Arts & Museums
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Art Museums
Fill your rainy day with beauty and bold colors at one of the state’s many art museums and galleries. See a mix of beloved classics and groundbreaking pieces at the Utah Museum of Fine Art, or immerse yourself in the nearby Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. Utah’s unmatched natural beauty has inspired countless pieces and collections which you can view at local galleries like Ogden’s Contemporary Art Center, Park City's Kimball Arts Center and many more.
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Children's Museum
Located in downtown Salt Lake City, the Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum offers 60,000 square feet of hands-on fun, including an interactive fossil dig, a 38-foot water play table, a STEAM lab and so much more. Engaging workshops, programs and exhibits invite the whole family to create, learn and play together.
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Cinema
Cozy up indoors to enjoy the most classic rainy day pastime. An at-home marathon of movies filmed in Utah is hard to beat, but don’t forget about Utah’s huge selection of independent theaters and film festivals. You can also visit local theaters like Salt Lake City’s Broadway Centre Cinemas or Ogden’s Cinema 502.
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Dinosaur Museums
Spend the day walking amongst the giants of Utah’s past. No matter which part of the state you’re in, you won’t be far from astounding collections of fossil records, mounted skeletons or preserved dig sites. See reconstructed dinosaur skeletons at the Utah Museum of Natural History in Salt Lake City or get your hands dirty at Moab Giants Dinosaur Museum’s interactive dig site. Kids, adults and everyone in between will marvel at these remnants from Utah’s prehistoric past.
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Performing Arts
Support Utah’s thriving performing arts scene and see a live musical or play at one of the state’s top-tier theaters. Don't miss Broadway at The Eccles in Salt Lake City. Check out the Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy or Pioneer Theatre Company at the University of Utah for a mix of musical theater and plays. If you love classical music, dance and singing, Salt Lake City boasts world-class talent that rivals larger cities. Hear the award-winning Utah Symphony play at Abravanel Hall, or discover the Utah Opera and Ballet West companies at the historic Capitol Theatre.
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Planetariums
Travel through space and time inside one of Utah’s planetariums. Learn about the natural forces at work on Earth, throughout the solar system and beyond. Interactive displays, exhibits and educational films await curious minds of all ages. The Clark Planetarium in downtown Salt Lake City has 3-D IMAX films about space, laser light shows and three levels of activities. You can also attend a star party on the observation deck of Ogden’s Ott Planetarium or embark on a simulated space mission at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center in Pleasant Grove.
"You've heard about Utah's world-class outdoor recreation and spectacular landscapes. But have you experienced Utah's thriving restaurant scene, rich selection of museums, cultural attractions and luxury travel experiences?"
Indoor Adventure
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Ice Skating
Staying indoors can still mean staying active! Lace-up your skates and get ready to glide across one of Utah’s indoor ice skating rinks. The Olympic Oval in Kearns keeps its rink open most of the year, with gear rentals for beginners and fun events like blacklight curling. Salt Lake City’s Steiner Aquatic Center has an Olympic-sized rink offering public skate sessions and private lessons. Remember, indoor rinks can get chilly, so don’t forget gloves and warm socks.
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Indoor Rock Climbing
Home to some of the world’s most renowned rock climbing areas, it’s no surprise that Utah also has a thriving indoor climbing community. Get your adrenaline pumping at one of the state's world-class indoor climbing and bouldering facilities. Check out one of the Front Climbing Club’s three locations in Salt Lake City, Murray and Ogden, Momentum in Salt Lake City and Lehi or Salt Lake's Bouldering Project. For indoor climbing farther south, head to Contact Climbing in St. George.
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Sporting Events
You don’t have to be a die-hard sports fan to have a great time at a live sporting event. For a fun evening in downtown Salt Lake, check out a Utah Jazz game at the Delta Center. Throughout its history, Utah’s NBA team has included All-Star MVPs like Karl Malone, John Stockton, Andrei Kirilenko, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert – just to name a few. If you’re a hockey fan, check out the Utah Mammoth, also at the Delta Center.
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Surfing
Utahns are notoriously passionate skiers, hikers and climbers, but you may be surprised that surfing also makes the list. Even thousands of miles from the nearest beach you can catch waves at one of Utah’s indoor surfing facilities. Ogden’s Flowrider and Utah County’s Provo Beach offer day passes and lessons for participants of all ages.
Shop & Dine
Stores & Boutiques
Peruse outlet malls, antique shops and handcrafted boutiques to pass the time during rainy or winter days. City Creek Center in downtown Salt Lake City has over 90 stores and restaurants sprawled across two city blocks, with a retractable ceiling to keep out inclement weather. Don’t miss the quirky shops and good eats at nearby Trolley Square. You can find indoor shopping centers and independent stores in every corner of the state.
Restaurants and Dining
In the past decade, Salt Lake City has transformed into a food lover's paradise, featuring independent restaurants, cozy cafés and hip bars. Each district offers diverse options, whether you crave unique small plates, creative cocktails, or family-style portions. Outside Salt Lake, Ogden presents a vibrant food scene, blending locally-owned comfort classics with trendy culinary explorations. Meanwhile, Park City combines a dynamic food scene with its renowned ski resorts and cultural charm for upscale dining. Go a little further south, and you’ll find that Utah County's food scene is a delightful mix of local flavors and culinary innovation, offering a range of dining experiences from quaint eateries to trendy establishments.
