5 Labyrinths to Visit in Idaho

So you want to visit a labyrinth in Idaho. I can help. I have selected 5 of the best (there are over 20) that are accessible to the public from around the state. If you want a full list of labyrinths in the state check out the Worldwide Labyrinth Finder. I want to mention that many labyrinths in Idaho are private or you need an appointment to visit. Those labyrinths can be found on the link above and will not be included here.

Why visit a Labyrinth ?

Labyrinths are ancient and mysterious symbols that have been used for centuries for meditation, contemplation, and spiritual renewal. They are also a lot of fun to explore! If you're looking for a unique and challenging experience, walk a labyrinth with intention - it often leads to self-discovery. Personally, I like to walk labyrinths between dawn and sunrise or at sunset until dusk. You may not realize it, but there is probably a labyrinth near where you live. Today we explore…


5 Labyrinths to Visit in idaho


1. St. Luke's Boise Regional Medical Center Labyrinth

This 5 circuit medieval labyrinth is made from concrete and is located near the walkway between the main building, near the coffee shop. Labyrinth includes benches. To see a photo or the labyrinth and the plaque this waymarking site has them.

Location: Boise, Idaho

Address:

190 E. Bannock St.
Boise, Idaho 83712

2. Saint Luke's Episcopal Church Labyrinth

The 5 circuit medieval labyrinth is located on the lawn in front of church made from bricks/pavers.

Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho

Address:

270 N. Placer Avenue
Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402

3. Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park Labyrinth

A double meandering labyrinth in a Roman style with a sculpture in the middle ! The location can be found a map for the park. It looks like wonderful park to visit based on the park website ! I want to thank Randy Miller for posting a photo on Google Maps where you can see the labyrinth !

Location: Meridian, Idaho

Address:
1900 N. Records Avenue
Meridian, Idaho 83642

4. First Congregational United Church of Christ Labyrinth

Photo courtesy Starr & Cross Reardon

A 5 circuit medieval labyrinth made form rocks and bricks is located next to a peace garden. It was made using discarded bricks and stones from construction sites.

Location: Pocatello, Idaho

Address:

309 N. Garfield Ave
Pocatello, Idaho 83204

5. Church of the Ascension Labyrinth

A 8 circuit Chartres style labyrinth made from bricxks/pavers. You can find details about the labyrinth on the website of the church on it’s own webpage ! If you click on the Discover More link it will open a 27 page pdf of a presentation on labyrinths !

Location: Twin Falls, Idaho

Address:

371 Eastland Drive N
Twin Falls, Idaho 83301

BONUS Labyrinth: I you visit the Idaho Botanical Gardens in Boise, they have a labyrinth made from bricks and gravel on site. There is an entrance fee to visit the gardens. Plan your trip at the link above.

BONUS Labyrinth 2: If you can find it !!

5 TIPS FOR VISITING A LABYRINTH

  1. Set an intention for your walk so you can walk with purpose. It could be prayer, reflection, meditation, contemplation, or openness.

  2. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, as you will be doing a lot of walking.

  3. Bring water with you, especially if you are visiting on a hot day.

  4. Take your time and enjoy the experience. There is no need to rush through a labyrinth.

  5. Be respectful of other visitors. This includes not making noise and being respectful if walking with other people.



5 BOOKS TO READ ABOUT LABYRINTH WALKING

I wrote a blog post reviewing the following 5 books, each that deals with walking labyrinths. You can check them out yourself at the Amazon links below or read this blog post: 5 Books about the Spiritual Aspect of Labyrinths to learn a little about what each book teaches.

  1. Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool by Dr. Lauren Artress 201 pages. AMZN

  2. Labyrinth : Your Path to Self-Discovery by Tony Christie 312 pages. AMZN

  3. Exploring the Labyrinth: A Guide For Healing and Spiritual Growth by Melissa Gayle West 209 pages AMZN

  4. Walking the Labyrinth: A Place to Pray and Seek God by Travis Scholl 240 pages AMZN

  5. Labyrinths from the Outside In: Walking to Spiritual Insight by Rev Dr Donna Schaper and Rev Dr Carole Ann Camp 187 pages AMZN


If you are interested in more spiritual labyrinth aspects I suggest the following websites:

  1. Lauren Artress website - For coaching, workshops and classes.

  2. Veriditas - The nonprofit labyrinth group founded by Lauren Artress

  3. Worldwide Labyrinth Finder - Find a labyrinth to walk near you, or while on vacation


I am a maze artist and I have made a few sign mazes from Idaho:

Cabana Inn Sign - Boise

Nampa Rollerdrome Sign Maze - Nampa

Tough Guys Lanes Sign Maze - Pocatello

Grandview Hotel Sign Maze - Boise

Check out these Wooderful life Marble Labyrinths

I have written before how I enjoyed trying to solve marble mazes as a kid in a previous post:

Marble Mazes - A Great Gift for Kids

Here is one as an example of a marble maze that I found during that post to refresh your memory:

STERLING Games Large Wooden Labyrinth 13.5" x 13"

Available on AMZN and at Walmart. Appears to be the best selling (or possibly most advertised) wooden marble maze in the market. It also looks difficult !

