BOISE, Idaho — A hidden museum beneath Boise High School is preserving more than a century of the school’s history, even as its identity continues to evolve.
The museum sits in the basement under some of the oldest parts of the campus, which dates back to the 1880s. What was once an ROTC range and storage area is now a curated archive featuring uniforms, trophies, yearbooks and memorabilia from the school’s 123-year history.
“We are standing in the Boise High history museum,” Principal Deborah Watts said.
WATCH: Take a look inside the hidden Boise High museum preserving more than a century of campus history.
Watts said the idea for the museum emerged years ago, when the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes approached Boise High’s leadership – including then-principal Rob Thompson and district administrator Ryan Hill – asking the school to reconsider the “Boise Braves” mascot.
“After being educated on the why of why they felt like ‘Braves’ was not really an appropriate term to be using anymore, they thought, you know what, you know better, you do better,” Watts said.
The school retired the “Braves” mascot and adopted “the Brave,” now an acronym for balance, resilience, acceptance, valor and engagement. But with generations of students tied to the former name, staff did not want that history erased.
“We also want to honor our history. We want to honor where we've come from,” Watts said.
With help from volunteers, teachers, alumni and the Idaho State Historical Society, the basement space was transformed into a full museum. Inside are decades of cheer uniforms, century-old yearbooks and a hall of fame celebrating former students.
“Pretty much anything that has to do with life as a student at Boise High, we have something in the museum for that,” Watts said.
For many alumni, she said, visiting the museum feels like stepping back into their teenage years – a reminder of the school’s legacy, even after the mascot changed.
“You’re just walking through time,” she said.
The museum is open to students and staff during school hours and to the public on the first Saturday of every month.
