Idaho can take you from the proclaimed center of the universe to a landscape that looks like another planet. Along the way, there is a pioneering nuclear reactor, an oversized potato and a lava tube that keeps winter cold beneath the desert.
These five Idaho oddities offer a mix of quick stops and longer visits. One, Shoshone Ice Caves, is listed in the Directory as temporarily closed, so keep its reopening on your checklist before planning around it.
1. Shoshone Ice Caves
Shoshone, Idaho
Southern Idaho has a natural freezer beneath its lava country. At Shoshone Ice Caves, cold winter air sinks into a volcanic tube and stays trapped, helping ice survive while the desert above heats up. It is a wonderfully unlikely place to find a pocket of winter.
People once harvested ice here before mechanical refrigeration became common. Later, guided tours and constructed walkways made the cold chamber a roadside attraction. The Directory currently lists the main cave as temporarily closed while its underground walkway undergoes structural restoration. Keep this one on the future-trip list and confirm reopening before making a special journey. No reopening date should be assumed.
Explore Shoshone Ice Caves in the Oddities Directory
2. Center of the Universe
Wallace, Idaho
Wallace has skipped modest hometown claims and declared itself the Center of the Universe. An ornate manhole cover at Bank and Sixth streets marks the spot. The town’s argument is delightfully stubborn: if nobody can prove where the center is, who can prove it is not here?
The proclamation dates to 2004 and grew out of a local dispute over environmental cleanup and probabilistic reasoning. Mining symbols on the cover bring the cosmic joke back to the town’s silver history. Viewing is free, and the historic downtown makes a pleasant setting for the stop. The marker sits in an active roadway, so stay alert and use nearby sidewalks for photographs when traffic is present.
Explore Center of the Universe in the Oddities Directory
3. Experimental Breeder Reactor I
Near Arco, Idaho
The atomic age has a surprisingly accessible address in the Idaho desert. Experimental Breeder Reactor I produced enough electricity to light four bulbs on December 20, 1951. The next day it powered its building, turning an experiment into a major technological milestone.
The preserved plant lets visitors see original controls, shielding, pipes and machinery rather than just photographs of them. Outside, two prototype reactors from an abandoned nuclear-powered aircraft project add another strange chapter. Museum admission is free, but it normally opens during the summer season. Check the opening calendar before driving out. Banks of analog controls and the remote setting give the visit the feel of walking into an early science-fiction film.
Explore Experimental Breeder Reactor I in the Oddities Directory
4. Craters of the Moon
Near Arco, Idaho
Craters of the Moon gives Idaho a convincing other-planet impression. Black lava flows, cinder cones, fissures and twisted basalt spread across the landscape, with sparse vegetation doing little to soften the effect. Despite the scorched appearance, the youngest eruptions ended roughly two thousand years ago.
A paved loop road connects overlooks and short trails in the developed area. Look for rough lava, smooth ropy surfaces and tree molds left when molten rock surrounded trunks. Lava-tube access depends on conditions, and cave entry requires a free permit obtained in person. An entrance fee applies. Bring water, sun protection and sturdy footwear, and check access before visiting: summer heat and winter snow create very different versions of this volcanic landscape.
Explore Craters of the Moon in the Oddities Directory
5. Idaho Potato Museum
Blackfoot, Idaho
Blackfoot put its most famous crop in a museum and parked a giant baked potato outside. The Idaho Potato Museum occupies a former railroad depot, giving the humble spud an enthusiastic home filled with agricultural history, equipment, advertising and novelty exhibits.
The displays follow potatoes from their origins through growing, harvesting and processing. Antique tools remind visitors that an ordinary bag of potatoes once represented a great deal of physical labor, while memorabilia keeps the mood playful. The depot also connects the story to the rail network that helped growers reach distant markets. Admission is charged, and hours vary seasonally. Take the oversized potato photo, then consider carrying the theme into lunch at the attached cafe.
Explore Idaho Potato Museum in the Oddities Directory
Plan around Idaho’s distances and seasons
Wallace is a separate northern Idaho stop, while the other four belong to a southern Idaho itinerary. Check museum opening dates, cave status and volcanic-landscape access before leaving. The Directory entries provide visitor details so a strange detour can be a planned pleasure rather than a closed-door surprise.