And that is a standard format for the marble mazes I knew and could never solve. You tilt the maze and try to navigate the pathways without letting the ball fall down into one of the many holes.

Then I lived in Taipei and during a sightseeing excursion to Huashan 1914 Creative Park, which is a mixture of shops featuring local art and some cool restaurants I found something worth sharing here! During my visit corporations/large brands had rented exhibit space in the park to showcase their brands (like a Stranger Things exhibit, a Peanuts one, and some cartoons I did not know from Asia). The park is very industrial looking and a great place to take some photos. Here are 2 photos to give you an idea what it looks like:

And it had this store, Wooderful life, where I found something worth mentioning on this site.

Wooderfull Life Sign

A set of 3 wooden marble labyrinths (easy, medium and hard levels) with similar game play. For these the playing surface is 3D and you must maneuver the marble through the track without it falling off the track. Seems easy, but there are hills (downhill and uphill) and turns and notches from loops and the marble barely fits into the pathway.

(excuse the photo lighting - they were not to be touched)

And the information block showing the prices, how to play, and what it helps kids develop.

Here is a link to their online shop for the hard version. Very cool version of the marble maze game I’m glad I found.

If you like eco-friendly wooden toys this is a great store. They have licensed product also, with brands like Disney, Winnie the Pooh, Toy Story, Hello Kitty and more to choose from. Overall worth a visit if you are in Taipei !

And if you are in Taipei you should check out:

Visiting a Garden Maze in Taipei

Visiting a Garden Maze in Taipei

I spent over a month living in Taipei recently to learn about the culture and experience what life was like. This followed some time in Singapore and Thailand. During each trip I spent some time visiting labyrinths. Here are the first 2 trips:

Visiting a Labyrinth and some Mazes in Singapore

Visiting Labyrinths in Chiang Mai, Thailand

And so during my stay Taipei trip I took a mini trip to the Zhongshan District of the city to visit a garden maze ! Let’s see what I found.


The Trip - Garden Maze in the Xinsheng Park Area of Taipei Expo Park

Location:

No. 105號, Section 3, Xinsheng N Rd, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, 10491

How to get there: Take the metro, either the red or yellow, but I prefer the red line to the Yuanshan station. (yellow would be the Zhongshan Elementary School station). Both require a 16-18 minute walk but from Yuanshan station you get to walk through the Yuanshan Park next to the Expo Dome and I think that is worth it rather than walking thru the city the whole way from the other stop.

When you arrive at the SW corner of main park you will walk into a large Rose Garden full of places to visit and relax and many wonderful flowers. Here is the map you will see as you enter. Lots of green space and places to sit and relax, or get some exercise.

Xinsheng Park Map - Taipei

Make your way to the end of the garden before turning right to visit the Garden Maze. You could cut over earlier and see the side of the maze, but there is no entrance on that side and you’ll miss all the wonderful flowers. You’ll find a series of signs along the way - the first tells you are on the right path, the second gives information about the maze, and the third is of a map of the maze just before you enter.

The informational sign could use but cleaning but reads:

The garden maze is actually comprised of 5 mazes that together form the Chinese Eight Trigrams. The taller outer maze, for adults, has hedges with weeping figs; the shorter inner maze, for children, has hedges or orchid trees. Each maze poses it’s own challenge; make your way to the center and you will find totems of cities, flowers. birds, beasts and ants!

Cool, so what are the Chinese Eight Trigrams you might be asking ? Well, I’ll let you read that on your own.

And now the maze. Entrances/Exits to the outside portions of the maze feature large hedge doors and are easy to spot even while inside the maze. Pathways are made of gravel and the hedges are a medium width apart. There are large stones scattered in dead ends with inscriptions (some very worn and faded) in Chinese. And the destinations of the outside mazes feature a mosaic in the center (2 shown below). Nothing complicated here as far as getting lost. The center kids maze looks great and the low hedges make it very simple.

Overall it was a nice trip. The maze is a quick visit, but the surrounding park and rose garden make it worth a visit. Oh, and it is next to the downtown airport so at some point you will have a huge plane flying overhead lower than you expect it !!

I suggest you combine this with a trip to one of the nearby museums/attractions.

Taipei Fine Arts Museum

Lin An Tai Historical House and Museum

Dalongdong Baoan Temple