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Boise Depot to mark 100th anniversary with four days of public events in April
Summary
City staff described a four‑day centennial celebration at the Boise Depot April 13–16, including family activities, exhibits, nightly projections, and a themed birthday event on April 16.
City communications staff told the Boise Parks and Recreation Commission the Boise Depot will celebrate its 100th anniversary with four days of public events from Sunday, April 13 through Wednesday, April 16, the depot’s original opening date in 1925.
Bonnie Shelton, Superintendent of Communications and Marketing, said the goal for the celebration is to make events “free, accessible, and fun,” and to offer multiple ways for the public to engage with the depot’s history and future. “The depot turns 100 in April,” Shelton said, outlining a family day with model trains and bilingual tours, a day of tours, a live podcast recording and pop‑ups, and a Wednesday evening Roaring 1920s themed birthday celebration with a cake, a toast and a performance by the BSU jazz band.
Shelton described archival exhibits prepared by the arts and history team, nightly stop‑motion animated projections created by local artists, commemorative posters and merchandise (with proceeds earmarked for depot restoration), and planned accessibility services including Spanish tours and ASL interpretation. She said staff are coordinating with Union Pacific and Amtrak and have reached out to neighborhood groups such as Morris the Depot Bunch; staff also requested a possible steam‑engine visit but said a train visit depends on external scheduling and costs.
On logistics, Shelton said the city is working on a parking and shuttle plan that will run shuttles from Anne Morrison Park on Sunday and Wednesday night at roughly 15‑minute headways to reduce parking pressure, and that a marketing campaign will ramp up in March with a webpage on cityofBoise.org providing event details and maps. Shelton said arts and history staff will collect oral histories and archive materials gathered for the centennial.
Commissioners praised the plan and encouraged measures to incentivize walking and biking to the event; Shelton said staff are prioritizing shuttles, bike/walk options and coordination with public works for building maintenance and accessibility during the celebration.
