Buildings and sites of Salt Lake City, Utah
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Salt Lake City, Utah is the most ethnically, politically, and religiously diverse city in the state of Utah. In addition to being the State Capitol, Salt Lake City is also among the largest and most historically significant cities in the Mountain West. As such, there are many historical or otherwise notable buildings and sites within Salt Lake City.
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Definition of "Salt Lake City"
Several suburbs and incorporated cities surround Salt Lake City itself in Salt Lake County, Utah. These are often called "Salt Lake City", and they use the same road coordinate system originating on the northeast corner of Temple Square. This article is concerned only with the buildings and sites in Salt Lake City proper and some areas immediately adjacent.
Neighborhoods and areas
Several areas within the city proper are named.
The Avenues neighborhood is so-called because the smaller blocks in this old residential neighborhood are bound by sequential Avenues and Streets named after alphabetical letters, not the regular coordinate system streets used elsewhere in the city. Federal Heights gets its name because it was originally settled by federal troops who observed the Latter-day Saints from above the city at Fort Douglas on the eastern benches. Sugar House, a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, was to be the site of a sugar beet sugar mill in the early 1850s. Rose Park is on the west side of Salt Lake City. The west side, considered either west of the railroad tracks or west of State Street, is often thought to be the poorest area of Salt Lake City. Currently Rose Park is among the most racially diverse areas having a large population of Latino and Pacific Islander immigrants.
Template:List of Salt Lake City neighborhoods
Parks/Places
- Temple Square - Top tourist attraction in Utah, a downtown religious campus for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Main Street Plaza - parcel of land that was once Main Street, which the LDS Church controversially bought to make a pedestrian thuroughfare and connect its major properties.
- Hogle Zoo - far east in the foothills.
- University of Utah - campus on east side of the city.
- Salt Lake City Cemetery - one of the largest cemeteries in the mountain west, with many notable burial sites.
- Gilgal Garden - small park featuring eccentric Mormonism-based stone carvings.
- Liberty Park - public park featuring an aviary and other attractions.
- Memory Grove - WWI and war dead memorial park.
- Sugar House Park - site of the first state prison, constructed for polygamists.
- International Peace Gardens - founded after World War II to promote peace. Located in Glendale.
Buildings
Religious, particularly LDS buildings, are prominent in Salt Lake City.
Settled by Brigham Young and 147 other pioneers on July 24, these Latter-day Saints were fleeing persecution after the death of their first leader Joseph Smith, Jr. Young originally intended the city and territory to a religious theocracy. Although the government has long been secular, and even though less than 50% of residents in Salt Lake City are LDS, the city has an unusual number of religious buildings. It's the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so can be considered a kind of holy city. As the largest single landowner in the city, the LDS Church also has been very influential throughout its history.
Unless noted, all of these buildings are in or around downtown Salt Lake City.
Religious
LDS
- Salt Lake City Temple - possibly the most significant building in Mormonism, on Temple Square.
- Mormon Tabernacle - innovative domed pioneer-era meeting hall on Temple Square. Lend its name to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
- Salt Lake Assembly Hall - another historic building on Temple Square.
- Salt Lake Conference Center - spacious new meeting hall that replaced the Tabernacle.
- Joseph Smith Memorial Building - formerly the elegant Hotel Utah.
- LDS Church Office Building - skyscraper and world headquarters of the LDS Church
- Lion House - Brigham Young's home and death place.
- Beehive House - another of Young's historic homes, next door.
- 19th Ward Chapel - Old and unusual LDS ward house on Capitol Hill featuring an onion dome steeple, now home of the small, professional Salt Lake Acting Comapny.
Other Faiths
- Cathedral of the Madeline - Salt Lake City's Roman Catholic cathedral in the lower Avenues.
- St. Mark's Cathedral - oldest non-Mormon church building in Salt Lake still in use; cathedral of the Utah diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.
- First Presbyterian Church of Salt Lake - second oldest non-Mormon church building in Salt Lake still in use.
- White Memorial Chapel - historic LDS chapel, now a non-denominational church house on Capitol Hill.
Government
- Utah State Capitol - on Capitol Hill, modeled after the nation's Capitol.
- Salt Lake City and County Building - historic seat of Salt Lake City government.
- Scott Matheson Courthouse - new state courthouse, home of the Utah Supreme Court.
- Frank E. Moss Courthouse - federal courthouse of Utah.
- Thomas Kearns Home - governor's mansion, near the Avenues.
- Salt Lake City Council Hall - old Salt Lake City hall, on Capitol Hill.
Educational/Arts
- Park Building - administrative and iconic building of the University of Utah.
- Marriott Library - University of Utah library.
- Utah Museum of Fine Art - museum at the University of Utah specializing in Mountain West artwork.
- Salt Lake City Public Library - large new Main City Library designed by Moshe Safdie.
- Family History Library - largest genealogical library in the world, maintained by the LDS Church.
- Abravanel Hall - home of the Utah Symphony Orchestra.
- Capitol Theatre - home to Utah Opera Company, Ballet West, and frequently host to large-scale touring productions.
- Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre - large proscenium theatre, home of the regional Pioneer Theatre Comany; on the campus of the University of Utah.
- Clark Planetarium - new planetarium at the Gateway.
- Hansen Planetarium - historic building old main library and home to the planetarium before it moved to the Clark Planetarium.
Commercial
- Crossroads Mall - Main Street downtown mall across from ZCMI mall
- Delta Center - home of the Utah Jazz NBA basketball team
- Deseret News Building - new building for the daily Deseret Morning News
- First Security Building - 1950s international style skyscraper
- Gateway Mall - pedestrian mall
- One Utah Center - twenty-four story granite-clad skyscraper
- Salt Lake City Union Pacific Depot - historic railroad station
- Salt Lake City International Airport - west of Rose Park, but only 5 miles from Downtown
- Salt Lake Regional Medical Center - hospital built around Sisters of the Holy Cross Chapel, originally Holy Cross Hospital
- Salt Palace - large convention center
- Tribune Building - named for the Salt Lake Tribune which has long inhabited it
- Wells Fargo Building - newest Salt Lake City skyscraper that was once abandoned but is now once again occupied
- ZCMI Center Mall - downtown mall with façade of old ZCMI department store
Residences
- Alfred McCune Home - lavish turn-of-the-century Capitol Hill mansion.
- Woodruff-Riter-Stewart Home - another Capitol Hill manssion.
Monuments
- Brigham Young Monument - monument south of the Main Street Plaza to Brigham Young and the original 147 pioneers.
- Eagle Gate - gate remnant to the original city wall.
- Seagull Monument - LDS monument celebrating the Miracle of the Gulls.
- This is the Place Monument - Monument high in the east near Hogle Zoo commemorating Brigham Youngs words when entering the valley: "This is the right place."
Other
- UTA TRAX - Utah Transit Authority light rail system running the entire length of Salt Lake County, but terminating in downtown Salt Lake City. There is also a line east to the University of Utah
External links
- Official Salt Lake City site (http://www.ci.slc.ut.us/)
- City visitor's guide (http://www.ci.slc.ut.us/visitors/)
- Walking tour of Salt Lake City downtown (http://www.utah.com/cities/slc_walking.htm)