Things To Do in Salt Lake City

Exploring Temple Square

This is sacred ground for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), also known as Mormons. The 10-acre Temple Square is enclosed by 15-foot walls, with a gate in the center of each. In addition to the church buildings, the square houses lovely gardens and statuary, and the North and South visitor centers, which have exhibits on the church's history and beliefs, interactive videos, and films. Also in the North Center is an 11-foot-tall replica of the awe-inspiring sculpture Christus, a statue of Christ by the Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen.

The majestic Temple is used only for the LDS church's most sacred ceremonies and is not open to the public. Brigham Young chose the site within 4 days of entering the valley, and work began on the six-spired granite structure in 1853. It took 40 years to complete.

The oval Tabernacle seats about 3,500 people and has one of the West's largest unsupported domed roofs. The Tabernacle has fantastic acoustics and has served as the city's cultural center for over a century.

On Thursday evenings at 8pm, you can listen to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearse (except when they're on tour; call tel. 801/240-4150 or visit www.mormontabernaclechoir.org for schedules), and on Sunday mornings you can attend their broadcast from 9:30 to 10am (you must be seated by 9:15am). The choir, composed entirely of volunteers, was formed shortly after the first pioneers arrived; many husband-and-wife members and families participate, sometimes over several generations. The Tabernacle organ has been rebuilt a number of times, and has grown from the original 2,000 pipes and two manuals to 11,623 pipes and five manuals. The organ is said to have an instantly recognizable signature sound. Half-hour organ recitals take place year-round, Monday through Saturday at noon, Sunday at 2pm. At peak times, an additional 2pm recital is often scheduled Monday through Saturday. Admission to these performances is free.

The Gothic-style Assembly Hall was constructed in 1880 from leftover granite from the Temple and has lovely soaring white spires and stained-glass windows. Free concerts are offered here most weekends; inquire at a visitor center for schedules. Two monuments stand in front of the Assembly Hall: One depicts a pioneer family arriving with a handcart filled with their belongings, and the second commemorates the salvaging of the first crops from a plague of crickets (sea gulls swooped down and ate the insects).

Guided tours of the square, lasting approximately 30 minutes and available in 30 languages, leave every few minutes from any of the gates; personnel in the visitor center can direct you. Tour guides provide a general history of the church (touching upon the church's doctrine) and take you around the square, briefly explaining what you are seeing. The Tabernacle tour includes a fascinating demonstration of the incredible acoustics: the group is ushered to the last row of seats while someone stands at the podium and drops three pins -- the sound is as clear as a bell!

The square is bounded by Main Street on the east and North, South, and West Temple streets. The LDS Church recently purchased the stretch of Main Street on the square's east side, closed it to traffic, and transformed it into a lovely park with trees, flowers, walking paths, and benches; a large reflecting pool dominates the area, displaying a mirror image of the magnificent Temple.

Across North Temple Street from the Square is the Conference Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (tel. 801/240-0075). This huge complex has a main auditorium for worship services, meetings, and cultural events that seats 21,000 people.

When the church leaders realized there would be 4 acres of roof over the conference center, they decided to do something special. And boy did they -- the designers have created a wild landscape reminiscent of a Utah mountain on top of the roof. Among the flora are bristlecone pines, aspens, Serbian spruces, 21 native meadow grasses, and 300 varieties of Utah wildflowers. An immense fountain flows in four directions and eventually into the Conference Center spire, from which it streams south to cascade 67 feet down the south face of the building. The roof is a serene oasis in the middle of a busy modern city -- people sit or stroll and enjoy the views of the city set against the Wasatch Mountains.

The Conference Center is usually open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 9pm; free guided tours of the complex are offered approximately every 15 minutes except during special events.

Temple Square is open daily from 7:30am to 10pm. Visitor centers are open daily from 9am to 9pm; tours are given between 9:15am and 8:15pm. Hours are reduced on Christmas. Call tel. 800/537-9703 or 801/240-1245 for more information, or browse www.visittemplesquare.com or www.lds.org. The Trax train stops right out front, at the Temple Square station. Allow 1 to 3 hours to tour the square.

