Billings Gym

 A landmark Weiser has loved for over 100 years. Help us bring it home. 

For nearly 40 years, Billings Gym has stood quiet — abandoned, but never forgotten. Built in 1929 as part of the Intermountain Institute, this building was once known as the finest gymnasium in the region, with multiple courts, locker and shower facilities, and an indoor pool that was, in its day, a genuine point of regional pride.

Today, the Snake River Heritage Center has the opportunity to bring Billings Gym back into community hands — and back to life.

This building sits boldly at the entrance to the old Intermountain Institute campus, directly across from Weiser High School. It's one of the most recognized structures in town, and for good reason: of the five original Intermountain Institute buildings, Billings Gym is the one most people see first.

The Snake River Heritage Center already owns and operates Hooker Hall — the anchor building of the old Intermountain Institute, instantly recognizable by its iconic four-sided clocktower — as the Weiser Museum.

Billings Gym is the next piece of a much larger vision. The Intermountain Institute, founded in 1899, was built around five major educational buildings on this campus. Some are now privately owned. Our long-term goal is to see this entire campus reunited — piece by piece — into one cohesive historic district that tells the full story of the Institute and its lasting mark on this region.

Saving Billings Gym isn't just about saving a building. It's about reclaiming a piece of the whole.

Many longtime residents remember Billings Gym's indoor pool as a genuine point of pride for the entire region — one of the few of its kind around at the time. We want to be upfront: that pool was filled in long ago and is not recoverable. Restoring it to a functioning pool is not part of this project. We share this not to dim the building's legacy, but to be transparent as we plan its future — and to make clear that the memory of that pool, like so much of this campus's history, deserves to be honored in how we tell this building's story going forward, even if the pool itself won't return.

We're not starting from zero. A full engineering analysis of Billings Gym has already been completed, and the building has been cleared down to an open shell, removing much of the uncertainty that typically comes with a project like this. A new roof was also recently installed — one of the most important (and expensive) protections any historic building can have.

Buying a historic building is only the first step. Before Billings Gym can safely reopen its doors to the community, we need to complete a series of inspections, assessments, and repairs. Here's our anticipated path forward:

Phase 1 — Acquisition & Assessment

• Finalize purchase of the property
• Commission a full professional building inspection (structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical)
• Environmental assessment, including testing for asbestos, lead paint, and other materials common in buildings of this era
• Foundation and structural engineering review
• Roof inspection (confirming the condition of the new roof and any remaining work)

Phase 2 — Compliance & Planning

• ADA accessibility engineering review and cost estimates, to ensure the building is welcoming and usable for every member of our community
• Fire and life-safety systems review
• Architectural planning for renovated use as a community event space

Phase 3 — Renovation

• Structural and foundation repairs as identified
• Window restoration or replacement
• Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC modernization
• ADA-compliant restrooms, entrances, and pathways
• Cosmetic restoration — flooring, paint, lighting, finishes
• Renovation respecting the building's original 1929 character wherever possible

Phase 4 — Ongoing Operations

• Hiring and training staff for building maintenance and event coordination
• Establishing a rental and scheduling system for community use
• Building a maintenance reserve fund to protect this investment for the long term

Timelines and costs will be refined as professional inspections are completed. We'll update this page as we learn more.

We know older buildings like this one often raise the same honest questions — and we'd rather answer them upfront than leave anyone wondering. Here's what's on our checklist:

• Asbestos — common in insulation, flooring, and roofing materials from this era; testing and (if needed) safe abatement will be part of our environmental assessment
• Foundation condition — a structural engineer will assess the building's foundation as part of the inspection process
• Roof — the good news here: a new roof was recently installed, which removes one of the biggest unknowns and biggest expenses from this list
• Windows — many original windows will need restoration or replacement, balancing historic character with energy efficiency and safety
• Electrical & plumbing systems — full modernization will be required to meet current code
• Lead paint — like asbestos, common in buildings of this age, and will be addressed as part of environmental testing
• Accessibility (ADA compliance) — entrances, restrooms, and pathways will be engineered to welcome every visitor

We believe in being honest about what a project like this requires. These aren't reasons to walk away — they're simply the real, known work ahead of us.

Once restored, Billings Gym's primary purpose will be simple: bringing people together.

This building was built for community gathering, and that's exactly what we envision for its future — a home for the kinds of events that build memories and carry traditions forward:

• Community dances
• Family reunions
• Weddings and receptions
• Fiddle Fest events and similar large-scale gatherings
• Reunions, banquets, and celebrations that have long been part of life in Washington County

Outdoors, the vision grows even bigger. The campus surrounding Billings Gym and Hooker Hall includes large open lawns — space with real potential for car shows, Art in the Park, outdoor weddings, band performances, and community festivals.

And here's what makes this campus especially practical for events: every outdoor space has an indoor backup right next door. Hooker Hall already includes a large ballroom and a 300-person theater. Plan your outdoor wedding on the lawn — and if the weather doesn't cooperate, the entire ceremony can move indoors without missing a beat. Few venues in the region can offer that kind of flexibility, and it's one of the most exciting parts of seeing this campus restored as a whole.

The Snake River Heritage Center exists to preserve the heritage and culture of this region — and that mission is bigger than artifacts in display cases.

Washington County is a remarkably well-knit community, one that has stayed connected across generations for well over a hundred years. Many family names found throughout Weiser and Washington County today appear again and again in SRHC's archives and displays. For local families, walking through our museum isn't just history — it's often their own family's history.

Billings Gym extends that mission in a new direction: giving today's youth and families a place not just to learn about their heritage, but to touch it — to dance, celebrate, and gather in the very buildings their grandparents and great-grandparents once did. A restored Billings Gym means new generations can build their own memories on the same campus where this community's story has unfolded for over a century.

This page will be updated as inspections, engineering reviews, and planning move forward. If you'd like to be part of this project — through a pledge of support, volunteering, or simply spreading the word — we'd love to hear from you.

• Scroll back up and hit that "Pledge" button.
• Visit our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SnakeRiverHeritageCenter/
• Visit our companion Facebook Group, the Weiser Museum, filled with local historic photos in our collection: https://www.facebook.com/groups/weisermuseum
• Not sure what building we're talking about?  Find it on this map.