State military museum

Idaho Military History Museum

The museum’s own Medal of Honor history explicitly identifies the actual original decorations awarded to Civil War Navy recipient Gurdon H. Barter and Korean War Army medic David Bruce Bleak as part of its exhibits. These are two independent recipient-linked artifact records, not simply statements that Idaho has notable Medal of Honor connections.

MOH-MUS-000064Evidence reviewed 2026-10-10Open to the public

Idaho Military History Museum World War I exhibitPhoto by Kencf0618, CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ · Source ↗

Historical context

About this institution

Opened in 1995 near Gowen Field in Boise, the Idaho Military History Museum preserves the state’s military experience from frontier and territorial service through modern deployments. The exhibitions combine uniforms, photographs, equipment, aircraft-related interpretation and veteran stories, while a separate outdoor display includes armor, artillery and aircraft. The museum maintains an Idaho military history research operation as well as interpretive galleries, so it serves both visitors and those tracing a specific service record.

Why it matters to Medal of Honor research

The Idaho museum is unusually valuable for studying changes in the physical Medal of Honor across eras: Barter received a Civil War Navy decoration, while Bleak received his for Korean War medical bravery. Cross-reference the museum’s award research with each recipient’s archival citation, and use the exhibit details to distinguish the actual medals from other interpretive material.

Collection guide

What to look for

The following highlights summarize the strongest verified reasons to include this institution in the archive. They are a planning guide, not a promise that every object is on view at all times.

Original Medal of Honor awarded to Gurdon H. Barter (Civil War, U.S. Navy)

Original Medal of Honor awarded to David Bruce Bleak (Korean War, U.S. Army)

Idaho Medal of Honor recipient research and biographies

Indoor World War I and veterans history galleries

Outdoor armor, artillery, and military aircraft displays

Verified connections

Medal of Honor relationships

2 total2 original medals

Original Medal of Honor

Gurdon H. Barter

The Idaho Military History Museum says Gurdon H. Barter’s actual Medal of Honor was formally presented to the museum in 2006 and is on exhibit.

Record: Gurdon H. Barter, Civil War Navy original medal

Verified 2026-10-10 · Current, display status not specified

Evidence sources and scope

Medal of Honor: Gurdon H. Barter and David B. Bleak originals are exhibited ↗Idaho Military History Museum

The museum directly states original physical decoration and current exhibit; verify any later gallery rotations.

Original Medal of Honor

David Bruce Bleak

The museum’s Medal of Honor exhibit page expressly states that the actual Medal of Honor of David B. Bleak is on exhibit.

Record: David Bruce Bleak, Korean War Army original medal

Verified 2026-10-10 · Current, display status not specified

Evidence sources and scope

Medal of Honor: Gurdon H. Barter and David B. Bleak originals are exhibited ↗Idaho Military History Museum

The museum directly states original physical decoration and current exhibit; this relationship does not imply all of Bleak’s artifacts are present.

Collection focus

Historical specialties

two original Medals of HonorIdaho military historyWorld War I exhibitsarmored vehicles and outdoor aircraftmilitary research

Service connections

U.S. Navy · U.S. Army

Conflict connections

American Civil War · Korean War · World War I · World War II

Visitor planning

Visit the gallery near Gowen Field in Boise to explore Idaho’s service history and two documented original Medal of Honor exhibits. The museum also displays World War I material and an outdoor fleet of vehicles and aircraft, offering context from several branches and eras. Its research resources include recipient biographies. The institution’s posted schedule covers Tuesday through Saturday; check its current hours and holiday closures before traveling.

4692 W. Harvard Street
Boise, Idaho, 83705
United States

Open location in OpenStreetMap ↗Official website ↗Current visitor information ↗Collection or exhibit information ↗

The official museum site describes both original medals as on exhibit. Object rotations and access should still be confirmed shortly before a visit.
Museum address is 4692 W. Harvard Street, not the mailing address of its supporting historical society.
Hours listed by museum are Tuesday to Friday 10:00–16:00 and Saturday 12:00–16:00; most federal holidays closed.
The representative museum image shows a World War I gallery, not the Medal of Honor artifacts.
Map pin is located on the named museum feature; use official visitor directions for parking, gates, and accessible entrances.

Admission prices, opening schedules, installation rules, and object availability are left to the institution because they can change.

Access status

Open to the public

Map point: 43.55784, -116.23962 · Verified Openstreetmap Named Building

Institution sources

The Museum: opening times, location, galleries, outdoor vehicles ↗Idaho Military History Museum · Priority 1
Medal of Honor: Gurdon H. Barter and David B. Bleak originals are exhibited ↗Idaho Military History Museum · Priority 1
Idaho Military History Museum named OSM museum building ↗Mapcarta / OpenStreetMap · Priority 5

Archive standard

“Original Medal of Honor” relationships require direct source evidence. A location record is not described as a current public display unless the institution confirms display status.