When you’re in Idaho, it’s hard not to think about potatoes. One of the best places to explore this fascination is the Idaho Potato Museum.
This charming museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of potatoes, from their historical roots to their cultural significance.
It’s a compact yet fascinating visit, and definitely worth it for potato lovers of all ages. You can even enjoy some delicious potato cuisine while you’re there.
Below, I’ll share everything you need to know for your visit, based on our experience.
Table of Contents
What is the Idaho Potato Museum?
The Idaho Potato Museum is a unique museum dedicated to the history and significance of potatoes, particularly the famous Idaho potato. Located in Blackfoot, Idaho, the museum offers exhibits on the history of potato farming, the development of potato-related technology, and the cultural impact of potatoes.
It features a variety of displays, including antique farming equipment, historical photos, and information on potato varieties. The museum also has interactive exhibits and educational resources for visitors of all ages. Additionally, it’s a place where you can actually chow down on fresh (and fully loaded) Idaho baked potatoes!
Where is the Idaho Potato Museum?
The Idaho Potato Museum is located in Blackfoot, Idaho, in the southeastern part of the state. The city is known as
“The Potato Capital of the World.”
Proximity to Major Cities:
- Idaho Falls, ID: Approximately 30 miles (about a 30-minute drive) to the north.
- Pocatello, ID: Roughly 25 miles (about a 30-minute drive) to the south.
- Boise, ID: About 250 miles (around a 4-hour drive) to the west.
When to Visit the Idaho Potato Museum
The Idaho Potato Museum is only open during the summer and here are the hours:
- September to May: Monday – Saturday 9:30 am to 5:00 pm.
- June, July and August: Monday – Saturday 9:30 am to 7:00 pm and Sunday 9:30 am to 5 pm.
Tickets were only $8.
Our visit to the Idaho Potato Museum
The museum is inside of a former train depot that was built in 1912 (the old Oregon Short Line Railroad Depot). It was once a bustling center and some of the original components of the building are still there today.
Overall, it’s a pretty compact museum but it still has some interesting and well done exhibits to keep you legitimately interested for up to about an hour. It’s not a tourist trap situation in case you were wondering.
You’ll be able to learn all about things like the history of the potato, the growing and harvesting process, nutrition, and lots of random trivia. You’ll also get a nice view of lots of the different types of equipment that have been used in the potato industry for decades.
One cool thing about the museum is its diverse range of exhibits. You can see artifacts ranging from ancient times in South America, like the “Potato God,” to the world’s largest crisp (verified by the Guinness World Records).
There’s a small video section where you can select different videos to play on demand and learned about things like how McDonald’s make their fries and whether or not they use “real” potatoes.
Another interactive highlight is the VR headsets. You can put one of these on and see exactly what it would be like to be working the potato fields in one of the tractors.
Some of the pop culture related exhibits were interesting like seeing all of the different versions of Mr. Potato Head and how potatoes somehow made their way into super hero stories.
You can also make your own creation.
Then, you can cap your visit off with one of the major highlights of the experience which is dining at the café.
At the café, you can enjoy fresh baked potatoes which you can keep simple with just melted butter or you can go with the potato bar and dress up your potato with all the works.
Tip: Ask about the special topping of the day!
They also serve some delicious sides, like cheesy tater tots and tater dollars—think of them as really thick, soft potato chips. Just be prepared to go a little overboard with your starches and give yourself permission to indulge!
Finally, don’t miss out on some of the specialty sodas they have like huckleberry cream soda. I’m not a soda drinker but that was phenomenal.
Tip: On the website, they mention ordering your food two hours in advance so it might be worth stopping by the Kathye first if it’s really busy but in our case people were ordering right when they arrived and there was no issue.
Final word
For the potato lover, this is a must visit. It’s a modest museum but yet still well done and jam-packed with a lot of information that you will surely find interesting. And it’s always a great experience when you can cap off a museum visit with some type of local cuisine — especially when you’ve just learned so much about them!
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
