Wedding season is alive and well in southern Idaho. I’ve already attended one this year, but I’ve never been an invited guest to what has to be one of the most historically fascinating Gem State locations to host an event or tie the knot at in the entire country.

In June, I attended my first Idaho wedding in more than a decade. The ceremony and reception were held at the Apple Barn in Filer and was an awesome experience.

Choosing a wedding venue is a big decision. I got married on a beach in Hawaii with my wife and one other person in attendance, and that was the wedding officiant. I didn’t have to deal with the stresses of making wedding arrangements that involve large groups of attendees, because that’s the way my wife and I wanted it.

In 2018, I visited the Old Idaho Penitentiary in Boise for my first time. We toured the prison and the surrounding grounds. One Victorian building on the grounds caught my attention, so I walked across the parking lot with my wife and son and proceeded to snoop around.

I learned about the remarkable history of the Bishops’ House that day. The grounds are beautiful, and it’s literally a stone’s throw from the penitentiary. Weddings, live music, holiday gatherings, and other events are held there, and seeing as the house was built in the 1880s, it had to have seen its share of good times and bad.

The history of the penitentiary is freaky enough. It makes me wonder if the Bishops’ House is harboring any spirits from the past who might be looking upon those who attend events on the property.

Ernest Hemingway Tour, Sun Valley ID