Salt Lake City Attractions and Highlights

By Annie Cutler, FrontDoor.com | Published: 10/18/2011

The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

With "The greatest snow on Earth" stamped on their license plates and "Life Elevated" as their brand, Utah -- and Salt Lake City -- is drawing quite a bit of attention. About 7 million people's attention each year and they come from all over the world to see and do all sorts of things. Here are the highlights and landmarks that set Salt Lake City apart from the rest.

TEMPLE SQUARE: For many Salt Lake City visitors, a trip to Temple Square is on the "should do" list, if not "must do." It's the most popular tourist destination. Visitors of the LDS faith are obviously drawn to the landmark for the religious connection, with the Temple, Tabernacle, and Family History Library all easily assessable. The Temple itself is not open to the public, but visitors can go inside the Tabernacle and enjoy the beauty of the grounds surrounding the Temple.

MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR: The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes called "America's Choir," is a made up of 360 members, all volunteers, and they've won a Grammy. Choir practice take place every Thursday night and rehearsals are open to the public. The Choir's christmas concerts featuring internationally renowned performers are the most poplar and tickets sell out quickly.

UTAH JAZZ BASKETBALL: Visitors looking for professional sports during their visit, well, don't have much of a choice outside of basketball. The Utah Jazz is the only professional sports team in Salt Lake City proper (with Real Salt Lake outside city limits). Tickets go for as little as $8, and if you have 20/20 vision, there really isn't a bad seat in the house. Utah fans are notoriously noisy.

TRAX: TRAX is the light rail system that provides public transportation throughout the city and nearby areas. TRAX cuts right through Downtown, which provides easy access to west side attractions like the mall and Jazz basketball arena, to staples on the east side like the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and University of Utah campus.

GREAT SALT LAKE: Yes, the Great Salt Lake is salty. No, not so salty you can walk on it, but with about 12% salinity, it is much easier to float in that the ocean. With that said, the Great Salt Lake is still a popular tourist destination. Visitors can camp, hike, kayak, swim, and sail in the Great Salt Lake and the islands around it. If you do find yourself boating on the lake, breathe through your mouth. The Great Salt Lake is not known for it's wonderful scents.

LIBRARY SQUARE: Most tourists don't put the city library on their "must see" list, but if they're in Salt Lake City they should! The Salt Lake library isn't just about books, it's about an experience. Library Square consists of the award-winning library itself, shops, and cafes. On any given day or weekend, one will find Library Square home to art exhibits, film screenings, cultural performances, and lectures.

HOGLE ZOO: The zoo boasts the title of top paid-for tourist attraction in Salt Lake City. Admission is perhaps one of the cheapest in the country and though the zoo is a smallish 42 acres, it's still a good deal. Located at the mouth of Emigration Canyon, visitors enjoy tree-lined paths and amazing mountain views as they visit hundreds of exotic animals. Designed to keep kids engaged, Hogle Zoo is a great place to keep them entertained for a few hours.

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Read more about Salt Lake City, UT:

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• Places to Go in Salt Lake City
• Salt Lake City Attractions
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