Today, Salt Lake City is home to over a million people, with a busy downtown, famous slopes, a thriving food and drink scene and multiple universities. The area’s history goes back to the ancient Pueblo people who first inhabited the area. It was originally surveyed by a U.S. Army Officer in 1843, who was quickly followed by pioneers heading west. Here are a few spots in Salt Lake City that shouldn’t be missed by visiting history buffs.
Temple Square is Salt Lake City’s most famous attraction. Situated on a location chosen just four days after the area was settled by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Temple Square is now a 35-acre site that includes the temple, tabernacle, assembly hall and visitors centers. While the temple is undergoing major renovations, there are plenty of historic sites to visit in the square.
Utah is one of the world’s richest areas for fossil discovery, and one dino-mite place for history lovers is the Natural History Museum of Utah. The museum is home to over 30 skeletal reconstructions of dinosaurs! See artifacts used by Utah’s prehistoric people and hear stories from Utah’s indigenous residents. And of course, learn about the Great Salt Lake and catch a glimpse across the valley of the lake itself.
In 2002, the Winter Olympics converged in Salt Lake City. Built for the global event, Utah Olympic Park is nearly 400 acres in nearby Park City and home to a sliding track, six ski jumps, a museum and plenty of adventure activities. And even though #ACCE23 is happening in the summer, you can still take advantage of a wide variety of things to do, like extreme tubing, ziplines and scenic chairlifts.
In Salt Lake City, you can discover the history of your family. The Family History Library started as a one-room depository and now boasts five floors, over 1.3 million rolls of microfilm and 600,000 books, periodicals and maps. Most items in the library’s collection contain information about people born before 1940. If family history is your passion, this is the place to visit.
A few of these locations are included in the Salt Lake Attractions Pass. See what’s included and pass options here.
