The Wassmuth Center for Human Rights in Downtown Boise is marking three decades of human rights education with a free public anniversary event on Saturday, June 20, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The celebration is open to residents of all ages and caps off a 30-year journey that grew from a single traveling exhibit into one of Idaho’s most recognized civic institutions.
How It All Began
The center’s origins trace back to 1995, when a touring Anne Frank exhibit arrived in Boise and drew thousands of visitors from across Idaho. The community response was larger than anyone had anticipated, and a group of local women took notice.
Executive Director Christina Bruce-Bennion described how that moment became a turning point. “There was something about the way people responded to that exhibit that led to a local group of women deciding that Idaho could be and was more than the negative things that were happening,” she said.
That energy didn’t fade after the exhibit moved on. What started as a modest idea — placing a commemorative rock and plaque along Boise’s greenbelt — eventually grew into something far more substantial. The concept evolved into the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, an open-air courtyard in the heart of Downtown Boise that has since become a gathering place for Treasure Valley families, school groups, and visitors from across the region.
Growth and Expansion Over Three Decades
The Wassmuth Center has continued expanding its footprint in recent years. In 2024, the organization opened the Philip E. Batt Education Building, adding dedicated classroom and programming space to the memorial campus. The building, named in honor of former Idaho Governor Philip Batt, represents a significant investment in the center’s educational mission and positions it to serve a growing number of students and community members in the years ahead.
Over the past 30 years, the center has worked to bring human rights education into schools and communities throughout Idaho, offering programming aimed at helping students and residents think critically about history, civic responsibility, and the role individuals play in their communities.
Bruce-Bennion described the center’s broader purpose as rooted in action rather than just awareness. “We hope that informed action rooted in inspiration and hope is what people will take from here,” she said.
Impact on Ada County and the Treasure Valley
For Ada County residents, the Wassmuth Center has become part of the civic fabric of Boise. The Idaho Anne Frank Memorial draws school field trips from Boise, Meridian, Eagle, and surrounding communities each year, giving local students a place to connect historical events to present-day values. The open-air design makes the memorial accessible year-round and serves as a public space that families and individuals can visit at no cost.
The addition of the Philip E. Batt Education Building expands the center’s capacity to host structured programs, workshops, and events — all of which take place just steps from the memorial itself in Downtown Boise.
Community-focused institutions like the Wassmuth Center contribute to the broader cultural life of the Treasure Valley, complementing other local efforts such as the Boise State alumni-founded theatre company dedicated to bringing women’s stories to the stage and community gatherings like Boise’s annual Hot Air Balloon Festival at Ann Morrison Park.
What Comes Next
The 30th anniversary celebration takes place Saturday, June 20, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Wassmuth Center and Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial in Downtown Boise. Admission is free, and organizers have designed the event to be welcoming to visitors of all ages.
Residents interested in attending can plan to visit the memorial campus, which is located in the downtown core and accessible from much of the Treasure Valley. No registration information was listed as required for attendance at the public event.
For Ada County families looking for a meaningful way to spend a summer Saturday, the anniversary gathering offers a chance to explore one of Boise’s most distinctive civic landmarks and mark 30 years of community-driven education right here in Idaho.