Salt Lake City can be explored through a range of interests: museums and historic collections tell the story of Utah, while gardens, wildlife and trails offer different focal points. When looking for a hotel, it helps to first decide whether you’d rather spend your time on culture, landscaped outdoor spaces or getting active. The places and activities below offer practical starting points for planning, without prescribing a fixed itinerary.
Museums, History and Art
The Natural History Museum of Utah is the state’s official natural history museum. Its public programs include DinoFest, a lecture series and weekly gallery programs. If a particular program is important to your visit, check the dates in advance.
The Pioneer Memorial Museum features artifacts about Utah’s pioneer history and early life in the state. Its collection spans the period from the arrival of the first settlers in the Great Salt Lake Valley to the joining of the railroad lines at Promontory Point on May 10, 1869. The subject therefore covers both early settlement and a specific moment in railroad history. The Museum of Utah in the North Capitol Building explores Utah’s history, culture and art through exhibits and programs.
The Utah State Capitol also combines history and architecture with insights into state government processes. Self-guided, guided and virtual tours covering these topics are available; check current availability before your visit. The Capitol also features artworks depicting explorers, pioneers and notable figures from Utah. Temple Square offers tours on a range of topics and at different times. Checking the current schedule can help you include suitable tours in your plans.
The Gilgal Sculpture Garden offers a different focus: it is Utah’s only designated environment of visionary art. The garden features twelve original sculptures and more than 70 stones engraved with passages from the Bible, poems and literary texts. The combination of sculpture and text defines the character of the collection. The garden is landscaped year-round.
Gardens, Animals and Nature
Red Butte Garden encompasses 3,000 plant and tree species across 100 acres of themed gardens and natural areas. Five miles of hiking trails wind through an extensive natural area. Located at the entrance to Red Butte Canyon, the garden is also connected to a protected watershed and a designated Research Natural Area managed by the U.S. Forest Service. You can reach the garden on UTA public transit or the University of Utah’s free Campus Shuttle; check current services before your visit.
Tracy Aviary at Liberty Park focuses on birds from around the world, set among landscaped botanical gardens. The facility opened to the public on July 2, 1938. The Jordan River Natural Area offers another focus on nature: animals found there include muskrats, foxes, amphibians, reptiles, fish and birds.
Trails and Outdoor Activities
For a walk in Memory Grove Park, there is a shared-use trail with clearly defined endpoints: it starts at the intersection of State Street and Second Avenue and runs 1.2 miles to Bonneville Boulevard. The Jordan River Parkway Trail in Salt Lake City is suitable for walkers, joggers, skaters and cyclists. The Salt Lake City section of the Jordan River Water Trail has five official boat ramps; check current conditions before using it.
In the wider region, the 46-mile Jordan River Parkway offers opportunities for walking, running, cycling and paddling. This includes non-motorized watercraft such as kayaks, canoes and SUPs. This regional perspective differs from the specific trails and activities described within Salt Lake City.
When choosing a hotel, use these interests as a guide: museums and historic attractions call for a different kind of trip planning than garden visits, nature or outdoor activities. Choose what matters most for your stay rather than trying to fit everything into a single day’s itinerary. That also leaves time for breaks and meals.
Discover more destinations: Sandy, Taylorsville, Draper, Midvale, Alta, Cottonwood Heights, West Jordan, Holladay.
For the broader travel overview: Salt Lake.
