer used for passenger trains, it is still a really beautiful tourist location with great vista views of the Treasure Valley. We got to go up to the bell tower which was a real treat and enjoyed the views from high up. The park and rec tour guide was a kindly older gentleman who told us a bit of history about the train depot and Boise. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Boise. read more

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A nice place to see panoramic downtown. Friendly staff and we went over on a Sunday and it's free! One of the places to see when in Boise.

The Boise Depot, with its white sandstone exterior and Spanish tiled roof and trusses, is one of Boise's gems. The building, which opened in 1925, was designed by Shreve & Lamb, the New York architects who designed the Empire State Building. At the time, the company was a division of Carrère and Hastings, a prestigious firm that designed the New York Public Library, the Standard Oil Building and the Russell Senate Office Building and the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater in Washington, D.C. The entrance required 140,000 pounds of sandstone, which had to redone when the depot was refurbished between 1990 and 1993 by the Morrison-Knudsen Corp. From the depot, located on the south end of Capital Boulevard, you can see into downtown Boise and the Capitol. The outside of the depot is always open. The interior is open Sundays and Mondays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more details and information about tours, go to http://bit.ly/1tFHYo0. read more

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Atmosphere: A real since of history is felt at this location. Nicely tucked away on a hill which overseas downtown Boise. The steps to the depot makes a lovely place for photography. Beautiful small park surrounding the Depot, along with gorgeous housing. Inside of the depot, you'll enter another historical site. The feeling is the same, you're overcome with richness. There are some neat artifacts which again enriches the environment. There are two levels. The upper level which has one room, and it is casually tucked away. The bell tower is pretty awesome too! Staff: I wish I had the guys name, but I forgot to get it. He was the tour guide. He was absolutely wonderful. He was knowledgeable, funny, and easy to follow. The only downfall was I wanted to learn more. Prices: Free on Sunday's and Mondays to public. Donations accepted. Location: Boise Depot, 2603 W Eastover Terrace, Boise, ID 83706 Parking / Venue: The parking area was surprisingly small, but accommodated for the Sunday crowd. Restroom cleanliness? Sorry! I didn't have the opportunity to visit the women's restroom. My husband said the men's restroom was surprisingly big, and clean for a men's restroom. Food/ beverages offered? Sorry, no. Specialities / what "they" are known for? Historical site, wedding venue. Star rating: I rarely give out a 5 , however the tour guide really stole the show. More importantly Would we ever go back? Yes! The 1.5 hr of information was a great wealth of knowledge. I walked away know more information and have a greater appreciation for the Railroad industry. read more

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I went to the Boise Depot today for the first time ever! I was there for 2 reasons. #1...my good friend just got engaged and I went with her to tour the venue to see if it was going to be where she got married. We had a meeting scheduled to tour the entire place. Our guide was really helpful and kind. He offered a ton of information and tips on how to make the wedding extra special. He was able to take us up to the top of the bell tower to look at the stunning views of the entire valley. The inside of the station is just beautiful! There are a bunch of displays with old memorabilia like an entire dining car set up with fine china and silverware. Old benches line the depot and the beams are beautifully hand painted. Needless to say, she booked her wedding! I can't wait to see it next year. #2 reason that I was here was my husbands band needed new photos taken. They were able to get some awesome pictures on the train tracks and around the entire facility. There is just so much ascetically that is available here. I think I want to do family photos here. The only negative was the goose poop. They have stairs that lead around 2 water features and the steps were just covered! It actually was slippery in several places. I saw a little kid slip on the poop and end up with it on his clothes and hands. Kinda gross. But that was the ONLY negative thing that I have to say. They offer free tours daily and the bell in the tower still rings at 8am, noon, & 5pm. It is somewhere that I highly recommend you check out! It's neat for both visitors and locals. read more

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If you live in Boise or even visited, you cannot miss going to this cool landmark! Not only you get to enjoy the overlooking downtown but the entire place is just great! The pond, the railroad track, the train. If you come here during Spring, they have wonderful array of flower displayed (This year though, I don't see any which was weird) No wonder people are flocking & do their weddings & photos here, such a beautiful scenery! If you haven't done a tour inside the building, I suggest you should! Great to know the history & the cool stuff that they kept & preserved. Also go climb the tower & maybe ring the bell? I'm not sure if I did try to ring it or somebody did lol. I definitely want to do another tour inside! Great place to just hang out with family, read a book, picnic, relax! read more

Boise Depot - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Boise, Idaho

I've been to the Depot a few times during my 3 years in Boise, but this past weekend was the first time I was able to go inside. There is so much history to be found here, and my mom and I had a great time exploring the grounds (inside and out). A gentleman that worked for the city even offered to take us up the bell tower! He seemed to know everything about the Depot, and offered up some cool facts about the building and its past. Great views from the bell tower, too! And of course, great views of downtown from the grounds. I believe they only do tours the first Sunday and Monday of the month, but be sure to check online! read more

Boise Depot - Gorgeous Sunday afternoon at the Depot! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Boise, Idaho

The Boise Depot is a beautiful landmark in the city of Boise. Free on Sunday's, you can tour the facility that once operated as Boise's major transportation hub. Plus, if you have an interest in trains, there are some real trains on display outside! The history of this place is amazing. Definitely check out the landmark that is arguably must "Boise", second only to the Capitol. read more

Looking to get a view of the city and we had limited time. We figured we'd wander up the road from our hotel and check the place out. It's basically a rental hall but open to the public on Sunday's and Mondays AND has a nice bell tower with an elevator to the top. We got a great view of the city and some info on the history of the railroad station. Well worth a visit for anyone who has an interest in history or wants a view of the city. read more

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Great place to come check out if your out of state. You get a beautiful view of boise

The Boise Depot is the old train depot where the trains would drop off passengers and supplies during the gold rush at the turn of the century. The building is like a mini version of LA's Grand Central Station in downtown, with its handpainted beams, old train benches, and the wooden ticket counter. There's also a bell tower on one side of the building that you can take an elevator up to the top, with some great views of the city. Even at the ground floor, the Depot sits on the top of the hill, and you can see all the way to the State Capital. read more

Great place to take the family on an outing and picnic. Make sure you go on a day with no private events and when the depot (inside) is open. Very cool Boise history in there. The inside is a deco deco dream, lots of real wood and some leftovers from when it was a working depot. read more

Boise Depot - East side looking west - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Boise, Idaho

I had a friend visiting from Portland over the VERY weekend that was celebrating the 91st birthday of The Depot. What a great opportunity not only to see some beauty in Boise but to share some history. I had never had the pleasure of being inside the building before- it is amazing. Lovingly restored and cared for with so much history. I could almost hear the train whistle. The beautiful weather on the day we were there was not lost on us either. I enjoy taking visitors to the depot whenever I can, but this last visit was extra special! read more

Very beautiful! I always love coming here, even as a kid! Great place for pictures! Usually lots of parking and not too busy! The koi fish pond is wonderful and neat to look at!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

A nicely-done, albeit somewhat underwhelming historical marker. Great views to the north, from the tower, of downtown Boise and the mountains beyond. Free of charge, but limited hours of operation. The interior is well-maintained, and has a train outside, too. read more

Nailbanger Here Again:We went on a Night in December that admission was free. They were having a gift drive for Christmas. Free Public Hours Walk In Sun and Mon - Fri 11 AM -5 PM. Closed legal Holiday`s. Allow plenty of time 1-3 hours. Plenty of parking and clean restrooms.This old Train Station has lot of nostalgia.You can take the stairs or they have an 9 person elevator to the top of the Bell Tower that ring 3 times a day read more