Idaho State Museum prepares to open after years of renovations in downtown Boise

There is a celebration planned on October 12 when the Idaho State Museum will open its doors to the public after years of renovations.

The $17 million dollar project features more than 500 artifacts, two exhibits that were influenced by the shape of Idaho and 46 multimedia exhibits that tell the story of Idaho history in unique and interesting ways.

Six on Your Side's Steve Dent got a sneak peak and was lead on a tour by executive director Janet Gallimore, make sure to check out the video.  The museum focuses on the different geographic regions in the state while focusing on the important role that water has played throughout the history of Idaho.

The museum also worked with Native American tribes for the last five years to provide accurate and respectful content.  "A great honor that we had is working with all of our federally recognized tribes," said Gallimore.

The museum also tells the stories of people and the events that shaped Idaho like the capital moving from Lewiston to Boise.  The beautiful facility features something for everybody whether people are into art, history or education while also appealing to kids.

The museum was funded through $8.9 million allocated from the state's permanent building funds and four million in an additional economic development fund appropriations through the legislature along with $4.2 million in private donations.

Major contributors included the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation, Zions Bank, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities.