Things to do · Salt Lake City · United States
17 best things to do in Salt Lake City
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Derrellwilliams, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Salt Lake City are Temple Square, Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and Little Cottonwood Canyon: Snowbird and Alta. Of the 17 picks below, 9 are free, 9 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Temple Square
- Free sights
- 9
- Good on a rainy day
- Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple Square | Downtown | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
| Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square | Downtown | 1–1.5 hours | Free |
| Little Cottonwood Canyon: Snowbird and Alta | Cottonwood Canyons | Full day | Expensive |
| FamilySearch Library | Downtown | 1–3 hours | Free |
| Utah State Capitol | Capitol Hill and Marmalade | 1 hour | Free |
| Natural History Museum of Utah | University and East Bench | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Red Butte Garden | University and East Bench | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| This Is the Place Heritage Park | University and East Bench | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Ensign Peak | Capitol Hill and Marmalade | 1 hour | Free |
| Cathedral of the Madeleine | Downtown | 30 minutes | Free |
| Beehive House | Downtown | 45 minutes | Free |
| Utah Museum of Fine Arts | University and East Bench | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Tracy Aviary | 9th and 9th | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Utah's Hogle Zoo | University and East Bench | 3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Clark Planetarium | Downtown | 1–2 hours | Low cost |
| Gilgal Sculpture Garden | Central City | 30 minutes | Free |
| City Creek Center | Downtown | 1–2 hours | Free |
The 17 best things to do
Religious site · Downtown
1.Temple Square
The 4-hectare headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds the granite Salt Lake Temple, completed in 1893, the domed Tabernacle with its famous organ, visitors' exhibits and gardens. The temple itself is open only to church members; the grounds and other buildings are free to visit, though parts of the square have been affected by a long-running temple renovation.
Ask a volunteer guide for a short tour, and step inside the Tabernacle to hear a pin drop demonstrate its acoustics.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
Experience · Downtown
2.Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square
The 360-member choir, founded in the 19th century, performs a weekly broadcast on Sunday mornings in the Tabernacle or the 21,000-seat Conference Center, and its rehearsals are usually open to the public. Both are free.
Arrive early for the Sunday broadcast; doors close before it begins and do not reopen until it ends.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Nature · Cottonwood Canyons
3.Little Cottonwood Canyon: Snowbird and Alta
A glacier-carved canyon about 40 minutes from downtown with two of the country's best-known ski areas: Snowbird, whose aerial tram climbs to Hidden Peak at about 3,350 metres, and Alta, open to skiers only. In summer the tram, hiking trails and Albion Basin's wildflowers take over.
In winter, check road conditions before driving; the canyon road can close for avalanche control and requires suitable tyres in storms. Ski buses run from the valley.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Active
- Views
- Outdoors
- Nature
Museum · Downtown
4.FamilySearch Library
Next to Temple Square, the world's largest genealogy library has billions of digitised records and volunteers who help visitors trace their ancestry for free. Interactive discovery exhibits on the main floor suit casual visitors in under an hour.
Create a free FamilySearch account and enter what you know about your grandparents before you go to save time.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
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Architecture · Capitol Hill and Marmalade
5.Utah State Capitol
Completed in 1916, the domed Capitol sits on a hill above downtown with views down State Street and across the valley. Inside, murals depict Utah history, and the building has been retrofitted to sit on base isolators that protect it in earthquakes. Free guided tours are offered on weekdays.
Walk up through Memory Grove Park and City Creek, then continue to Ensign Peak for the best view.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Views
- Rainy day
Museum · University and East Bench
6.Natural History Museum of Utah
In the copper-clad Rio Tinto Center on the foothills, the museum's Past Worlds hall displays one of the world's largest collections of horned dinosaur skulls alongside other Utah fossils. Other galleries cover the Great Salt Lake, Native peoples and gems, and the terraces overlook the whole valley.
Combine it with Red Butte Garden next door; both have hillside views.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
- History
Garden · University and East Bench
7.Red Butte Garden
The University of Utah's botanical garden covers terraced themed gardens and natural foothill trails in the mouth of Red Butte Canyon. Spring tulips and summer roses are highlights, and an outdoor amphitheatre hosts a summer concert series.
Visit in April or May for bulbs and wildflowers, and walk the upper natural-area trails for valley views.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Nature
- Kids
Historic site · University and East Bench
8.This Is the Place Heritage Park
At the mouth of Emigration Canyon, where Brigham Young is said to have declared the valley the place to settle in 1847, a monument and a re-created pioneer village of original and replica buildings show 19th-century life, with costumed interpreters, crafts and a small train.
