City Guide 2008 | Get Oriented: See And Do Downtown & Around Town 

DOWNTOWN
Diversions And Shopping
Clark Planetarium Experience daily star shows, 3-D music concerts and 3-D Imax movies. Located in the Gateway Center in west downtown Salt Lake City, open seven days a week from 11 a.m. 110 S. 400 West, 456-STAR

The Gateway Mall Salt Lake’s more trendy downtown shopping area includes stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Bebe, Bastile, and more. Restaurants such as Happy Sumo, California Pizza Kitchen and Fleming’s Prime Steak House provide sustenance before watching a movie at the MegaPlex Theater. 90 S. 400 West, 456-0000

Trolley Square Originally built in 1908, Trolley Square’s historic architecture houses more than 45 specialty stores, restaurants and entertainment venues. In 2007, a $60 million makeover was begun to usher in new tenants, retail space and parking facilities. 602 E. 500 South, 521-9877

Landmarks & Attractions
Cathedral of the Madeleine This wonderfully restored Catholic cathedral features magnificent stained-glass windows and elaborate artwork and offers free tours and concerts. 331 E. South Temple, 328-8941

Gilgal Garden Hidden in the middle of the city, Gilgal is known for its eccentric handcrafted stone art. There is a 25-ton sphinx with the visage of LDS Church founder Joseph Smith, depictions of biblical stories and a tribute to Masons. 749 E. 500 South

Salt Lake City Main Library At 240,000 square feet, this state-of-the-art library holds more than 500,000 books and materials. Facilities include multilevel reading areas, roof-top garden, amphitheater, public plaza and a children’s library. 210 E. 400 South, 524-8200

Salt Lake Masonic Temple Built in 1927, the landmark includes Egyptian, Gothic, Moorish, and Colonial rooms. Free tours available by appointment. 650 E. South Temple, 363-2936

Temple Square The Thursday evening rehearsal and Sunday 9:30 a.m. broadcast of Mormon Tabernacle Choir are open to the public. South Temple & Main, 240-1000

Utah Capitol Built in 1915 with a dome similar to the U.S. Capitol’s, it was rededicated and reopened to the public in early 2008 after a four-year $227 million restoration and seismic retrofit. 350 N. Main, 538-3000

Museums
Discovery Gateway “Hands-on” discovery museum with interactive exhibits including a 30-foot-tall beehive, a media center and a “Saving Lives From the Sky” life-size helicopter. 444 W. 100 South, The Gateway, 456-KIDS

Pioneer Memorial Museum Operated by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, this museum features memorabilia from when the earliest settlers entered the Great Salt Lake Valley until the joining of the railroads at Promontory Point, Utah, on May 10, 1869. 300 N. Main, 532-6479

Museum Of Church History And Art Exhibits on the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, artwork by LDS artists and, usually, interactive exhibits for the children. 45 N. West Temple, 240-3310

Museum of Utah Art & History Due to downtown construction, this museum is closed until June 2008. Its focus is Utah painting and sculpture as well as historical objects and artifacts that document human life in the state. 125 S. Main, 355-5554

Salt Lake Art Center While not exactly a museum, this art center has been around for more than 75 years, is housed in a beautiful downtown facility next to Abravanel Hall and is a must-see for those who crave contemporary visual art, especially large-scale avant-garde exhibits. 20 S. West Temple, 328-4201

Around Town Landmarks & Attractions
Gardner Village The village preserves the old Gardner flour mill, which is listed on the National Historic Register. Surrounding the mill is a cluster of vintage structures restored into retail specialty shops, a restaurant, bakery, meeting facility and day spa. 1100 W. 7800 South, West Jordan, 566-8903

Hogle Zoo Established in 1931 at the mouth of Emigration Canyon, this 42-acre zoo is home to 1,100 animals, representing more than 250 species. 2600 E. Sunnyside Ave., 582-1631

