Best Things To Do in Salt Lake City

Our Local Expert Says:

Some of Salt Lake City's best and most popular outdoor summer concerts.

Description:

Sitting on the northeastern end of Salt Lake City, and nestled into the foothills, Red Butte Garden is tucked into the northeastern corner of the University of Utah. With more than two hundred species of plants, a newly designed, copper-wrapped main building, this provides a beautiful environment for a casual stroll or educational tour. Open all year. If you're here in the summer, be sure to check online for their summer concert lineup. Taking place during the extremely pleasant Salt Lake evenings, internationally famous artists (such as John Hiatt, the Indigo Girls, and Herbie Hancock) perform to packed audiences in their outdoor theater. Bring a picnic blanket, some cheese, crackers, and wine! If you have a little extra time and energy, you can depart from the gardens to join up with the miles of crisscrossing trails of the Bonneville Shoreline system.

Our Local Expert Says:

Given its content and excellent location, this is one of Salt Lake City's top museums to visit.

Description:

Anyone who has explored Utah's outdoors already knows that it has an incredible geologic story. From the red, sandstone sculptures of Arches and the other national parks, to the peaks of the incredible Wasatch and Uinta mountains, and the bottom of the Grand Canyon, this region contains an enormous amount of exposed natural history.

The Natural History Museum of Utah serves to explain the broad picture of Utah's formation, as well as the individual histories within it, including the stories of the dinosaurs, indigenous peoples, plants, and animals living in the area over the millenia. Exhibits here include artifacts, illustrations, fossils, and replicas, all designed to captivate and educate guests of all ages.

As of late 2011, the Natural History Museum of Utah now occupies the brand-new, architecturally stunning Rio Tinto Center. Situated on the upper reaches of the University of Utah campus, this structure blends magnificently with the red buttes behind it.

Our Local Expert Says:

Best intro hike to the beauty of Salt Lake City's Wasatch Mountains.

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One of the most popular hikes in the Wasatch, the trail to Red Pine Lake follows a well-maintained trail through a narrow canyon to a beautiful alpine lake set just below tree line. The lake with its backdrop of craggy peaks makes for a great picnic spot or an excellent place to pitch a tent for an overnight backpack trip.

Begin your hike at the well-marked White Pine trailhead located 5.5 miles up Salt Lake City's Little Cottonwood Canyon. The trail climbs nearly 2000 feet over 3 miles so plan on about 2-3 hours to reach the lake. Once at Red Pine Lake, explore the trail that circles the lake or scramble up the rock above Red Pine Lake to an upper pool.

Our Local Expert Says:

The best panoramic views of the Great Salt Lake are seen from Antelope Island State Park.

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The Great Salt Lake has a salinity roughly 10 times that of ocean water. It's shallow and generally hard to interact with. However, it has a unique beauty worth checking out. One of the best ways to explore the Great Salt Lake and its natural environs is to take a trip to Antelope Island State Park.

This island, hardly developed at all, allows you to envision what the shores of the Great Salt Lake looked like hundreds of years ago, before millions of people lived in Utah. Visit the historic farm built by settlers 150+ years ago. Or try to catch a glimpse the island's free-roaming buffalo heard; every October a roundup to help thin the heard before the winter months. Take a hike or a mountain bike ride along the island's trails.

Though only about 20 miles northwest of Salt Lake City as the crow flies, Antelope Island actually requires about 45 miles of driving to reach. First head north on I-15 into Syracuse, then take Exit 335 and head west, following signs for Antelope Island State Park. During late May of every year, the Salt Lake Century bike tour rides north from Salt Lake City and onto Antelope Island before heading back south.

Our Local Expert Says:

A great spot for viewing the lake. Spend the day picnicking and wading in the Great Salt Lake.

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Great Salt Lake State Park has been popular with bathers since the Mormon Pioneers first arrived in the basin in the middle of the 19th century. Although no swimming ability is necessary (the high salt content of the water keeps even non-swimmers afloat), bathers should be aware that the super-salty water may irritate throat, eyes and nose. A small visitors' center offers a museum, local information and a video about the lake, while the private SaltAir development provides a few shops, some food outlets and space for concerts and other events.

Our Local Expert Says:

With its host of historic buildings and its beautiful manicured lawns, Temple Square is a must-see for first-time visitors to Salt Lake City.

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Temple Square is the number-one tourist attraction in the state of Utah, attracting 3-5 million visitors each year. And for the 13 million Latter-day Saints around the world, this is the historic and spiritual center of the church.

The downtown destination is the home of the iconic Salt Lake Temple, the Mormon Tabernacle, the Assembly Hall, two large Visitors Centers, the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, and the 20,000 seat Conference Center. On one weekend each April and October, the Square buzzes with tens of thousands of Mormon visitors from around the world for the church's semi-annual General Conference.

During the holiday season, the well-manicured trees and buildings are lit beautifully and become a magnet for couples contemplating a wedding at the temple in the spring.

Throughout the year, free concerts are held at the Tabernacle and the adjacent Assembly Hall, every Sunday morning the Tabernacle Choir performs its weekly "Music and the Spoken Word" program free for the public, and a variety of free films and expositions are shown in the neighboring Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

Did we mention that all of this is available at no cost? Volunteering Mormon missionaries... read more

Our Local Expert Says:

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is one of the oldest and largest choirs in the world. Catch their live performance on Sunday mornings in Temple Square to top off your trip to Salt Lake City.

Description:

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is made up of 360 male and female members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The choir was founded in 1847, only a month after the Mormon pioneers crossed into the Salt Lake Valley. The choir broadcasts its weekly performance called Music and the Spoken Word, which is the longest continually running radio network broadcast in the world.

Most of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's rehearsals and performances are free and open to the public. Weekly rehearsals are held on both Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings before the broadcast performance. The broadcast performance takes place every Sunday morning at 9:30 am and takes place in the Tabernacle at Temple Square. Those wishing to attend the performance must be in their seats by 9:15 am.

Description:

Between 1911 and 1987, this building served as the world-renowned Hotel Utah. Since renovated and converted into offices, meeting spaces, restaurants (www.diningattemplesquare.com), and reception areas (very popular for wedding receptions), the architectural details have been lovingly restored. The lobby retains its art-glass ceiling and massive marble pillars -- it's worth a stop for a peek inside. The FamilySearch Center (tel. 801/240-4085) has 100 computers and a staff to help you discover your family's roots. A big-screen 500-seat theater (tel. 801/240-4383) offers free showings of an hour-long movie about the life of LDS founder Joseph Smith. Allow between a half hour to an hour and a half.

Our Local Expert Says:

Come with an open mind to learn about the Mormons' perspective on their history and role in the world.

Description:

The LDS Church History Museum, located across the street from the west gates of Temple Square, contains collections of art, documents, photographs, furniture, and clothing from the nearly two hundred year history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Permanent and rotating exhibits in this family-friendly museum offer insights into the pioneer history of the church, along with emphasis on the contemporary church's role in the lives of its members around the world. The museum is free.

Description:

Visitors to the area may be suprised when they find themselves driving under this great 76-foot arch with a 4,000 pound eagle on top. The eagle gate has rested on State Street and South Temple since it was built in 1859. Originally, it served as the entrance to Brigham Young's property and led beyond that to City Creek Canyon. Now it is merely a reminder of simpler times in Salt Lake and of course, the prosperity of the Mormon pioneers.