Exciting things expected to come out of Museum of Idaho in next few months

You won’t be hearing the Museum of Idaho complain of space issues any longer. With more than 20,000 square feet of new space, the museum is excited to bring more of Idaho to Idaho.

“We are very often the first place that people stop when they come into Idaho for the first time,” said Jeff Carr, the director of public relations for Museum of Idaho.

The last time the museum had an expansion was in 2003. It was to the museum to bring it to its current size is today.

“Frankly we believe that this new expansion is just going to be as transformative as that one was in 2003,” Carr said.

Construction on the museum began last year and has been steadily making progress since. As of Friday, the expansion is 50 percent complete.

“If you look outside now, you’ll see the walls are mostly up, the cinder block, and you’ll start to see steel outlining the different floors,” Carr said.

A new two-story atrium will be the finished product that including a new Maeck Family Foundation Educational Center and much more room to house traveling exhibits.

“The first traveling exhibit that will fill that space is called ‘Darwin & Dinosaurs,’ Carr said. “That will open up in September.”

Once the expansion is all complete, the current space that is being used for the traveling exhibits will be dedicated to telling the stories of Idaho and the west.

“The Way out West” exhibit will be coming in 2020.

“It’s really going to be able to tell a broader, thoughtful story about what this region is and really means then we’ve ever been able to do before,” Carr said.

That means it will almost triple the space for Idaho and regional exhibits. With the open space you’ll be able to say hello to an old friend.

“The mammoth has been behind a wall for more than 10 years but, fortunately, finally we’re going to have the space to bring it out,” Carr said. “It’ll be a centerpiece of the main gallery when you walk in.”

But even with all of this exciting stuff coming to the museum in the next few months, the museum still has some things up its sleeve.

“For all those out there who loved ‘bodies,’ you are not going to want to miss what’s coming next,” said Carr. “It’s a little bit similar but probably even better. That’s all I’m allowed to say.”

Those of you who have been to the museum recently and saw the parking, Carr said it will get better. After construction on the expansion, parking will be even easier with an added 95 spots to use.

Construction with the expansion is expected to be done in September.