. . . History is not only held here. It is born here . . .
The Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History is comprised of the Special Collections Archive, Betty Olsen Carr Reading Room, Wood River Museum, and the Hemingway House and Preserve, providing multiple ways to explore the varied terrain of central Idaho history.
Introducing the All-New Wood River Museum of History and Culture
How in the World Did You Get to Sun Valley?
This exhibit explores the many reasons and ways that people have come to this hard-to-reach area over time. It is not easy to find Sun Valley and Central Idaho in general, here in the high desert mountains of the American West, but a wide range of people have done so…
Portrait of a Mountain
Over the past 150 years, the greater Ketchum and Sun Valley area has taken shape around, and been shaped by, the iconic Bald Mountain. This exhibit looks deeply at the mountain that defines the local landscape and affects life and imaginations here in so many ways.
A Writer in New Country: Hemingway in 1939
This exhibit examines who Hemingway was when he arrived in 1939: a writer at his peak, a globetrotter drawn to remote places, a rugged outdoor enthusiast, and a man with complicated personal relationships.
Call for Nominations! Sun Valley Winter Sports Hall of Fame
The Sun Valley Winter Sports Hall of Fame welcomes nominations for the class of 2023
An individual/family/group qualifies for nomination if he/she/they have made a significant contribution over the years to a winter sport and have also given back to the local sports community. Deadline for nominations is August 31, 2023. Click here for more information.
Inductees
Click here for a list of past inductees to the Sun Valley Winter Sports Hall of Fame, including such luminaries as Sigi Engl (pictured left), Lisa-Marie Allen (pictured above), Picabo Street, Muffy Davis, Jack Simpson, W. Averell Harriman, Dick Dorworth, and many more.
Nominations
Deadline for nominations is August 31, 2023. The sport categories are alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, snowboarding, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, and/or ice skating. A contribution to the creation, development, and/or promotion of winter sports in the Sun Valley region is of equal importance as athletic accomplishment Click here to download the nomination form.
Regional History Resources
RESEARCH
Explore books, maps, photographs, and more, and get research help in the Betty Olsen Carr Reading Room.
WOOD RIVER MUSEUM
Visit the re-imagined Wood River Museum of History and Culture at its new location on the corner of Walnut and 4th in Ketchum.
HEMINGWAY
Learn about Ernest Hemingway and his twenty-two year relationship with Sun Valley through the extensive special collection on-site and online.
Regional History Collections
Thousands of books and dozens of maps can be perused in the Regional History Reading Room, and special collections can be explored online and in person with the help of a reference librarian.
Additional notable collections include: Ski History | Trailing of the Sheep Collection | Winter Sports Hall of Fame Collection | Dorice Taylor Collection | Edith Ellis Hyde Papers | Art Ensign, Jr., Collection | Jayne A. Smith Collection | Institute of the American West Recordings
Current Foyer Exhibit
Museum Reads
July – December 2023
The new exhibits at the Wood River Museum of History and Culture are illuminated in collections of books curated by our librarians. Topics include Sun Valley history, Bald Mountain, Native American tribes, Ernest Hemingway, and geology of the Wood River Valley. Check out a book/s and pick up a free bookmark and recommended reading list.
Contact the Center for Regional History
We want to help you research and learn about the Wood River Valley, central Idaho, and the American West!