Visit in summer when the village is most active; the monument area alone is a quick stop.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- History
- Outdoors
Viewpoint · Capitol Hill and Marmalade
1.Ensign Peak
A short, steep trail of under 2 km round trip climbs from a residential street above the Capitol to a summit monument where pioneer leaders surveyed the valley in 1847. The view takes in downtown, the Great Salt Lake and the Oquirrh Mountains.
Go at sunset in summer or on a clear winter morning; bring water, as there is no shade.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Active
- History
- Photo spot
Religious site · Downtown
2.Cathedral of the Madeleine
Completed in 1909 on South Temple Street, the Catholic cathedral combines a Romanesque exterior with a richly painted Gothic interior, stained glass from Germany and carved gargoyles. It is a working cathedral that also hosts choral concerts.
Visit on a sunny afternoon for the windows, and check the cathedral's choir schedule for free concerts.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Art
Historic site · Downtown
3.Beehive House
Brigham Young's 1850s official residence, topped with a beehive symbol of industry, is preserved with period furnishings. Free guided tours by church volunteers explain pioneer family life and the founding of the city.
It is one block east of Temple Square on South Temple; combine it with the Eagle Gate arch across the street.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
Gallery · University and East Bench
4.Utah Museum of Fine Arts
The university's art museum, in the Marcia and John Price Museum Building, covers world art from antiquity to the present, with strong collections of American Western landscapes and contemporary work.
Check for free-admission days and evening events before you go.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
Zoo · 9th and 9th
5.Tracy Aviary
One of the oldest public aviaries in the United States, in Liberty Park, with hundreds of birds from flamingos and Andean condors to owls and birds of prey, plus free-flight bird shows in summer. Liberty Park around it has a pond, playgrounds and seasonal rides.
Combine it with a picnic in Liberty Park and a walk to 9th and 9th for coffee.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Zoo · University and East Bench
6.Utah's Hogle Zoo
A hillside zoo at the mouth of Emigration Canyon with an African savanna, Asian highlands exhibits for big cats, a Rocky Shores area for polar bears, sea lions and seals, and a miniature train for children.
Visit in the morning in summer, when animals are more active and the hillside is cooler.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Museum · Downtown
7.Clark Planetarium
In The Gateway complex, the planetarium has free hands-on space and science exhibits, a dome theatre and an IMAX screen. It is a quick indoor option for families on cold or very hot days.
The exhibit floors are free; pay only if you want a dome or IMAX show.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
Garden · Central City
8.Gilgal Sculpture Garden
A small, eccentric garden hidden behind houses east of downtown, created by stonemason Thomas Child in the mid-20th century, with a sphinx bearing Joseph Smith's face and stones carved with scripture. It is a free city park.
The entrance is a narrow walkway off 500 South between 700 East and 800 East; it is easy to miss.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
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Market · Downtown
9.City Creek Center
An open-air shopping centre across from Temple Square, with a retractable glass roof, a creek running through it and fountain shows. Shops include department stores and fashion brands, and the skybridge links its two halves.
Use the skybridge over Main Street and stop to watch the fountain show by the creek.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | FamilySearch Library, Natural History Museum of Utah, Cathedral of the Madeleine and Utah Museum of Fine Arts |
| History | Temple Square, FamilySearch Library, Utah State Capitol and Natural History Museum of Utah |
| Views | Utah State Capitol, Ensign Peak and Little Cottonwood Canyon: Snowbird and Alta |
| Outdoors and nature | Little Cottonwood Canyon: Snowbird and Alta, Natural History Museum of Utah, Red Butte Garden and This Is the Place Heritage Park |
| Food and markets | City Creek Center |
| With children | Natural History Museum of Utah, Red Butte Garden, This Is the Place Heritage Park and Tracy Aviary |
| On a rainy day | Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, FamilySearch Library, Utah State Capitol and Natural History Museum of Utah |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Salt Lake City?
Temple Square. The 4-hectare headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds the granite Salt Lake Temple, completed in 1893, the domed Tabernacle with its famous organ, visitors' exhibits and gardens.
+What can you do for free in Salt Lake City?
Temple Square, Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, FamilySearch Library, Utah State Capitol and Ensign Peak. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Salt Lake City when it rains?
Head indoors to Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, FamilySearch Library, Utah State Capitol and Natural History Museum of Utah.