Boise State in 1 Day: A Visit to Boise State University
A parent-first plan for visiting Boise State: how to book the free 90-minute student-led campus tour, check-in at the Student Union Building and free tour parking in the Lincoln Garage, the Blue Turf, four hotels from budget to upscale, drive times from Boise Airport, food on campus and downtown, family stops like the Old Idaho Penitentiary and the Discovery Center of Idaho, and Boise weather by season, every fact sourced and checked Oct 30, 2026.
The Center for the Visual Arts on the Boise State University campus (May 2022). Photo: Zifmer · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Last checked Oct 30, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).
The short version
Trip at a glance
School
Boise State University (Boise, ID)
Days
1 on campus, plus travel. Arrive the day before a morning tour.
Fly into
Boise Airport (BOI), about 8 minutes from campus by car with no traffic.
Best base
Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Boise, about a 22-minute walk or 3-minute drive from the Student Union Building.
Car or no car
Optional. Downtown hotels are walkable to campus, and registered tour guests park free in the Lincoln Garage.
Registration
Tours are free and run Monday to Friday, plus occasional Saturdays. Register on Boise State's visit calendar.
1. Who this guide is for
This plan is for parents bringing a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, to see Boise State University, home of the Broncos and the famous Blue Turf.
Boise State's campus runs along the banks of the Boise River, and the university says downtown Boise is about a 10-minute walk away. The photo in this guide shows the Center for the Visual Arts, home of the Department of Art, Design and Visual Studies.
Why this order
Arrive the day before: Boise Airport is about 9–12 minutes by car from the downtown hotels.
Visit day: a free 90-minute walking tour led by current students, covering study spaces, residence halls from the outside, involvement and the Blue Turf.
Afterward, the Discovery Center of Idaho is about a 16-minute walk from the Student Union Building, and the Old Idaho Penitentiary is about 8 minutes by car.
Pick the right visit
Guided Campus Tours are for prospective undergraduates and their families, at any stage of the college search. Register on Boise State's visit calendar.
Tours aren't private: groups can include up to 25 guests per tour guide.
Tour groups don't go inside residence halls except at a few events each year, and Boise State can't host overnight guests.
Interested in the Honors College? It runs its own visit sessions with a separate sign-up.
Can't join a guided tour? A self-guided tour follows the same route with numbered stops, starting in front of the Bronco Shop at 1700 W. University Drive.
Tour availability varies by season.
Boise summers are hot and dry: July averages about 93°F highs and 62°F lows, with almost no rain.
Winters are cold: January averages about 39°F highs and 26°F lows, with about 5 inches of snow for the month.
Check the Broncos athletics calendar for home games on your dates, since game days bring extra traffic and parking demand.
2. The suggested 1-day plan
Drive times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, and walking times use OpenStreetMap foot routing, with addresses geocoded by OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Times to campus are to the Student Union Building, where tours check in.
Arrival day: fly into Boise and check in downtown
Boise Airport (BOI) → Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Boise
Driving (no traffic)
~9 min, 3.7 mi
Driving and walking
Hotel airport shuttle, rental car, rideshare or taxi
Boise Airport (BOI) → Cabana Inn
Driving (no traffic)
~12 min, 5.1 mi
Driving and walking
Rental car, rideshare or taxi
Boise Airport (BOI) → Holiday Inn Express Boise University Area
Driving (no traffic)
~9 min, 3.3 mi
Driving and walking
Hotel airport shuttle, rental car, rideshare or taxi
Boise Airport (BOI) → Inn at 500 Capitol
Driving (no traffic)
~10 min, 4.3 mi
Driving and walking
Hotel airport shuttle, rental car, rideshare or taxi
Boise State suggests dinner on 8th Street downtown or in Hyde Park in the North End, and a stroll through Freak Alley, a local art space near 8th Street.