Liberty Park—Tracy Aviary The Tracy Aviary houses some 400 birds of 135 species and cultivates about 100 varieties of plants. 589 E. 1300 South, 596-8500

Living Planet Aquarium 100 animal species are on display in the Marine Hall and Utah Waters Hall exhibits that include a bio-facts station, coral reefs, a shark tank and a “touch pool.” 725 E. 10600 South, 355-FISH (3474)

Red Butte Garden This nonprofit botanical garden and arboretum has more than 150 acres of flowers, trees and shrubs with walking and hiking paths available year-round. The garden also hosts popular outdoor music concerts in the summer. 300 Wakara Way, University of Utah campus, 581-4747

Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Cauldron Park Campus site of the Olympic ceremonies for the XIX Olympic Winter Games includes the cauldron that held the Olympic flame. Visitors center features an interactive theater. 457 S. 1400 East, Rice-Eccles Stadium, University of Utah

This Is The Place Heritage Park This 450-acre living-history park has more than 40 homes and businesses that replicate 19th-century Utah. The park features Old Deseret Village, This Is the Place monument and the Brigham Young Forest Farmhouse. 2601 Sunnyside Avenue, 582-1847

Wheeler Historic Farm Historic demonstrations and exhibits are just a few of the things that will take you back in time. Discover the old-time farm lifestyle, once common for most families in Utah but now largely past and gone. 6351 S. 900 East, 264-2241

AROUND TOWN
Around Town Museums
Utah Museum Of Fine Arts Holds ancient and modern collections (about 18,000 objects) from the world’s cultures: African, Egyptian, Greek, Asian and European as well as works by Utah artists. 410 Campus Center Drive, 581-7332

Utah Museum Of Natural History Numerous exhibits including dinosaur bone collections, local Indian artifacts and demonstrations of Utah geological history. 1390 E. Presidents Circle, 581-4303
Thanksgiving Point Includes Museum of Ancient Life, a championship-caliber golf course, Thanksgiving Point Village, and the Farm Country. 3003 N. Thanksgiving Way, Lehi, 801-768-2300

Day Trips
Antelope Island Hikers, horseback riders and cross-country skiers enjoy trails on this popular island in the Great Salt Lake. Picnicking, camping and boating facilities are available. The island is home to a roaming herd of 600 bison, pronghorn antelope and bighorn sheep. A visitor center offers information on the island’s unique biology, geology and history. Syracuse exit on I-15 north of Salt Lake City

Eccles Dinosaur Park See life-size creatures and hear them roar in the park’s six acres. Watch technicians prepare fossils or visit the hands-on exhibits. 1544 E. Park Blvd., Ogden, 801-393-3466

Heber Valley Railroad Utah’s historic steam passenger railroad is a tourist attraction based in Heber City. The track follows the Provo River to Vivian Park near Sundance Resort in Provo Canyon. 450 S. 600 West, Heber, 435-654-5601

Kennecott Bingham Canyon Copper Mine One of the largest human-made excavations ever dug. Visitors’ center displays photographs, exhibits, and more. Located in the Oquirrh Mountains approximately 25 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. 252-3234

Lagoon Amusement Park The state’s largest amusement park features one of the nation’s oldest wooden coasters as well as kiddie rides, games, a water park and more. Open seasonally. 275 Lagoon Drive (15 miles north of SLC just off 1-15), 451-8000

Ogden Union Station Built in 1924, Ogden Union Station was the center of transcontinental rail traffic for more than 50 years. Today, it is home to train and art museums, a visitors’ center, model train shop, and a restaurant. 2501 Wall Ave., Ogden, 801-393-9886

Olympic Park The 389-acre Utah Olympic Park was built for the 2002 Winter Games for Nordic jumping and the sliding sports of bobsled, luge and skeleton. Now used for national and international competitions, it also serves as a year-round training ground for development and high-performance athletes. Visitors can tour the Alf Engen Ski Museum and/or take a bobsled ride of their own. 3000 Bear Hollow Drive, Park City, 435-658-4206