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Arts, Science & Cultural Museums

Utah's museums pull you in. No more standing back and observing; immerse yourself in Utah’s history, arts and culture. More than 260 museums span the state, covering everything from ancient dinosaur fossils and Native American heritage to contemporary fine art and hands-on science. These cultural pillars offer a mindful escape for an afternoon or a full-day itinerary. From Ogden to Park City and Salt Lake to Moab, our museums reward the curious traveler of all ages.

Art Museums & Galleries Heritage & History

Utah Museum Directory

Utah has more than 260 museums spanning a wide range of topics, including art, culture, history, science, animals and more. From dinosaurs to live birds, for kids to adults, Utah’s exhibitions are world-class. Check out the Utah Museum Directory for a complete list of Utah’s museums, galleries, exhibits and programs by region or category.

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Utah Arts, Science & Culture Hubs

Wild West History and Hill AFB in Ogden

Ogden is one of the most historically significant cities in the American West, backed by several museums that tell its story. Union Station is where you start. The Ogden Union Station Museums put trains, firearms, classic cars and cowboy history under one beautifully restored depot roof. Here, 1800s history comes to life. A few minutes out, the Hill Aerospace Museum exhibits over 70 military aircraft, including the SR-71 Blackbird, parked in and around a full-scale hangar. For those with kids in tow, check out the Treehouse Children's Museum, featuring a 30-foot indoor treehouse, or the George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park for life-sized dinosaurs. Wind down at the Eccles Community Art Center, where rotating Utah art lives inside a 1893 Victorian mansion, with a sculpture garden out back.

Plantarium and University Museums in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City’s museums range from arts and culture to science and history, often times mixing the three. Start with the Natural History Museum of Utah, built into the Wasatch foothills with dinosaur fossils that rank among the best in the world and views of the valley that are reason enough to visit. The Utah Museum of Fine Arts, nestled on the University of Utah campus, spans 5,000 years of human history across more than 17,000 objects. Downtown, the Clark Planetarium is free to walk into and perfect for kids of all ages, boasting endless edu-tainment. The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art offers free admission and rotating modern work.

Mining, Olympics and Ecology Wonder in Park City

Park City was a silver-mining town long before the ski resorts and Olympics arrived. The Park City Museum on Main Street tells the full story, from boom-and-bust mining days to Olympic host city, with an original 1800s territorial jail in the basement to feel truly immersed. Up at Utah Olympic Park, the Alf Engen Ski Museum covers the deep history of winter sports in the West. Next door, the Eccles 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum puts you inside the Games through the actual medals, uniforms and moments that defined them, with Utah's 2034 hosting bid already on the horizon. Out at the edge of town, the Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter is half museum, half 1,200-acre wildlife refuge, featuring hands-on environmental exhibits, a climbing wall and a four-story observation pier, rewarding the curious.

Film, Red Rocks and Stargazing in Moab

Come to Moab for the red rock, but don't forget to tour its quaint museums. At Red Cliffs Lodge along the Colorado River, the Moab Movie History Museum celebrates something locals know well: this desert has been Hollywood's backdrop for decades, with Thelma & Louise, Indiana Jones and countless John Wayne Westerns shot in the canyons just outside. The Moab Museum downtown covers the region's geology, Indigenous history and the uranium boom of the 1950s, making history click into place out on the trail. The Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum keeps the pioneer story grounded. It's a small collection inside Moab's oldest building, an 1889 church, with original tools, clothing and an authentic 1880s log cabin on site. Last but not least, include some time for art and stargazing, and set up a Red Rock Astronomy stargazing tour.