We spent several days in July touring downtown Salt Lake City. We visited three of the main attractions: Temple Square, Utah State Capitol Building and the Clark Planetarium. We found the downtown area to be very pedestrian friendly. There is a light rail system which we used to access the downtown from the Salt Lake City KOA, where we were staying. From KOA there is also a free shuttle to/from Temple Square run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). We got lunch at the food court of the very nice downtown mall, City Creek Center, which is located across the street from Temple Square. We also got out of town to hike on the Brighton Lakes Trail.
View of downtown Salt Lake City from the Capitol Steps
The Wasatch Range to the west of Salt Lake City from the Capitol Building
Fountain at City Creek Center Mall
Temple Square
Covering 35 acres in downtown Salt Lake City, Temple Square is touted as the most popular tourist attraction in Utah. We spent several hours touring the grounds, learning the history of the Mormons, and attending an organ recital in the famous Tabernacle.
We attended an organ recital in the Tabernacle
The Tabernacle Organ
From Wikipedia: “In 1847, when Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, LDS Church president Brigham Young selected a plot of the desert ground and proclaimed, “Here we will build a temple to our God.” When the city was surveyed, the block enclosing that location was designated for the temple, and became known as Temple Square. Temple Square is surrounded by a 15-foot wall that was built shortly after the block was so designated.
The square also became the headquarters of the LDS Church. Other buildings were built on the plot, including a tabernacle (prior to the one occupying Temple Square today) and Endowment House, both of which were later torn down. The Salt Lake Tabernacle, home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, was built in 1867 to accommodate the church’s general conferences, with a seating capacity of 8,000. Another church building, the Salt Lake Assembly Hall, was later built with a seating capacity of 2,000.
As the church has grown, its headquarters have expanded into the surrounding area. In 1917, an administration building was built on the block east of the temple and in 1972, the twenty-eight story LDS Church Office Building, which was, for many years, the tallest building in the state of Utah. The Hotel Utah, another building on this block, was remodeled in 1995 as additional office space and a large film theater and renamed the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. In 2000, the church purchased the section of Main Street between this block and Temple Square and connected the two blocks with a plaza called the Main Street Plaza. In 2000, the church completed a new, 21,000 seat Conference Center on the block north of Temple Square. The Family History Library and the Church History Museum are located on the block west of Temple Square.”
Salt Lake Temple was built between 1853-1893
Assembly Hall
There is no charge to tour any of the facilities. The Temple Square grounds are well manicured and beautiful. There are two visitor centers, one of which focuses on the history of the buildings and their construction. Guided tours are available. There are free organ recitals in the Tabernacle daily Monday- Saturday at noon. The Family History Library, touted as the largest genealogical collectio in the world, is also free and open to the public for their use.
Blocks of local granite were used in the construction of the buildings
Carts pulled by oxen carried the granite blocks
Some of the tools used in construction of the Temple
Pulley systems were used to raise blocks
The Salt Lake Temple
The grounds are well manicured
Utah State Capitol Building
The Utah State Capitol Building was built between 1912-1916. A major renovation was completed from 2004-2008. It was designed by Utah architect Richard K.A. Kletting. The building is of neoclassical revival style. Described as “simple yet dramatic, the building is stunning in detail and symmetry.” Fifty-two Corinthian columns made of local granite quarried from the Little Cottonwood Canyon line the outside. The building is open to the public Monday-Friday from 7:00am-8:00pm and Saturday & Sunday 8:00am-6:00pm. There is a self-guided tour brochure available at the Visitor Center. There was no charge to tour the capitol building.
Utah State Capitol Building
Inside the rotunda, the circular cyclorama depicts scenes from 19th century Utah life. The four pendentives on the large piers each have a painting depicting the earliest non-native explorations into the region. There is a tribute to Brigham Young, Utah’s first territorial governor. There are numerous other architectural details throughout the building There was also an interesting historical map display in the Fourth Floor Gallery which features rotating art exhibits.
View of the Rotunda
Interior view of the Capitol Building looking toward the Supreme Court Chamber
One of the historical maps on display in the Fourth Floor Gallery
Clark Planetarium
We visited the Clark Planetarium, whose exhibits include displays on forces that shape the Earth, from wind, water, volcanoes, and earthquakes to cosmic impacts. Another section houses displays on space phenomenon such as solar flares, space weather, magnetic fields, solar system, black holes, alien landscapes and more. Admission to the planetarium is free. It was very busy on the day we visited. This is a very kid friendly attraction.
Clark Planetarium
Some exhibits inside the Clark Planetarium
The Planetarium also houses the Orbital ATK IMAX Theater and the Hansen Dome. We were able to watch four IMAX movies, that were each 40 minutes long. There is a fee for each movie. While we were there they were showing: “National Parks Adventure”, “Incredible Predators”, “A Beautiful Planet”, and “Aircraft Carrier”. The films were educational and had great cinematography. This was another way to beat the heat wave as the temperature outside was 102 F.
