Best things to do in Salt Lake City

Bustling Temple Square is home to a number of tourist attractions, including a large complex owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Family History Library, the largest genealogical library in the world, is a favorite stop. Here, you can delve into your ancestors' past. If you are not a Mormon, you cannot enter the Salt Lake Temple that dominates the square, but you still can explore the grounds and admire the exterior of this striking, 19th-century structure. Pop into the visitor center to see a diorama of the inside of the temple. Learn more about Mormonism at the Church History Museum, home to a large collection of Latter-day Saint artifacts and artwork. Approach a missionary or volunteer docent for a free tour of the square.

Utah State Capitol is one of the state's major landmarks, noted for its design that melds Neoclassical Revival and Corinthian style architecture. This combination of styles earned it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed by architect Richard K.A. Kletting and built between 1912 and 1916, the building overlooks Salt Lake City's downtown as the centerpiece of a complex of government structures. The building offers free guided tours of some of its common areas, including the imposing central rotunda, which features paintings of scenes from the state's early history. Outside the grand building you can explore a picturesque park that contains several memorials and a reflecting pond.

Salt Lake Temple, which took 40 years to build, is sacred ground for Mormons. While the interior is not open to the public, you can come to the center of the city and photograph the Gothic and Romanesque building that takes up 4 ha (10 acres) and stroll its landscaped gardens.

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Explore the region's paleontology, climate, topography, geology, wildlife, water resources, and anthropology at Natural History Museum of Utah. The museum features over 1.2 million objects organized in seven collections. Start on the fifth floor and work your way down to the bottom, where you will find four cast skeletons of Jurassic dinosaurs. Look for the 18 m (60 ft) replica of the 4,000-year-old pictograph panel from Utah's Horseshoe Canyon and "Romney Mine," a walk-in recreation of a 19th-century lead-zinc-silver mine. A small cafe serves salads and wraps. Avoid weekdays if you don’t want to run into school groups.

Known as one of the largest auditoriums ever built, the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Conference Center is the monumental meeting spot used for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. At 130,000 sq m (1.4 million sq ft), the auditorium is large enough to hold two Boeing 747's side by side. From each one of the auditorium’s 21,000 seats you will have a clear view of the pulpit, the 7,667 pipe and 130-rank Schoenstein pipe organ, and the main stage, home to the 360-voice Mormon Tabernacle Choir. A frequent tour is offered that let you access to the roof’s urban forest and incredible views while teaching you about the architectural details and history of the church.

Stretching back into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Big Cottonwood Canyon offers a wide array of opportunities for enjoying wild countryside and the great outdoors. Make your way to the 24 km (15 mi) long canyon and hike along the area's network of trails and paths crisscrossing the rugged terrain, leading you to lakes, forested slopes, and many types of rock formations. Alternatively, hop on a bike to explore the area more quickly, or strap on your climbing gear to take advantage of the many popular local rock-climbing runs. Keep in mind that some of these hikes and activities can be quite difficult, so ensure that you're prepared for the trek and equipped with comfortable outdoor shoes.

A major botanic garden that tests and displays regional horticulture, Red Butte Garden remains one of Utah's secret gems. Encompassing over 40 hectares (100 acres), this sprawling nature park features both landscaped and natural gardens with a network of hiking trails and walking paths extending all the way to the foothills of the Wasatch Range. Operated by the state's flagship university, the garden offers you a chance to spend a day exploring vast natural areas. Or, pick up useful ideas for landscaping your backyard by taking a class with horticultural experts. Check online to see what's blooming, and time your visit to catch one of the garden's outdoor performances.

When you submit responses to questions or provide other submissions, you grant the Church History Museum an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, excerpt (in whole or in part) and distribute such content for any purpose, and to prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other works, such user content. You also allow the Church History Museum the right to publish your name, voice, likeness, and other personal information that is part of your user-generated content, and you grant consent for the Church History Museum to use the content, or any portion of the content, as part of any broadcast or production or for advertising, marketing, publicity, and promotional activities.



Church History Museum is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Unless otherwise indicated, all content on this page is copyrighted by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

The Joseph Smith Memorial Building, originally called the Hotel Utah, is a social center located on the corner of Main Street and South Temple in Salt Lake City. It is named in honor of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. It houses several restaurants and also functions as a venue for events. Several levels of the building also serve as administrative offices for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) departments such as FamilySearch. On January 3, 1978, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Hotel Utah.

At Antelope Island State Park, explore the natural habitats of local wildlife, including one of the largest groups of free-roaming American Bison in the United States. The 11,700 hectares (28,800 acres) of this state park are located on the largest island within the Great Salt Lake, accessed by a two-lane causeway. The park is best known for its scenic views, especially from the northern Buffalo Point and White Rock Bay. Besides viewing antelope, bighorn sheep, deer, and other desert animals, you can experience various recreational activities like camping, bird watching, cycling, and hiking. You can also walk along the white sand beaches of the lake's salty shorelines and swim here, as well).

For a chance to discover some of the world's most diverse ecosystems without leaving Utah, visit Utah's Hogle Zoo. The site houses over 1,000 animals from around the globe, including white rhinoceros, African elephants, Siberian lynx, Amur tigers, polar bears, and sea lions. Recognized for its conservation efforts, the zoo implements a "reduce, reuse, and recycle" program and strives to teach the public about the importance of safeguarding the planet's biodegradable products. Start your adventure at the zoo's African savanna, a mixed-species exhibit featuring zebras, ostriches, giraffes, and lions. To touch and feed some of these wild creatures, visit the zoo's website and sign up for a personal animal encounter.

Ensign Peak is a peak in the foothills near downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. It is approximately one mile north of the Utah State Capitol and sits almost directly behind it. On July 26, 1847, Brigham Young and other early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) climbed this hill and gave it its present name. The hill has religious significance in LDS Church history and in its symbolism.
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