Eva's, Salt Lake City
Eccles Theater in downtown Salt Lake City.
Trolley Square
Stories to Inspire Your Travel
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Salt Lake City’s Rainbow Colors Fly Year Round
Take a trip to Salt Lake City, an LGBTQIA+ friendly city, which over the past two decades has become a destination for those who enjoy both a hip urban atmosphere and easy access to the great outdoors.
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Salt Lake City’s Must-See Street Art
Salt Lake City, Utah has more than 80 murals and art installations to discover. Come and see how these urban street artists showcase their own flavor and perspective.
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AndShesDopeToo's Insider's Guide to Ogden
AndShesDopeToo is a worldwide adventure community of women run by Jennifer and Taylor Killian from Ogden, Utah. This insider's guide video highlights their unparalleled access to both the outdoors and the city's "fun counterculture vibe" at the foot of the mighty Wasatch Mountains.
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Utah Spirits Tours
Utahns have rediscovered distilling. Sample the merchandise on a gin distillery tour, stay for dinner and taste Utah whiskey, vodka and more on other tours.
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Art Deco in Motion: Ogden’s Creative Remodel
Visitors looking for Art Deco architecture and art often travel to New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. But the Intermountain West has preserved what may be Art Deco’s best-hidden gem: Ogden, Utah.
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Step Into an Artistic Vision
The columns of Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre slowly appear as you climb to its perch above downtown Salt Lake City. The theatre sits on the campus of the state’s flagship university with metropolitan lights below and mountains behind that rise several thousand feet off the valley floor to provide a backdrop to the east and south.
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Vernal Equinox: A New Season in Vernal, Utah
Discover the growing adventure outpost in a geologically fascinating corner of eastern Utah.
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More Than Coffee: The Caffeinators of Salt Lake City
The unique Salt Lake City coffee community is ready to embrace you. When you visit Utah, try all the capital city's coffee shops and styles to find your favorite cup.
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V Is for Variety
Gary Vlasic, Salt Lake City’s premier event designer, creates spellbinding experiential design in a city that offers unparalleled freedom and space.
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The Spice of (a New) Life
Some of the best food in Salt Lake City is served in the Spice Incubator Kitchen. Come visit this international culinary kitchen for a treat to your taste buds.
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Utah's Rum Underdogs
Utah distilleries are becoming very popular. Distillery 36 is rising to the top of the list. Drink in their story and then let’s toast with Brigham agricole rum!
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The Hills are Alive With the Scent of Whiskey
The first of several legal Utah distilleries since 1870 is the High West Distillery. Tour the facility, enjoy a tasting, build your flight and have a burger.
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Where to Eat and Drink in St. George
As you explore St. George and Greater Zion seeking excellent food, coffee and drinks, you’ll want to add these top restaurants to your list.
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The Salt of Sound: Live Music in Salt Lake City
Check out the live music scene while visiting Utah. Salt Lake City’s numerous music venues offer something for every music lover. Watch Salt of Sound for a taste.
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Ogden Activities: Downtown to Dark Skies
Two days' worth of sun-up-to-sundown Ogden activities — eat, shop and bike where the locals go, end at an International Dark Sky park.
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Where’s the Meat?
Taking the blue highways, finding a local diner or picking up fresh fruit from a family-run farm store gets us that much more in touch with the flow of seasons and feeling grounded in our sense of place as we travel. And shrinking the circle of our food sourcing has become a priority for many people even, and especially, while on the road.
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A Sweet-Tooth’s Guide to Downtown Provo
We’ve set out on a walk in search of Provo's best treats. We were not disappointed.
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The Legendary Joe McQueen: Utah's Original Jazz
Legendary saxophonist Joe McQueen came to the city of Ogden , Utah, in 1945 for a two-week gig and he never left. For decades he was the musical godfather of Ogden's lively 25th Street.
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11 Family-Friendly Activities Near SLC
From roller coasters to ski slopes, discover 11 fun family activities in and around Salt Lake City.
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Utah’s Women Make History
Walk in the footsteps of Utah’s earliest women’s suffrage leaders at sites throughout downtown Salt Lake City. Along the way, view public art installations commemorating voting rights and stop at trail-adjacent local women-owned businesses.
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Mountains, Markets & Music: Spend 48 Hours Exploring Ogden
Follow this detailed itinerary to pull off the ideal 48-hour escape in Ogden.
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Where to See Women's Art in Utah
There’s no shortage of art galleries in Salt Lake City and across Utah's Wasatch Front. Beyond the major metropolitan areas, there are also small artist communities across the state where artists seeking a slower pace have flocked for decades. Here are a few recommendations for where you can experience art in Utah.
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Meet the Women Leading Utah's Food and Beverage Renaissance
When it comes to food and beverage in Utah, there are key influencers who have been the proponents of change, growth, and the role of women in Utah’s food scene.
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Short List: Local Salt Lake City Nightlife Picks
Make the most of winter's shortened daylight by extending your Utah ski trip into the night. Sure, some resorts offer incredible night skiing — so, okay, after that — but then the night really gets going in downtown Ski City.
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Discover the Breweries of the Wasatch Front
Over the past two decades, Salt Lake’s breweries have grown into a culture all their own. Here’s what you need to start planning a pub crawl with this collection of Salt Lake’s most popular breweries.
