Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

A visit to Salt Lake City was an unexpected highlight of a recent trip to the USA. Our biggest mistake was only allowing a morning to see the city!

Salt Lake City is the location of the world headquarters of the Mormons (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). There is much to see in and around Temple Square.

Take a look at our photos of Salt Lake City

We arrived in Salt Lake City around 6pm and checked into our accommodation – The Kimball. It is a great location – we can see the Grand Temple and it is a few minutes walk to Temple Square.

We meet some local women who have children on missions in Australia. They recommend Blue Lemon for dinner and also The Cheesecake Factory.

City Creek Shopping
We have a delicious (and healthy) dinner at Blue Lemon and take a walk through the beautiful City Creek Street shopping precinct. This shopping complex looks brand new and is beautifully designed with the latest shops, good restaurants, attractive gardens and fountains. It is all immaculately clean and kept in pristine condition. There is a food court in the ‘mall’ so good for quick and easy meals if staying at The Kimball.

We spend the morning in Salt Lake City – there is so much to see and do that we quickly realise our stay is too short and only have time to research for a future trip!

Temple Square
Temple Square is huge – it covers 14 hectares and is located in the centre of downtown Salt Lake City. There are guided tours, historic sites, interactive exhibits, films, beautiful parks and gardens, and the largest genealogy library in the world.

Temple Square tours leave every half hour on the hour. The free tours last 30-40 minutes and cover basic beliefs of Mormons, history and some of the buildings on Temple Square. Information on the tours is available at the South Visitor Centre in Temple Square.

Salt Lake Temple
The Temple itself is closed to the public but you can see a model of it in the South Visitor Centre plus videos on the interiors and details on what the building is used for.

South Visitor Centre
At the southern end of Temple Square, the South Visitor Centre features interesting exhibits and information about the Temple.

North Visitor Centre
At the northern end of Temple Square, the North Visitor Centre features interesting exhibits and films about Jesus and the founding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Tabernacle
Opposite the Temple, the Tabernacle is home to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Orchestra at Temple Square and Bells on Temple Square. Choir and orchestra rehearsals are popular with the public and are held most Thursday evenings – for up-to-date schedules visit www.mormontabernaclechoir.org or telephone 1-801-240-4150.

Many Places of Interest in Temple Square
Other buildings worth a visit in Temple Square include:

• Assembly Hall – a charming building dating back to 1882.
• Church History Museum – free exhibits and programs tell the story of the Latter-day Saints.
• Family History Museum – you can trace your ancestry free of charge.
• Conference Centre – has a roof planted with trees and flowers, and a waterfall down the sough façade. It can only be visited on a separate tour of 40 minutes.
• Joseph Smith Memorial Building – used to be Hotel Utah – we recommend going in to look at the beautiful lobby, chandeliers, etc. You can do a tour of the building. There is also an auditorium that screens short films every half hour.
• There are two beautiful historical buildings near the Joseph Smith Memorial Building – these two buildings used to be the home of Brigham Young:
• Beehive House – built in 1854, this was the official residence of Brigham Young. The only way to see the house is a free tour of around 15-20 minutes
• Lion House – once the residence of Brigham young. The Lion Pantry, a lovely little restaurant – great for lunch, is located in Lion House.

Salt Lake Visitor Information Center
The Visitor Information Center is located at Salt Palace Convention Center, 90 South West Temple, Salt Lake City, Telephone 801-534-4900 or 800-541-4955

There is more to see in Salt Lake City than Temple Square. Call into the Visitor Information Center to enquire about tours including sightseeing tours of the city by Tours of Utah

We can highly recommend a visit to the fascinating Salt Lake City and suggest a minimum of 2 days to see the highlights.

AccommodationGuru.com
5 June 2018