Sights Overview

Despite its population of roughly 180,000, Salt Lake City feels like a small city. Wide streets and an efficient mass transit system make it easy to get around. The heart of Salt Lake's social, religious, and political institutions can be found within a few blocks of Temple Square downtown. Numerous museums and a state-of-the-art planetarium thrive here, and because many of the cultural institutions are supported by public funds you'll spend little money touring the city. In addition, the emphasis put on green spaces by past and present city planners means you won't experience the claustrophobic feeling found in many big cities.

Take time to stroll around the city center, shopping or visiting Temple Square. Choose a museum, theater, or historic building to explore, then branch out into the surrounding neighborhoods to capture more of the flavor of the city. Reminders of the 2002 Winter Olympics are scattered throughout.

Like most Utah municipalities, Salt Lake City is based on a grid plan that was devised by Brigham Young in the 19th century. Most street names have a directional and a numerical designation, which describes their location in relation to one of two axes. Streets with "East" or "West" in their names are east or west of (and parallel to) Main Street, which runs north-south; while "North" and "South" streets run parallel to South Temple street.

The numbers tell how far the streets are from the axes. (For example, 200 East Street is two blocks east of Main Street.) Addresses typically include two directional references and two numerical references -- 320 East 200 South Street, for instance, is in the east 300 block of 200 South Street. Three of Salt Lake's most prominent streets are named after the Mormon Temple: North Temple, South Temple, and West Temple, indicating that the streets run parallel to the north, south, and west borders of Temple Square. Main Street borders the square's east side.