Old Idaho State Penitentiary, Boise

It’s one of those weird combinations that really work. Both the Old Idaho Territorial Penitentiary, one of only four territorial penitentiaries still standing in the U.S., and the Idaho Botanical Garden, where there are actually 14 different gardens, are worth a visit. Put them next to each other—roses exploding in front of towering sandstone prison walls—and they’re worth a full morning or afternoon. Check out the nation’s largest collection of historic arms and military memorabilia at the Old Pen and then take a turn on the botanical garden’s meditation labyrinth, modeled after the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France, or stroll through the garden’s peony collection or the herb garden when you stop by one of the best things to do in Boise.

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