The largest and most central property of the city's public park system, this 80 acre Liberty Park offers recreational activities for all. Children applaud the Children's Garden and boating pond, playground, amusement park and snack bar. Older visitors enjoy the swimming pool and the tennis park's 16 lighted courts. Recent developments have added a well-conceived interactive map that uses pools and fountains to depict the topography of Utah. Liberty Park is also home to the ever-popular Tracy Aviary, the Chase Mill and the Chase Home Museum of Folk Art.
This Roman Catholic cathedral stands majestically near the avenues in Salt Lake City. The building was renovated in 1990. The Romanesque facade, with gargoyles and stained glass, invites visitors to enter its Gothic Revival chambers within. The Eccles organ welcomes all with its reeds and diapasons booming their robust tones. The clergy holds Mass regularly.
Selected as the spot for the epic Mormon Temple by Brigham Young himself, the iconic Temple Square is the religious locus of Salt Lake City. A stirring mosaic of history, religion, architecture and sophisticated gastronomy, the historic Temple Square invokes an ethereal picture further riddled with the nuances of the art, theater and culture. Ever since it was first built, Temple Square has been the headquarters of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, containing not only the Salt Lake Temple but the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Family History Library and the Assembly Hall as well. This revered downtown expanse is laced by a tapestry of shops, restaurants, parks, gardens and an array of other historical sites. The elaborate South Visitors' Center illustrates the history of the temple whereas the North Visitors' Center is home to a scaling statue of Christ, called 'The Christus'.
The Natural History Museum of Utah lets you embark on a journey into the natural world offering extensive collections of biological, archaeological and anthropological documentation, archives and articles. It also offers exhibits specific to the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau and is a center for information on a variety of subjects. Located at the University of Utah, the Museum is educational as well as entertaining for adults and children alike with impressive, interactive displays. Their biology collection includes more than 300,000 species of mammals, vertebrates, birds, insects as well as seeds while the geological collection boasts of more than 50,000 minerals, rocks and fossils. These collections are carefully exhibited in the Cooper Hall of Anthropology, Earth science galleries, Norton Hall of Minerals, Life science halls and the Dumke Gallery. In addition, the museum is an address to the fascinating Quinney Dinosaur Discovery Hall. Special statewide outreach programs include curriculum kits for teachers, field trips, guided tours and natural history classes.
The Corinthian theme beautifully amalgamates with the Neoclassical style of architecture to reveal an imposing structure in the form of the Utah State Capitol Building. Completed in 1916, this ornate Seat of the Utah government is crowned with a 165 feet (50 meters) rotunda while its interior is brought to life with artist Lewis Schettle's painting. Massive ionic columns, each carved from a single piece of marble, are thought to be the largest solid marble columns in the United States. Epic paintings around the arches and the rotunda represent Brigham Young and the Mormon pioneers.
An opulent granite monument, designed in a Gothic style, the Salt Lake Temple is commonly known as the Mormon Church. As testimony of the faith and devotion of the people, this structure took over 40 years to build from 1853. Like other Latter-day Saints temples, this one too is not open for public tours and only members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are permitted to enter. However, the temple grounds can be visited, making it a popular tourist attraction for those looking to experience the magnificence first-hand.
The Ski Utah Ski and Snowboard Association offers this action packed tour for advanced skiers. The eight hour Ski Utah Interconnect Adventure Tour starts in Park City and travels the Wasatch backcountry, requiring some walking, ski traversing, downhill skiing and advanced skiing in a variety of terrain and snow conditions. Downhill skiing includes runs at up to five of the area's resorts. Tour costs include a backcountry lunch, ski passes for each of the resorts, the services of expert guides, and transportation back to Park City. Reservations are required.
This unique gallery in downtown Salt Lake City is a part of Very Special Arts Utah, and features seven to nine exhibits each year. These exhibits focus mainly on works by artists with disabilities. Most of the artwork relates to social issues, children's pieces, or work by artists who grew up in under-served or underdeveloped communities. Art Access Gallery is one of very few of its kind and lies near several other art galleries in Salt Lake, making it a convenient stop along your gallery stroll.
Coda Gallery showcases talent from both established and new artists. There are two other branches: one in New York and one in Palm Desert, California. The types of art on display at the Park City gallery include original paintings, blown glass, sculptures of stone and metal, and crafts.
Founded in 1991, this award-winning theater company produces unique shows with a theme centered on social awareness. The company, in collaboration with Meat & Potato Theatre, features a lab for aspiring playwrights with its Script-in-Hand series.
Located in the heart of Park City, the Jim Santy Auditorium is quite popular with locals of the city who stop by often to catch a theatrical production. On non-performance days, films are also screened here and musical concerts performed. Call for further details on upcoming events in this splendid auditorium.