It may not be as interesting a shopping destination as places like Park City, but Salt Lake City does offer plenty of retail opportunities. Keep in mind that many Salt Lake City stores are closed on Sundays (the influence of the LDS Church); typical store hours are Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm. Shopping malls are often open Sunday afternoons from noon to 5 or 6pm, and also stay open a few hours later on weeknights.

The most popular shopping destination in the city is the Gateway, 18 N. Rio Grande St. (tel. 801/456-0000; www.shopthegateway.com), a large, open-air shopping mall and entertainment and dining center. It covers 2 city blocks near EnergySolutions Arena and features 90 shops (anchored by Barnes & Noble and Dick's Sporting Goods), plus movie theaters, museums and other attractions, and restaurants. The historic Union Pacific Railroad Depot serves as the main entrance.

Before Gateway debuted, the Temple Square area had long been the city's top shopping destination, with two downtown malls, the ZCMI Center and Crossroads Mall, offering 130 shops right across the street from the square. The malls are being redeveloped as the $1-billion City Creek Center, scheduled for completion in 2012 and anchored by Macy's and Nordstrom.

Also downtown, Sam Weller's, 254 S. Main St. (tel. 801/328-2586; www.samwellers.com), is Utah's largest bookstore, selling both new and used titles as well as coffee.

Mormon Handicraft, in the Family Center Deseret Book at 1110 E. Fort Union Blvd. (tel. 800/843-1480 or 801/561-8777; www.mormonhandicraft.com), was born during the Depression to encourage home industry and preserve pioneer arts. It carries a large inventory of quilting fabrics and supplies, as well as handmade quilts. It also stocks a wide variety of other crafts, plus religious books and videos.

A major redevelopment -- including luxury condos -- is underway at Historic Trolley Square, 600 South at 700 East (tel. 801/521-9877; www.trolleysquare.com), with modern shops, galleries, and restaurants in an old-fashioned setting. You'll also see two of the city's original trolley cars, a historic water tower, and two of the city's first streetlamps.

Although you couldn't yet call Salt Lake City an arts center, it does have a growing arts community, along with 20 or so galleries. One of the oldest galleries in Salt Lake City, the Phillips Gallery, 444 E. 200 South (tel. 801/364-8284; www.phillips-gallery.com), represents over 100 artists, most of whom are Utahns, displaying everything from traditional to contemporary paintings, sculptures, and ceramics. The "A" Gallery, 1321 S. 2100 East (tel. 801/583-4800; www.agalleryonline.com), is a large, long-standing contemporary art gallery featuring a sculpture garden. The Hope Gallery, 151 Main St. (tel. 801/532-1336; www.hopegallery.com), is a 15,000-square-foot facility focusing on late-19th- and early-20th-century European and Scandinavian fine art.

Salt Lake City is working hard to lose its image as a quiet town where the sidewalks are rolled up at night. Check the Friday editions of the Salt Lake Tribune or Deseret Morning News for listings of upcoming events. For additional entertainment news and listings, pick up one of the city's free papers, including the Salt Lake City Weekly, which also offers alternative news articles. The Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau also publishes event calendars.

Among the top entertainment venues in Salt Lake City is the E Center, 3200 S. Decker Lake Dr., West Valley City (tel. 801/988-8800 for the box office; www.theecenter.com), an arena-style venue that also hosts big-name touring entertainers in its 3,700-seat theater.

The Normalization of Utah's Drinking Laws

The cumbersome private-club-membership requirements for entry into bars, nightclubs, and some restaurants are a thing of Utah's past, thanks to legislation that went into effect on July 1, 2009. Tipplers no longer need to pay membership fees or fill out applications before entering an establishment to buy an alcoholic drink.

But perceptions are hard to change, and several things about Utah's liquor laws beg for explanation. Much of the confusion comes from the terms used to define the different types of liquor licenses held by different businesses. There are three primary types of liquor licenses: tavern, restaurant, and private club. Taverns serve beer only; restaurants serve beer, wine, and liquor; and private clubs -- which are no longer private -- also serve beer, wine, and liquor.

In a press release, the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau had this to say: "Utah's liquor laws are becoming more normalized and the perceptions about 'not being able to get a drink' should no longer be used as a reason for not taking full advantage of all that Utah has to offer. Rest assured, however, that we are not looking to 'normalize' the Greatest Snow on Earth, nor are we going to try and 'normalize' our incredible scenery."

