Entry No. 28 — the Boise file — filed under: roadside-oddity
Seated Lincoln (Giant Borglum Statue)
Tucked into Julia Davis Park beside the Idaho Black History Museum is a bronze of Abraham Lincoln slouched on a bench, a faithful reproduction of a larger-than-life 1911 work by Idaho-born sculptor Gutzon Borglum, the man behind Mount Rushmore. Recreated from high-resolution scans and cast in Joseph, Oregon, it was installed in 2009 for Lincoln's bicentennial and stands about 9 feet tall, sized so you can climb up and sit right beside the brooding president. The original still sits in front of the Essex County Courthouse in Newark, New Jersey.
The story
Long before Gutzon Borglum carved Mount Rushmore, the Idaho-born sculptor took a far quieter approach to Abraham Lincoln. Borglum—born in St. Charles, Idaho Territory, in 1867—created the original 'Seated Lincoln' bronze in 1911 for the Essex County Courthouse in Newark, New Jersey. Instead of placing the 16th president on a high marble pedestal, Borglum deliberately set him on a low bench, slouched in a rumpled suit with a furrowed brow, inviting everyday citizens to sit right beside him.
Idaho has its own claim on Lincoln: he signed the act creating the Idaho Territory in 1863. To mark Lincoln's bicentennial, organizers worked to bring Borglum's design home. Technicians captured high-resolution 3D digital scans and hundreds of detailed photographs of the Newark original, sending the data to a foundry in Joseph, Oregon. The result was a giant bronze replica—weighing roughly 6,500 pounds and scaled up to stand about 9 feet tall—installed in Julia Davis Park beside the Idaho Black History Museum.
Most presidential monuments demand quiet reverence from behind a velvet rope, but this giant Abe is built entirely for physical interaction. Resting on an 11-foot sandstone bench with no guardrails or barriers, the oversized bronze makes full-grown adults feel roughly the size of a child, leaving plenty of room on the stone seat to cozy up right under Lincoln's brooding left elbow.
What it's like
Head into Julia Davis Park and look for the grassy area right beside the historic white church housing the Idaho Black History Museum. Because the statue sits outdoors in an open city park, there are no gates, ticket counters, or opening hours—you can walk right up at dawn or after dark. The main draw is climbing onto the sandstone bench for a side-by-side photo or a quiet rest next to the giant bronze; park visitors, museum-goers, and dog walkers drift past regularly, but you rarely have to wait more than a minute to claim your spot on the bench.
The move: Wander Julia Davis Park, then squeeze onto the bench next to giant Lincoln for a side-by-side portrait.
📍 Before you go Free and always accessible in the park; easy to pair with the nearby museums and rose garden.
- 📍 Boise
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Julia Davis Park, near the Idaho Black History Museum, Boise, ID 83702
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Deja-Moo, the Two-Headed Calf at the Idaho State Museum — Walk three minutes across Julia Davis Park to the Idaho State Museum to trade Borglum's presidential bronze for a taxidermied two-headed calf born in 1950s Gooding.
- The Stein Luminary — Cross the park footbridge 0.4 miles to the Boise State campus to swap 19th-century presidential sculpture for ninety feet of high-tech digital art touchscreens.
- Basque Museum & Cultural Center (Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga House) — Head half a mile north into Downtown's Basque Block to explore the nation's only museum dedicated to Basque culture and history.
- Pengilly's Saloon — Stroll half a mile north into Old Boise for a drink served behind a 100-plus-year-old hardwood Brunswick bar inside an 1892 building.
Good to know
Where is the Seated Lincoln statue located in Boise?
It is installed outdoors in Julia Davis Park (83702), right next to the Idaho Black History Museum and a short walk from the Boise Art Museum.
Is this the original Seated Lincoln statue by Gutzon Borglum?
No. It is an authorized reproduction cast in Joseph, Oregon, using high-resolution 3D scans of Borglum's original 1911 bronze sculpture, which remains in front of the Essex County Courthouse in Newark, New Jersey.
How big is the Boise statue?
The bronze Lincoln stands about 9 feet tall and weighs roughly 6,500 pounds, seated on an 11-foot sandstone bench.
Do I need tickets or to pay an admission fee?
No, the statue is a public art installation located in an open city park, making it completely free and accessible 24 hours a day.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: boiseartsandhistory.org · Roadside America · Wikipedia · publicartarchive.org · ktvb.com · hmdb.org
last checked: 2026-06-24