Boise tourist information

Popular tourist attractions to visit include Downtown Boise/Main Street, Roaring Springs Water Park, Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, Thunder Mountain Line Scenic Idaho Train Rides, and Idaho Historical Museum.

Boise is the capital and largest city in the state of Idaho. Boise was given its name after French-Canadian trappers first explored the area after crossing the arid plains. Finding green trees at the site, they named it boisé (meaning "wooded"). Boise has consequently been given the nickname City of Trees. Boise was settled in 1863, and incorporated as a city in 1864. The first capital of Idaho was Lewiston, but Boise replaced it in 1865. As of the 2000 census, Boise's population was 185,787. Downtown Boise is at an elevation of 2,704 feet above sea level.

Boise is the headquarters for several major companies, such as Morrison Knudsen Engineering, Micron Technology, Albertsons (a major supermarket chain now owned by SuperValu), the J.R. Simplot Company, and TJ Int'l. Other major industries are headquartered in Boise or have large manufacturing facilities there. High Tech industries are becoming increasingly vital to Boise's economy. State government is one of the cities main employers, as it is the capital city for Idaho.

Boise is the county seat of Ada County and the principal city of the Boise metropolitan area.

Boise has grown considerably in recent years and is now comparable in size to other major cities in the United States such as Tacoma, Des Moines, Tulsa, and Providence.

Downtown Boise is Boise's cultural center and home to many small businesses and a few sky scrapers. Downtown Boise has a wide array of shopping and dining opportunities. Centrally, 8th street contains a fairly large pedestrian zone which with its street side cafes and restaurants lends Boise a slightly European feel.

A new development, called BODO (Boise Downtown) was developed to revamp the 8th Street Marketplace, with new residental and business buildings, and a more central shopping area. It is slated to be complete around 2006, but with a new theater complex, popular restaurant chains such as P. F. Changs, and new high end boutiques and retail stores already in place, this area of downtown is becoming the newest hotspot in Boise. Boise officials, however, have yet to address the fact that "bodoh" in Malay translates to stupid, and any ramifications this fact may have on the development's future.

Downtown Boise's economy has been threatened by extensive growth around the Boise Towne Square Mall and an increasing number of shopping centers which have sprung up around new housing developments. Events such as Alive-after-Five and First Thursday have been created to combat this trend.

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