Center for Regional History

This exhibit explores the stories of people who have journeyed to this hard-to-reach area. 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…

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.

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.

Explore books, maps, photographs, and more, and get research help in the Betty Olsen Carr Reading Room. Make a research request here.

Visit the re-imagined Wood River Museum of History and Culture at its new location on the corner of Walnut and 4th in Ketchum.

Learn about Ernest Hemingway and his twenty-two year relationship with Sun Valley through the extensive special collection on-site and online.

Browse the online digital photo collection of the Center for Regional History, featuring photos of ranching, mining, skiing, Sun Valley Resort, Hemingway, and life in the historic Wood River Valley. Access the Historic Photograph Collection here.

Explore the diverse and wide-ranging artifact collection of the Wood River Museum of History and Culture, complete with pictures and descriptions of every item. Access the Online Collections Database here.

Peruse a curated collection of oral history interviews with notable and everyday figures in Wood River Valley history, providing an incredible glimpse into the past. Access the Oral History Collection here.

“Rear View” is published monthly in the Idaho Mountain Express, taking readers back in history to some of the Wood River Valley’s earliest and most captivating points of interest. See more “Rear View” stories here.

Collection Highlights put the spotlight on artifacts from the Wood River Valley dating back to the first settlers, miners, athletes, families, and local “characters.” See more Collection Highlights here.

The Sun Valley Winter Sports Hall of Fame honors the significant contributions of legendary local athletes and visionaries. The honorees have achieved in their sport or industry and have also given back to the Wood River Valley community. More here about the Sun Valley Winter Sports Hall of Fame.