10 Best Things to Do in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake Temple is the largest temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or more commonly known as the Mormon Church. The huge granite structure is the centrepiece of the 4-ha Temple Square in the middle of Salt Lake City.

Besides serving as the headquarters of the religion, it’s also where the governing body known as the Council of the Twelve Apostles convenes. Entrance to the temple is reserved for faithful members of the church, who participate in religious ceremonies. However, you can enjoy the beautiful grounds and enter the South Visitors Center, where you can learn more about the temple.

The Salt Lake Tabernacle was built within Temple Square as a place for recitals of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or commonly known as the Mormon Church. The large auditorium was completed in 1867, with a dome-shaped main hall innovatively designed so that it’s acoustically sensitive to even a drop of a pin.

One of its most striking features is the 11,623-pipe organ that covers the front of the tabernacle. If you time your visit at midday, you can hear the daily organ recital. Perhaps more impressive is the weekly rehearsals of the famous Tabernacle Choir, which takes place on Thursday evenings. The choir consists of around 360 volunteers from the church.

The City Creek Center is a world-class shopping and casual dining complex in downtown Salt Lake City. The modern, open-air mall has a central garden and fountain area and high glass-covered ceilings.

Inside, you can find world-renowned fashion brands from fast fashion to luxury designer houses, and everything in between. Dining options are also varied with casual Japanese at Osaka Japan to a more upmarket steakhouse at Texas de Brazil. You can find something for almost every budget, style, and flavour at the City Creek Center.

The Natural History Museum of Utah has more than 40,000 sq ft of displays with 5,000 items exhibited year-round. The museum has informative and interactive exhibits on the region’s parks and natural land formations, as well as on anthropology, zoology, botany, and mineralogy.

A highlight of the museum is the exhibit on the Great Salt Lake, which explains the region's unique landscape of which the city is named after. There's plenty of hands-on exhibitions for children, making it a popular place to visit for families.

Red Butte Garden is a beautiful 100-acre botanical garden on the University of Utah campus grounds in northeast Salt Lake City. It’s a community-funded space with extensive plant collections and manicured gardens, along with 5 miles of walking trails in the nearby foothills.

Red Butte Garden also offers many educational and entertainment programs throughout the year, including horticulture classes, art exhibitions, and outdoor concerts in the warmer months. The summer concert series is particularly popular, and you need to secure tickets early – you can view the upcoming line-up online.

Hogle Zoo stretches across 42 acres of land and is home to more than 800 animals from all around the world. The zoo is easily accessible from downtown Salt Lake City, located on the eastern fringes of the urban area at the opening of Emigration Canyon.

The grounds are divided into different sections such as the Asian Highlands, Primate Forest, Rocky Shores, and African Savannah. The exhibits allow you to get as close to the animals as possible. You can also feed the zoo’s giraffes, rhinos, and gorillas for an extra fee.

Liberty Park covers an incredible 80 acres of land in the heart of Salt Lake City. It’s the largest park in the urban area, making it a popular spot for getting active, no matter your preferred activity.

There’s a large network of walking and cycling paths, as well as recreational grounds like a basketball court and swimming pool. If you’re after something more relaxing, you can also explore the Tracy Aviary, one of the oldest aviaries in the world, or have a picnic under the tree canopies.

The Wheeler Historic Farm has been a working farm since the 1850s, now serving as a public agricultural museum and recreation site in Utah. The 75-acre farm includes a milking parlour and historic garage and farmstead that is used to demonstrate the agricultural history of the region.

You can take a tour of the farmhouse, watch a cow-milking demonstration, and climb aboard a tractor-drawn wagon for a tour of the farmland. Part of the property is also a public garden that’s open every day from dawn until dusk. It has a playground and picnic area for families to enjoy at their leisure.

Big Cottonwood Canyon, located in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, is just a 30-minute drive from Salt Lake City. It was a rich source of gold and silver in the mid-1800s – you can still see remnants of the old mines in the area.

Today, the incredibly stunning natural landscape is popular for hiking, rock climbing and mountain biking for adventurous travellers. There are also nearby ski resorts at Solitude and Brighton, which offer year-round facilities. If you prefer not to get out of your car, then you can also take in the views on the 15-mile scenic drive through the canyon, which takes about 1 hour to complete.

Main Street, running immediately south of Temple Square, attracts those looking to enjoy a fun night out in Salt Lake City. The long street is home to some of the best live music venues, bars, and restaurants in the city.

Eccles Theatre is a 2,500-seater performing arts centre which has always got something on, from Broadway plays to stand-up comedy and music concerts. Across the road from the theatre, you can start your bar-hopping at Beerhive Pub, a classic and cosy establishment with retro décor and a wide range of craft beers. For something a little different, walk a little further to Keys on Main, where you can enjoy duelling piano performances and inventive cocktails.