10 Things to Do in Salt Lake City, Utah

I know that when you think vacation, Salt Lake City isn’t the first place that pops to mind, but if you are looking for a really family friendly atmosphere, you may want to give it another look.  Turns out, there are TONS of things to do in Salt Lake.  Everytime I go, I am struck by all of the fun things they have to entertain a family with kids of all ages.

Here’s a couple of suggestions if you find yourself headed that way:

1. Park City.  It’s just a short drive form SLC, and it is notorious for a reason.  In the winter, you can ski.  In the summer, you can enjoy hikes, local venues, and great food.  If shopping is your thing, they have a pretty big outlet mall.
2. Temple Square.  LDS or not, Temple Sqaure is beautiful.  It has well-manicured lawns, and if religious history is your thing, you will find plenty of opportunities for it here.  The architecture alone is worth a quick stroll through the grounds.
3. Cathedral of Madeline.  This is another beautiful church.  Inside, organ music is playing most of the day.
4. Hogle Zoo.  If you are not from a large city that hosts a zoo, Hogle is a must-see.  They have lots of natural habitat exhibits, elephants, rhinos, giraffes…you know, all the cool animals.
5. Discovery Gateway.  If you are traveling with younger kids, Discovery Gateway is a HUGE hands-on discovery museum.  You won’t have to worry about them  breaking anything here–everything is meant to be played with.
6. Sugarhouse Park.  Sugarhouse is the kind of trendy place to live in SLC, and it also boasts a really cool park, with streams, a pond, running trails, and playgrounds.  Time it right, and you might be able to catch a farmer’s market or an outdoor show.
7. Lagoon.  Okay, so this is actually outside of SLC in Farmington, but it is great amusement park.  It has several roller coasters, and best of all, they let you drag in a cooler to feed and water your kiddos.  On hot days, you can add the water park to your ticket.
8.  Thanksgiving Point is just a short drive outside of SLC and offers tons of summer concerts and events.  If concerts aren’t your thing, you can just stroll the gardens for free.  They really are impressive.
9. If you caught some of the World Cup fever recently, you should totally check out a Salt Lake Real game.  It’s their professional soccer team, and the games are rumored to be reaaalllly fun.
10. Big Cottonwood Canyon.  This is an amazing place to hike, snowshoe, and enjoy family picnics.  The canyon is seriously soooo beautiful anytime of year.