Tour: Swan Falls Dam

Join City Club of Boise members for a guided tour of the Swan Falls Dam site.

The Swan Falls Museum is located within the historic powerhouse which is a result of four phases of construction between 1900 and 1913. The powerhouse was decommissioned after the new plant was completed and came on-line in 1994. To mitigate decommissioning of the National Register of Historic Places-listed plant, the structure of the historic powerhouse was retained as well as some of the original power-generation equipment and interpretive displays were installed that primarily highlight the difference between constructing such a facility in 1900 vs. 1994.  After years of delays, the interpretive displays of the museum have been improved (new this year) and now feature a broader treatment of pertinent subjects including geology, birds of prey, Pre-contact Native Americans of the area, Native plants, the history of project construction, and the technology of hydroelectric production and transmission.

The tour takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. Depending on time constraints, the tour could also include a look at the nearby Swan Falls Boardinghouse (built in 1901) that housed company workers into the 1960s. The project area also features a park with a group shelter, numerous picnic tables, and public restrooms.

Tour guide: Tyrone Corn – has worked for Idaho Power Company for 18 years and has managed the cultural resource compliance needs of the Swan Falls Project for most of that time.  Ty earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Idaho – a long time ago.

When: Saturday, May 18, 2024 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Where: Swan Falls Dam https://www.google.com/maps/dir//43.242749,-116.376353/@43.2425708,-116.4587077,12z?entry=ttu

The site is located along the Snake River about 20 miles south of Kuna, Idaho.

All participants are required to wear comfortable closed toed shoes (no heels).

Plenty of parking is located near the restroom, which is where we'll begin our tour.