The Performing Arts

Tickets for performances at a variety of venues can be obtained from Art Tix (tel. 888/451-2787 or 801/355-2787; www.arttix.org).

The highly acclaimed Utah Symphony & Opera (tel. 801/533-6683; www.utahsymphonyopera.org) combines one of the country's top symphony orchestras and the well-respected Utah Opera Company. It presents four operas a year plus a year-round symphony season at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, an elegant 2,800-seat venue known for its excellent acoustics.

The nationally acclaimed Ballet West (tel. 801/323-6900; www.balletwest.org) performs at the historic Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South. The October-to-May season usually brings four or five productions, ranging from classical to contemporary, as well as holiday stagings of The Nutcracker. Modern dance is presented by the Repertory Dance Theatre (tel. 801/534-1000; www.rdtutah.org) and the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company (tel. 801/297-4241; www.ririewoodbury.com), with performances at the historic Capitol Theatre, located at 50 W. 200 South; the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, located at 138 W. 300 South; and other venues.

The Pioneer Theatre Company, 300 S. 1400 East, Room 325 (tel. 801/581-6961; www.pioneertheatre.org), is Utah's resident professional theater. Located on the university campus, the Pioneer has a repertoire that ranges from classical to contemporary plays and musicals. Recent productions have included Twelve Angry Men and A Chorus Line. Producing edgier contemporary fare, the Salt Lake Acting Company, 168 W. 500 North (tel. 801/363-7522; www.saltlakeactingcompany.org), stages about six plays by local and national playwrights annually. The family-oriented Hale Centre Theatre, 3333 S. Decker Lake Dr., West Valley City (tel. 801/984-9000; www.halecentretheatre.org), just down the road from the E Center, features locally produced and performed plays and musical comedies.

Jordan Commons -- An Uncommon Experience

The Jordan Commons complex encompasses 2 city blocks at 9400 S. State St., south of downtown Salt Lake City in Sandy. The complex boasts 16 35mm movie theaters plus one 70mm large-format super-screen theater -- all with digital sound. The theaters surround a food court that has a stupendous variety of edibles: cuisines from Australian to Chinese to Italian to Mexican, plus a deli, coffee shop, and, of course, popcorn. The theaters are equipped with chairs large enough to accommodate food trays, so you can bring your dinner in with you! Call tel. 801/304-4577 or check the Web at www.megaplextheatres.com for movie information and tickets.

The Club & Music Scene

As Salt Lake City grows, it's shedding its strait-laced image and beginning to hold its own with other Western cities in catering to the party crowd. Some of the following establishments were once so-called private clubs, but as of July 2009 you no longer have to buy a short-term membership to imbibe.

One of the city's more with-it and cosmopolitan nightspots is Mynt Lounge, 63 W. 100 South (tel. 801/355-6968), an upscale bar with an extensive martini menu. This place attracts one of Salt Lake City's hippest crowds. The Jackalope, 372 S. State St. (tel. 801/359-8054), is a funky, edgy bar attracting the tattooed and restless. Squatters Pub Brewery, 147 W. Broadway (tel. 801/363-2739; www.squatters.com), brews top-notch suds and thumbs its nose at local conservatism with such beer names as Provo Girl and Chasing Tail. The Red Rock Brewing Company, 254 S. 200 West (tel. 801/521-7446; www.redrockbrewing.com), is another solid downtown brewpub, and a good spot to eat if you're looking for pub grub.

For one of the best martinis around, stop at Kristauf's Martini Bar, 16 W. Market St. (tel. 801/366-9490; www.martinibarslc.com), a favorite of business types and other well-dressed tipplers. On the other end of the cultural spectrum, Burt's Tiki Lounge, 726 S. State St. (tel. 801/521-0572), is a legendary punk-rock dive, with kitsch-bedecked walls and loud music most every night. For dueling pianos and perhaps too much revelry, hit the Tavernacle, 201 E. 300 South (tel. 801/519-8900; www.tavernacle.com).

On the east side, the Canyon Inn, 3200 E. 7200 South (tel. 801/942-9801), is a long-standing favorite of the après-ski and -snowboard crowd, and makes a pretty good pizza to boot. It's a good place to catch a game, and the dance floor is the place to see and -- more important -- be seen.