Wallace – Mining History, Museums and Trails

Wallace Between Mining History and Trails

Wallace is a destination for families who want to combine historic sites with a variety of activities. The town is entirely listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the Historic District, the buildings showcase regional examples of American Colonial Revival and Bungalow styles, as well as Queen Anne and English Cottage styles that were popular in the 1930s. Historic Wallace also offers a walking tour. This makes it possible to learn about the town’s history through its architecture and streetscape without limiting your stay to a single museum.

Mining, Railroads and Unusual Museums

The Sierra Silver Mine Tour takes visitors through a real silver mine with former miners as guides. The tour also includes a narrated ride on a historic streetcar through Historic Wallace. The Historic Wallace Photo Museum offers another perspective on the past. It features large-format photographs by Thomas Barnard and Nellie Stockbridge from their studio and the surrounding community, dating from 1893 to 1965. The original collection contains more than 200,000 images and has been fully digitized.

Less expected chapters of the town’s history are also part of its cultural offerings. The Oasis Bordello Museum preserves a former bordello exactly as it was when it closed in 1988. The Northern Pacific Depot Museum explores the history of rail transportation in the Coeur d’Alene Mining District and the depot itself; it also features a reconstruction of an early working railway station. A small but distinctive landmark is the Monument Center of the Universe at the corner of Bank Street and Sixth Street in Wallace.

Those who want to learn about mining history beyond indoor spaces can visit the Mine Heritage Exhibition, a free, family-friendly outdoor area. The four-acre park is located along the river. This creates a different kind of museum experience: history is presented in an open setting and can be scheduled as a separate stop between other activities.

Bike Trails and Outings in the Surrounding Area

Wallace offers several ways to make your trip active. The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes runs through Wallace. The paved trail is 72 miles long and designated for pedestrians, road cyclists, e-bikes, and inline skaters. From Wallace, hundreds of miles of trails are also accessible to hikers, cyclists, horseback riders, ATV riders, and snowmobilers. This range of options allows you to plan each day around your preferred mode of transportation rather than structuring every activity in the same way.

Near Wallace, the Pulaski Tunnel Trail begins at a marked trailhead on Forest Service Road 456. The trail follows the West Fork of Placer Creek and leads to a viewpoint opposite the tunnel. For a different type of cycling experience, the Route of the Hiawatha lies southeast of Wallace. When choosing a vacation rental, you can therefore first determine the focus of your trip: historic exploration in town, paved routes for different types of cycling, or trails in the surrounding area.

Choosing Accommodation That Fits Your Travel Plans

A vacation rental in Wallace can be an especially good fit if you want to experience the town itself as a cultural focal point while also planning outings on trails and bike routes. For a trip centered on museums, the Historic District, Photo Museum, Depot Museum, and Sierra Silver Mine Tour are among the key points of interest. With a more active itinerary, the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, the trails around Wallace, and the Pulaski Tunnel Trail take center stage.

Wallace’s annual events calendar also includes the Craft Beer Fest. If you would like to expand your travel plans beyond Wallace, you can also explore Kellogg and Mullan.

For the broader travel overview: Shoshone County.