Bonner County Historical Society and Museum

Bonner County Historical Society and Museum If you're interested in the past, people, places, and peculiarities of beautiful Bonner County, Idaho, you've come to the right place!

Bonner County’s story lives on in more than 400,000 objects cared for by the Bonner County Historical Society & Museum —...
03/13/2026

Bonner County’s story lives on in more than 400,000 objects cared for by the Bonner County Historical Society & Museum — from Native artifacts to family heirlooms passed down for generations.

But many of these irreplaceable pieces of our shared past are at risk due to aging materials and limited archival storage.

This spring, Leadership Sandpoint is proud to launch a fundraising campaign to help preserve and protect these vulnerable historical objects — ensuring they remain accessible for generations to come!

The campaign will culminate in a Local History Trivia Night & Celebration of North Idaho History on May 2 at SOAC.
You can learn more and support the campaign here:

👉 https://sandpointchamber.org/annual-events/local-history-trivia-night/

Together, we can protect our story.

Join us TOMORROW Saturday, February 28th, 3:00pm at The Panida Theater! Celebrate Sandpoint’s 125th anniversary with the...
02/27/2026

Join us TOMORROW Saturday, February 28th, 3:00pm at The Panida Theater!

Celebrate Sandpoint’s 125th anniversary with the Bonner County Historical Society! "Sandpoint: At the North End of the Long Bridge" is Academy Award-winning cinematographer Erik Daarstad’s ode to all things Sandpoint: the people, places, and events that have shaped our history and make this such an incredible place to live. Whether you’re new to town or were born here, this film will remind you why this is home.

Doors open at 2:30pm. Tickets are $10 (adults)/$5 (kids 12 and under) at the door or online at:
https://www.panida.org/event/sandpoint-at-the-north-end-of-the-long-bridge-79grf

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly snippets of the raw footage and B-roll that Daarstad shot for the making of this 2002 film. Locals and newcomers alike will enjoy seeing these retro views of our amazing county!
https://youtube.com/?si=uE5zPKMKgyj1Fbfe
- Last week’s B-roll: K9 Keg Pull and Winter Carnival (2002)
- This week's B-roll: Schweitzer Village (2002)

02/21/2026

As the 2026 Winter Carnival comes to a close, take a look back at this fun footage of the 2002 K9 Keg Pull and Parade of Lights! Shot by Erik Daarstad.

12/24/2025

Thank you everyone for another wonderful year! ❤️ ❄️. Thank you to our volunteer Ben Schwartz for digitizing the B-roll of the Sandpoint Centennial film and putting together this little video of a past snowy Sandpoint. We are open today (Christmas Eve) until 2:00 and we have many wonderful gifts in our gift shop so stop by! We will also be open December 26th and the 30th from 10:00-4:00, and December 31st from 10:00-2:00. We will resume normal hours on January 2nd. Don’t forget about January’s Free First Saturday on January 3rd! ⛄️. This footage was shot in November and December 2001 by Erik Daarstad for the Sandpoint Centennial Commission documentary film: “Sandpoint: at the North End of the Long Bridge”.

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12/24/2025

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A new exhibit will be opening at the Sandpoint Agricultural Center! It explores the origins of local farm life. It featu...
12/17/2025

A new exhibit will be opening at the Sandpoint Agricultural Center! It explores the origins of local farm life. It features artifact and firsthand accounts. It highlights how settlers lived, cleared fields, raised animals, and cultivated the land commenced by the Homestead Act of 1862. The exhibit emphasizes the daily work, resilience, and innovation that shaped early farming in the region. Pend Oreille Arts Council University of Idaho, Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center

Thanks to our Free First Saturday sponsor Marilyn Sabella! 👏🏻
12/05/2025

Thanks to our Free First Saturday sponsor Marilyn Sabella! 👏🏻

Candle and butter making! 🕯️ 🧈
10/30/2025

Candle and butter making! 🕯️ 🧈

🐈‍⬛ The Strange and Superstitious: The Victorian era, centered in England but influencing much of the world at the time,...
10/14/2025

🐈‍⬛ The Strange and Superstitious: The Victorian era, centered in England but influencing much of the world at the time, stands out boldly in our history. When we reflect on the culture of this time, we may find it strange and mysterious. They had an obsession with death and the supernatural, which gave rise to folklore and what can be considered superstitions — such as the belief that a black cat crossing your path brings bad luck.

In the museum's October Curator’s Choice exhibit, you can view some of the unusual relics of the Victorian era, including human hair art and luck charms.

Many of these beliefs still echo in today’s media and Halloween decorations. While we might now see them as curious or amusing, for the Victorians — living in a time marked by high mortality and strict social norms — these ideas offered a sense of control, comfort, and hope.

One Victorian mourning practice that provided this comfort was Death Photography. By 1900, photography had become more popular and affordable, but many families had not yet had formal portraits taken. When a loved one passed away, families often saw it as their final opportunity to capture the person's likeness before they were gone forever. Post-mortem photography became a way to memorialize the deceased—and, in many cases, the only chance to create a lasting family portrait. In rural North Idaho, these Victorian customs lingered on through the early decades of the 20th century.

Photo: The Naccarato family at Tony Naccarato’s funeral in Priest River, 1920. Post Mortem Photography.

Thanks to our Free First Saturday sponsors Denise Zembryki and Ron Mamajek!
10/02/2025

Thanks to our Free First Saturday sponsors Denise Zembryki and Ron Mamajek!

Tomorrow!
09/05/2025

Tomorrow!

Address

611 S Ella Avenue
Sandpoint, ID
83864

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+12082632344

Website

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