Visit day: Boise State campus tour, then the Discovery Center or the Old Pen
Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Boise → Student Union Building
Driving (no traffic)
~3 min, 1.1 mi
Driving and walking
~22 min walk, 1.0 mi
Cabana Inn → Student Union Building
Driving (no traffic)
~6 min, 1.9 mi
Driving and walking
~40 min walk, 1.9 mi
Holiday Inn Express Boise University Area → Student Union Building
Driving (no traffic)
~4 min, 1.2 mi
Driving and walking
~23 min walk, 1.1 mi
Inn at 500 Capitol → Student Union Building
Driving (no traffic)
~4 min, 1.6 mi
Driving and walking
~20 min walk, 0.9 mi
Student Union Building → Albertsons Stadium (Blue Turf)
Driving (no traffic)
—
Driving and walking
~5 min walk, 0.2 mi
Student Union Building → Discovery Center of Idaho
Driving (no traffic)
—
Driving and walking
~16 min walk, 0.7 mi
Student Union Building → Old Idaho Penitentiary
Driving (no traffic)
~8 min, 2.8 mi
Driving and walking
Drive
Check in at the Admissions Office inside the Westmark Student Union Building; follow the Campus Tour signs to the check-in station.
Pending availability, tours may stop in the Allen Noble Hall of Fame for a view of the Blue Turf.
Heading home: campus is about 8 minutes from Boise Airport with no traffic.
3. Campus by campus
The Center for the Visual Arts on the Boise State University campus (May 2022). Photo: Zifmer · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Check in at the Admissions Office inside the Westmark Student Union Building, 1700 W. University Drive, Boise. Follow the Campus Tour signs.
Pick a date on Boise State's visit calendar and register there. Tours are free and led by current students, Monday to Friday, with occasional Saturday visits.
Need to cancel or change plans? Contact the Campus Visit Team at (208) 426-1156 or visitus@boisestate.edu, or text (208) 214-3194.
Visitor parking
Registered visitors park free in the Lincoln Garage, just south of the Student Union Building. Parking instructions come in your confirmation email.
Boise State asks you to note your license plate number on the day of your visit.
Getting there
Campus is about 8 minutes by car from Boise Airport.
From the downtown hotels, campus is about a 20–22-minute walk or 3–4 minutes by car. The Holiday Inn Express on Parkcenter Boulevard is about a 23-minute walk.
The free Bronco Shuttle, run by Boise State's Department of Public Safety, carries students and guests around campus, with routes into downtown.
What to know
Albertsons Stadium, home of the Blue Turf, is about a 5-minute walk from the Student Union Building, and the Boise State Hall of Fame shows pieces of Broncos athletic history.
The Center for the Visual Arts houses the World Museum and art spaces, with views of downtown and the Foothills.
The Student Union Building has the Bronco Shop and a Games Center with bowling, pool tables and air hockey.
Contact
Campus Visit Team: visitus@boisestate.edu, phone (208) 426-1156, text (208) 214-3194.
Last checked Oct 30, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
4. Where to stay: downtown Boise, across the river from campus
Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Hotel · Our pickMid-range
Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Boise
222 S. Broadway Ave., Boise, ID 83702
Why here
It's on Boise State's own list of nearby hotels, about a 22-minute walk or 3-minute drive from the Student Union Building, with a free airport shuttle and free parking.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Good to know
Expedia lists free self-parking, a free round-trip airport shuttle, an on-site restaurant, breakfast for a fee, no pets and a minimum check-in age of 21. Boise State says to ask about the "Boise State Rate." Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
It's just east of campus, about 4 minutes by car or a 23-minute walk from the Student Union Building.
Good to know
Expedia lists a free buffet breakfast daily, an outdoor pool, a hot tub, a free round-trip airport shuttle and limited on-site parking; pets aren't allowed (service animals are welcome). Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
It's on Boise State's list of nearby hotels, about a 20-minute walk from the Student Union Building, the closest of our four on foot.
