The Appaloosa Museum, located in the ApHC headquarters in Moscow, Idaho, is dedicated to preserving and sharing the heritage of the Appaloosa horse. Exhibits explain the history of the horse including its Asian and European roots, use by Nez Perce and Palouse Indians, connections with circuses, rodeos and cowboys and Appaloosas' varied uses today. Live Appaloosas are on view in summer months. The museum's collection consists of approximately 5,000 objects including Native American items, saddles and other western tack, art work, photographs and ApHC related items. A ten minute video on the history of the Appaloosa, the club and museum is available to rent from the museum for $5. The museum houses a small gift shop which sells books (available through mail order) and a variety of other Appaloosa and Western related items.
The Appaloosa Museum is open year `round from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Summer hours are extended to include Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The suggested donation for visiting the museum is $1 per person. Group tours are scheduled in advance.
Special museum activities include a visit by Santa on an Appaloosa on the first Saturday in December and a Horse Demonstration Day in the spring when Appaloosa owners are invited to bring their horses to the museum to show some of the many ways Appaloosas are enjoyed - dressage, packing, western style riding, wagon rides, etc.
The museum is raising funds to build an addition which will include library/archives space where visitors and researchers can look at back issues of Appaloosa News and Western Horseman and examine the photograph collection. A hands-on activity area for "kids" of all ages, western art gallery and expanded gift shop will also be included.
The museum is a non-profit organization, partially funded by the Appaloosa Horse Club. Donations are greatly appreciated. For more information about how you can donate to the museum, whether through cash contributions, bequests or donations of objects for the museum's collection, call the museum at (208)882-5578, ext. 279.
