Top things to do near Salt Lake City Airport
Temple Square
Covering an impressive 10 acres (four hectares) of central Salt Lake City, the Temple Square complex is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and located about eight miles (12.9 kilometers) from SLC Airport. Identified by Mormon pioneers when they arrived at the site in 1847, the Square has been the home of the church ever since.
Mixing stunning architecture with beautiful grounds, the guided tours are a great opportunity to learn about the LDS Church and the role it played in founding and building Salt Lake City.
There are special concerts and other events held in the grounds throughout the year, with 100,000 lights bringing it to festive life every Christmas. An extensive museum, libraries, visitor centers and temples make up the rest of the complex.
Big Cottonwood Canyon
One of Salt Lake City's most accessible and striking areas of natural beauty is about 22 miles (35.4 kilometers) from SLC Airport and it goes by the name of Big Cottonwood Canyon.
It offers hiking, biking, camping, climbing, fishing, skiing and snowboarding with beautiful views of the canyon and surrounding mountains. Popular trails are dotted throughout the canyon that take you to the mountain lakes or through native plants and wildlife.
The ski runs are some of the best in the world, with deep powder on the slopes of the four major ski resorts, Snowbird, Solitude, Brighton and Alta. Even if you don’t ski, it’s a scenic and majestic mountain drive that will easily kill a few hours and leave you wanting more.
Natural History Museum of Utah
With natural history exhibits focused on the ecology of the region, the Natural History Museum of Utah has a collection of over 1.3 million artefacts representing the geological, cultural and biological diversity of living systems.
Permanent exhibitions at the museum, which is located 12 miles (19.3 kilometers) from Salt Lake City Airport, include the Great Salt Lake, human settlement, geology and the future of Utah. There’s even a fascinating collection of dinosaur fossils that area sure to leave the kids’ jaws on the floor.
Vivint Smart Home Arena
Home to the National Basketball Association’s (NBA's) Utah Jazz, the Vivint Smart Home Arena is a 20,000-seat indoor arena that hosts a range of sporting events, including arena football, WNBA games and Winter Olympic skating events.
The Arena, which is just seven miles (11.3 kilometers) from SLC International Airport, delivers an amazing atmosphere on game days and great views even in the “nosebleed” seats.
It’s a popular venue for major touring musicians like Katy Perry, Neil Young and Janet Jackson, as well as events like the GameTyrant Expo, so there's almost always something to experience there.
Leonardo Museum
The Leonardo honors the work of Leonardo Da Vinci through a diverse range of interactive exhibits dedicated to his wide range of passions, including art, engineering, science, architecture and music.
The unique museum, which is just eight miles (12.9 kilometers) from SLC Airport, features exhibits on perception and innovation, as well as an art studio, workshop and science lab with puzzles, experiments and projects to get involved in and educate yourself.
With a tasty bistro restaurant and special events including family festivals and after-dark nights for adults, this is a great visit for all ages that really gives you an appreciation of Da Vinci's genius in the most engaging way imaginable.
Salt Lake City Public Library
It’s one of the most amazing pieces of modern architecture in Salt Lake City and it’s only about eight miles (12.9 kilometers) from SLC International Airport.
The Public Library’s collection includes half a million books and remarkable architectural features, including a five-story curved-glass wall, a landscaped plaza and a roof-top garden. The entire building is filled with natural light from the expansive windows and skylights to create a soft and welcoming environment, even amongst so much concrete and glass.
Even if the books don't interest you, the walk to the roof is a wonderful way through the gorgeous light and architecture, which is topped off with the plantings in the roof garden
The Great Salt Lake
Giving the city its name, the great Salt Lake is the largest in the Western Hemisphere, covering an area of up to 3,300 square miles (8,547 square milometers). Minerals deposited naturally in the lake have given it a high level of salinity, which turns any swim into a float. The warm and shallow waters are also a magnet to millions of native birds and home a healthy population of shrimp.
The visitor center covers the geology and history of the lake, but the real attractions are the stunning vistas, especially if you can catch sunset. It’s just 15 miles (24.1 kilometers) from SLC Airport.
Clark Planetarium
The Clark Planetarium includes a 190-seat dome delivering no-glasses 3D images at 4K resolution supported with a 13,000-watt 5.1 surround sound system.
It produces its own films about the universe, which are screened at other domes worldwide, and occasionally hosts music performances from artists like Led Zeppelin.
An IMAX Theater is also on-site and is surrounded by special exhibits featuring kinetic sculpture, computer animation, video streams from Hubble and artefacts like meteorites, all of which form part of a regularly rotated and expanded set of displays.