Places to visit in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City International Airport is a large establishment in the United States of America, handling approximately twenty million passengers per annum. It is hub location for Delta Airlines, Compass Airlines and SkyWest Airlines, and is recognised by its IATA code of SLC. The airport is nearby to the city centre of Salt Lake City, and has many convenient transport options for arriving passengers. Salt Lake City attractions are plentiful, and include the Great Salt Lake and the Snowbird and Summer Resort nearby, as well as the Clark Planetarium, Utah’s Hogle Zoo, the Tracy Aviary and many interesting museums. The city also features a number of lovely parks and gardens.

Salt lake City is found in the American state of Utah, and is the state capital and county seat. It spans an area of approximately 109 square miles, or 282 square kilometres, and boasts a population of over 182,00. The city’s residents mainly speak American English. Although it is not the largest city by far in the United States, it is a very popular area for tourism for many reasons, including its lovely location, between the Wasatch Mountains and the Great Salt Lake. Some of its main attractions are religious buildings, such as the Head of the Latter-Day Saints (LDS) Mormon Church and the enormous Temple found at Salt Lake City’s Temple Square. Here the world-famous Tabernacle is also located, where visitors can enjoy regular recitals performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Spectacular areas of nature surround Salt Lake City, and this is perhaps the greatest reason why the area is so famous for tourism. There are a large number of very popular ski valleys within easy travelling distance of the city, as well as miles and miles of scenic mountain trails. The Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort is one of the most popular areas for skiing and fishing, and here there is even an Aerial Tram that holds 125 passengers. It rises 8,100 feet to 11,00 feet in just eight minutes, and is a ride that is enjoyed by all. Many other forms of entertainment are found at this resort as well, including spas, restaurants, heated pools and biking trails. The resort is open daily from 09:00 to 16:00.

Very nearby the city of Salt Lake is the second largest salt lake in the world and the largest US lake to the west of the Mississippi River. The Great Salt Lake covers a magnificent 1,700 square miles and is 75 miles long. It is home to a large variety of wildlife, such as migratory birds and small land creatures. This lake is also important for the salt industry. Nearby is the popular attraction of Raging Waters, a water amusement park with thirty water slides and many other superb features that are enjoyed in warmer weather. The favourite areas and attractions of the establishment are often the half million gallon wave pool, the slow moving river and the water rollercoaster. There is also a large area with sun loungers. Raging Waters can be found at 1200 West 1700 South, Salt Lake City, and is open from Monday to Saturday between 10:30 and 19:30, and on Sundays from 12:00 to 19:30.

Further areas of interest that lie nearby to Salt Lake City include Big Cottonwood Canyon, approximately 40 miles away and in the Wasatch Mountains, the Place State Park which is a living historic village from the period between 1847 and 1869 complete with adobe houses, shops, schools, churches and hotels, and the Wheeler Historic Farm, which is 100 years old. Here visitors can ride a tractor, milk a cow and enjoy learning about the life of a farmer in this area of the country. Special events held at the Wheeler Historic Farm include an Easter egg hunt and breakfast with Santa. A May Day festival is held here as well.

Salt Lake City attractions include the Assembly Hall, Beehive House, the Salt Lake City Public Library, the LDS Conference Centre and the Delta Centre. The Assembly Hall is found in the southwest corner of Temple Square and is an attractive Gothic-style building with beautiful stained class windows and many other lovely features. Its interior is quite impressive as well. The building dates back to the late 1870’s, and was built by the Latter Day Saints. Many concerts are held here that attract a large crowd. Beehive House is another historical attraction of the city, and is a wonderfully restored residence that was once the home of the second president of the Mormon Church, Brigham Young. The library of the city is found at 210 East 400 South, and is known for its striking features. It has a five-story curved glass wall, a rooftop garden and thousands of books. There is also an art gallery to browse, and nearby, local shops and a public park. The LDS Conference Centre is large, with a capacity for 21,000 people, the Delta Centre is named after Delta Air Lines, and is an enormous arena that can seat up to 20,000 people. The arena hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics ice skating competition, and today there are many basketball games held here.

For the children there are several attractions available. Just north of Pioneer Park is the Clark Planetarium, which features laser and star shows and many hands-on exhibits. It also has a multimedia museum, and kids can watch 2D and 3D themed shows on state-of-the-art technology screens. Some of the most popular shows include Flight to the Moon and Attack of the Space Pirates. The Planetarium is also nearby to the Salt Palace Convention Centre. A large number of animals can be found at Utah’s Hogle Zoo, at 2600 East Sunnyside Avenue. There are exotic creatures from all over the world, as well as many other favourites such as giraffe and rhinos. Special residents include the snow leopards, Amur tigers and the Siberian lynx. Animals of the feathered variety can be found at the Tracy Aviary. Here there are over 130 different species of birds, some of which are extremely rare and endangered. Visitors of the aviary can enjoy bird shows, pelican feeding, interesting talks and a gift shop.

Additional attractions of Salt Lake City are the landmarks and monuments of Eagle Gate, the Utah State Capitol Building, the Brigham Young Monument and Meridian Marker and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, Museums such as the Pioneer Memorial Museum, the Children’s Museum of Utah, the Classic Cars International Antique Auto Museum, the Utah Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Church History and Art, and many green areas that include the Gilgal Gardens, Liberty Park, Memory Grove Park, Sugarhouse Park and the International Peace Gardens at Jordan Park.

Further information regarding Salt Lake City attractions can be found at the information desks of Salt Lake City International Airport, or from tourist centres in the city.