Basque Museum and Cultural Center, Boise, Guía del visitante y qué hacer cerca

The Basque Museum and Cultural Center sits on the Basque Block at 611 W Grove St in Boise, Idaho. It tells the story of the Basque people who came to the American West, and it is tied to one of the oldest surviving houses in the city. Boise is home to one of the largest Basque communities in the United States, and this block is where that heritage is easiest to see.

The story behind it

The best way into the museum's story is the building next door, the Jacobs-Uberuaga House at 607 Grove Street. Built in 1864, it is described as the oldest surviving brick home in Boise, and it still stands on its original spot. It began as a family home for the Jacobs family, a prominent Boise merchant family.

In 1910 the house passed to Basque families, first the Galdos, then the Bicandis, and from 1917 Jose and Hermenegilda Uberuaga. Until 1969 it ran as a boarding house, a home away from home for sheepherders coming down from the hills and for other newcomers far from the Basque Country. In 1983 Adelia Garro Simplot bought the house to save it, and in 1985 the Basque Museum took it over. Archaeological digs at the site have turned up objects from more than a century of daily life.

What to look for

• The old brick walls of the Jacobs-Uberuaga House are worth a slow look, especially in the evening light.
• The house still sits on its original spot, so you can see how the street grew up around a building that predates it.
• The Basque Block itself is a short stretch of street, and it rewards a walk from one end to the other to take in its character.
• Notice how the museum and the house sit side by side, one telling the wider story and the other showing how people actually lived.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes to walk the block and see the exteriors, and more if you plan to go inside the museum or house.
• Check current opening hours and tour arrangements before you go, as they change through the year.
• Late afternoon or early evening gives the brickwork a warm light and suits a wander through the surrounding streets.
• The block is in downtown Boise, so it is easy to combine with a longer walk through the city centre.

See it on a quest

Walking the Basque Block is more fun when it is one stop on a longer route. Ghost Hunt in Boise brings you to this part of town on foot, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Boise suits a mystery fan who wants to see the city streets rather than read about them. You reach the places yourself, hear the story of each, and solve a puzzle in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Boise Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. is a detective-style walk through the area. You start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join, and the app explains each place and sets a puzzle there. One ticket covers the whole group.