The Best Sight in Salt Lake City, Utah

Background Illustration for Sights

Start with a stroll around the city center, making sure to stop at the architecturally impressive Temple Square, the heart of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Within blocks, you’ll find museums, theaters, historic buildings, and shopping havens, including the Gateway and Center outdoor malls. Then, branch out into the surrounding neighborhoods to capture more of the flavor of the city.

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; and "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 within the east 300 block of 200 South Street. Generally, in speech and in written addresses, abbreviations shorten these to, for example, 320 E. 200 S or South; the word "street" is never used. 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.

Utah Museum of Fine Arts

Spanning 74,000 square feet and offering more than 20 galleries, this well-regarded art museum on the University of Utah campus contains a vast permanent collection of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman relics, Italian Renaissance and other European paintings, and Chinese ceramics and scrolls. Special exhibits are mounted regularly, and a café and a sculpture court offer further diversions.

410 Campus Center Dr., UT, 84112, USA
801-581–7332
Sight Details
$18
Closed Mon.

Something incorrect in this review?