Sights & Attractions in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City Sights

Salt Lake City is a visitor-friendly city with a remarkable assortment of shopping, culture, and arts. Start with a stroll around the city center, devoting as much time to Temple Square, the heart of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as you desire. Within blocks, you'll find museums, theaters, historic buildings, and shopping. Reminders of the 2002 Winter Olympics are scattered throughout.

Be warned, however, that a 10-year, $2 billion redevelopment of downtown (called "Downtown Rising") began in 2008 and is systematically disrupting virtually every major street and building in the downtown district. Visit www.downtownrising.com for important updates.

Then, branch out into the surrounding neighborhoods to capture more of the flavor of the city.

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.