Good to know
Expedia lists valet parking for a fee, a free airport shuttle on request, a free area shuttle, an on-site restaurant, pets for a fee and a minimum check-in age of 21. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
Boise State lists the Courtyard and the Inn at 500 among its nearby downtown hotels, and says to ask about the "Boise State Rate" when you book.
5. Meals between tours
Hours change, so check before you go.
On campus
The Student Union Building's food areas include Chick-fil-A, Hissho Sushi, Tree City Juice & Smoothie Cafe, Subway, Market Boise and a Starbucks, and Buster's Kitchen is the main cafeteria.
8th Street, downtown
Boise State suggests 8th Street in the center of downtown for coffee to start the day or a meal anytime.
BoDo
BoDo, the downtown district around 9th and Broad, is another restaurant area Boise State recommends.
Hyde Park
In the historic North End, Hyde Park has restaurants, patios and ice cream spots that Boise State suggests for dinner after your visit.
6. Things for siblings along the route
With siblings
Discovery Center of Idaho
131 W. Myrtle St., Boise, ID 83702
Boise's hands-on science center, with interactive exhibits on space, nature, materials science and more for all ages. It's about a 16-minute walk from the Student Union Building.
Built in 1870, it's one of only four territorial prisons open to the public. Self-guided tours run during all open hours, and children under 6 get in free. It's about 8 minutes by car from campus.
Boise State's self-guided tour suggests a photo in front of the blue field and a stop in the Hall of Fame. The stadium is about a 5-minute walk from the Student Union Building.
Registered tour guests park free in the Lincoln Garage, south of the Student Union Building; note your license plate number.
Staying downtown? Campus is about a 20–22-minute walk, and the free Bronco Shuttle has routes into downtown.
Flying in and out
Boise Airport (BOI) is about 8 minutes from campus and 9–12 minutes from the downtown hotels with no traffic. The Courtyard, Holiday Inn Express and Inn at 500 list free airport shuttles.
Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Boise Air Terminal station)
Spring: April averages about 62°F highs and 40°F lows, with about 1.2 inches of rain.
Summer: July averages about 93°F/62°F, with almost no rain.
Fall: October averages about 65°F/42°F, with about 0.8 inch of rain.
Winter: January averages about 39°F/26°F, with about 1.4 inches of precipitation and 5 inches of snow.
Parent checklist
Register for a free campus tour on Boise State's visit calendar, and the Honors College session too if your student is interested.
Watch for the confirmation email with Lincoln Garage parking instructions.
Book flights into Boise Airport.
Book a hotel downtown or near campus; at hotels on Boise State's list, ask about the "Boise State Rate."
Pack layers: Boise winters are cold and summers are hot and dry.
After the visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.
8. Student-athlete recruiting visits
For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.
Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.
Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.
1 Division I
Athletics
Boise State University
NCAA Division I Pac-12 Conference
RecruitingWe found no department-wide recruiting page. Look for a questionnaire on your sport's team page at the athletics site ↗, or email the coaches.
Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
Division I (Boise State University): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.
Planning around the season
Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.
Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.
Coming soon
Planning more college trips?
Visit-season reminders and new trip guides from College Visit Guides. Newsletter coming soon.
Sources
All checked Oct 30, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.
Expedia listing: Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Boise (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-30 via same-id Hotwire listing) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Boise-Hotels-Courtyard-By-Marriott-Downtown-Boise.h41783.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Cabana Inn (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-30 via same-id Hotwire listing) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Boise-Hotels-Cabana-Inn.h1477871.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Holiday Inn Express Boise University Area (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-30 via same-id Hotwire listing) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Boise-Hotels-Holiday-Inn-Express-Boise-University-Area.h10375.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Inn at 500 Capitol (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-30 via same-id Hotwire listing) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Boise-Hotels-Inn-At-500-Capitol.h17348605.Hotel-Information)
