Highest-rated specialty museums in Idaho by visitors

In 1683, Elias Ashmole, an Oxford graduate and true polymath, founded the Ashmolean, the modern world's first public museum. Stocked with his private collection of artifacts, curios, and special scientific equipment, the goal of the museum was to create a center for practical research and the advancement of knowledge. This, Ashmole felt, was a goal "very necessary to humaine life, health [and] the conveniences thereof."

According to figures from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, there are more than 35,000 museums in the United States today. Their collections encompass everything from modern art, like at the MoMA in New York City, to mustard, like at the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, and everything in between.

Museums are anchors of our communities. The American Alliance of Museums reports that museums support more than 725,000 jobs and contribute upwards of $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Three-quarters of Americans agree that museums are an important part of our civil society and have an important role in promoting knowledge and civic engagement.

Beyond their educational and economic significance, museums are just plain fun. Whether you have a developed interest in natural history or just want to learn a little bit more about funerary history (the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston), there's sure to be a museum that strikes your interest. There's simply nothing else quite like spending an afternoon learning about famous figures, arts and crafts, military history, or what else you fancy.

Here, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated specialty museums in Idaho on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 13, 2025. Keep reading to see what unique museums are in your home state. Then, make sure to plan a visit. With many museums facing funding cuts due to the current administration's efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, who's to say how much longer these treasure troves will be available to us?

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#22. Lemhi Historical Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (31 reviews)
- City: Salmon
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#21. Jack O'Connor Center

- Rating: 4.0/5 (26 reviews)
- City: Lewiston
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#20. Wood River Museum of History and Culture

- Rating: 4.1/5 (38 reviews)
- City: Ketchum
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#19. Bannock County Historical Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (35 reviews)
- City: Pocatello
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#18. Lawson's Emu-Z-um

- Rating: 4.9/5 (28 reviews)
- City: Grand View
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#17. Lewis and Clark Discovery Center

- Rating: 4.3/5 (20 reviews)
- City: Lewiston
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#16. Northern Pacific Depot

- Rating: 4.6/5 (86 reviews)
- City: Wallace
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#15. Nez Perce County Historical Society & Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (48 reviews)
- City: Lewiston
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#14. Monastery of St Gertrude

- Rating: 4.8/5 (47 reviews)
- City: Cottonwood
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#13. Legacy Flight Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (36 reviews)
- City: Rexburg
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#12. Herrett Center for Arts and Science

- Rating: 4.6/5 (42 reviews)
- City: Twin Falls
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#11. Teton Geotourism Center

- Rating: 4.8/5 (42 reviews)
- City: Driggs
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#10. Cleo's Ferry Museum and Nature Trail

- Rating: 4.0/5 (33 reviews)
- City: Melba
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#9. Wallace Mining Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (95 reviews)
- City: Wallace
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#8. Oasis Bordello Museum

- Rating: 4.2/5 (128 reviews)
- City: Wallace
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#7. Experimental Breeder Reactor No. 1 (EBR-I) Atomic Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (237 reviews)
- City: Arco
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#6. Basque Museum & Cultural Center

- Rating: 4.5/5 (216 reviews)
- City: Boise
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#5. Collector Corner Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (94 reviews)
- City: not available
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#4. Museum of Idaho

- Rating: 4.4/5 (329 reviews)
- City: not available
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#3. Museum of Clean

- Rating: 4.7/5 (273 reviews)
- City: Pocatello
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#2. Idaho Potato Museum

- Rating: 4.2/5 (383 reviews)
- City: Blackfoot
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#1. Warhawk Air Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (266 reviews)
- City: Nampa
- Read more on Tripadvisor

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Madison Troyer, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.