History Museums & Cultural Sites
-
Bluff Fort Historic Site
When you visit this area, you’ll really get a feeling for what life was like as a pioneer. You can walk around the original Bluff Fort, that has been rebuilt and restored through the efforts of the local organization, the Hole in the Rock Foundation.
-
Camp Floyd State Park Museum
Historic stories of the United States Army, Mormon pioneers, stagecoach travelers and the Pony Express all collide at Camp Floyd and the town of Fairfield.
-
Cove Fort
Built as a safe haven between Fillmore, the former capital of the Mormon Territory, and the nearby towns of Beaver and Kanosh, Cove Fort served as an important station as Utah and the rest of the West became more established.
-
Frontier Homestead State Park
Home to the historical Iron Mission, Cedar City’s rich pioneer heritage is encapsulated at the Frontier Homestead State Park.
-
Golden Spike
Visit the Golden Spike National Historic Park to relive the history with exhibits and demonstrations, and take in the beauty of the surrounding Great Basin Desert and nearby Great Salt Lake and Spiral Jetty.
-
Hill Aerospace Museum
Located in Roy, Utah, the Hill Aerospace Museum includes two inside galleries and an outside airpark with almost 100 aircraft on display. Plus, the veteran volunteers truly add to the experience with first-hand knowledge and enthusiasm for the planes.
-
John Wesley Powell River Museum
Few Western trailblazers are more famous than the one-armed boatman, John Wesley Powell. Here in Green River, the John Wesley Powell River History Museum pays homage to Powell, and teaches you about his expeditions, the history of the West’s exploration, and the geography of the area.
-
Land Cruiser Heritage Museum
Located in Salt Lake City, the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum houses what is believed to be the world’s most diverse collection of Toyota Land Cruisers.
-
Little Hollywood Museum
This free, nonprofit museum is dedicated to preserving movie sets from Kanab’s glory days of film production. The Little Hollywood Museum should be the first stop on your exploration of Western film history in the area.
-
Moab Museum
From histories of the first inhabitants of the Moab Valley to geology to uranium mining, the Moab Museum’s exhibits span many facets of Moab’s past, present, and future.
-
Temple Square
Planning a visit Salt Lake City? Add Temple Square to your itinerary to learn about LDS history, heritage, art and culture of one of the oldest Utah attractions. Explore Salt Lake.
-
Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum
Get a feel for what life was like for those early pioneers establishing Utah. There are tons of interesting artifacts, and you can take it in at your own pace. The knowledgeable staff is happy to field your questions and engage your kids’ curiosity.
-
This Is The Place Heritage Park
Step back in time to Salt Lake City's very first pioneer days by heading to the This Is the Place State Park. It’s a blast for kids of any age, but adults will get a kick out of the history component of the experience too.
-
Union Station
At Union Station in Ogden, you’ll gain entry to four museums with one ticket: Utah State Railroad Museum, John M. Browning Firearms Museum, Browning-Kimball Classic Car Museum and Utah State Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
Native American Museums
-
Anasazi State Park Museum
The Anasazi State Park Museum near Boulder, Utah is the former site of one of the largest Puebloan communities in the region. Learn more and plan a visit!
-
Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum
Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum in Blanding, Utah, is the site of a prehistoric Native American village. Explore history here!
-
Fremont Indian State Park and Museum
Part way through the rugged Clear Creek Canyon, your team uncovers what turns out to the be largest known prehistoric Fremont Village site — more than 100 structures filled with countless artifacts. The extensive excavation from that highway discovery is preserved in nearby Fremont Indian State Park.
Get Inspired
-
10 Places to Honor Women's History on Your Trip to Utah
Notable places you can visit where women have shaped history
-
12 Family-Friendly Activities Near SLC
From roller coasters to ski slopes, discover 12 fun family activities in and around Salt Lake City.
-
A Matter of Geological Consent
A billion years of geological history surrounds Salt Lake City, where a modern landscape reflects ancient constraints.
-
Ancient Pictographs, Petroglyphs and Timeless Mysteries
Exploring Horseshoe Canyon isn’t for everyone. First of all, the effort to get there is an adventure in itself, but those efforts make the reward — namely, the chance to see up close some of the most significant pictograph panels in North America — even more noteworthy.
-
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.
-
Bryce Wildlife Adventure Museum
Explore wildlife near Bryce Canyon at the Bryce Wildlife Adventure Museum.
-
Chasing John Wesley Powell: Six Places to Explore Utah's Green and Colorado Rivers
One hundred and fifty years ago a one-armed Civil War veteran set off with nine mountain men on a scientific expedition to map one of the last blank spaces left on the U.S. map: The Green and Colorado rivers. Much of the river remains wild today. Follow Powell's journey here.
-
Dinosaurland Top 5
Vernal, Utah, is an adventure base camp to the best of eastern Utah. Uintah County around Vernal — called Dinosaurland — is home to diverse outdoor recreation and natural history at three state parks, Dinosaur National Monument and countless trailheads to the Ashley National Forest.
-
Explore a Pioneer Homestead Near Flaming Gorge
In the heart of Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, the Swett Ranch is a testament to the self-sufficiency and ingenuity of Utah pioneers, representing the bygone homestead era, and it’s a historic site not to be missed by those interested in pioneer life.
-
Explore Antelope Island's Fielding Garr Ranch
Volunteers Beth and Dennis Simonsen show visitors around the historic Fielding Garr Ranch complex on Antelope Island State Park in Northern Utah.
-
High Art & Hometown Americana
There’s no shortage of fun things to do in Logan, Utah. From theatre to arts and crafts to unique dining, we have your Logan guide. Check it out!
-
Historical Sites in Utah
Explore Utah's fascinating past with our guide to historical sites and hidden gems. Uncover pioneer and indigenous stories at these Utah heritage hot spots.
-
Hole N'' the Rock
Your road trip in Moab might call for a stopover at the famous Hole N” The Rock.
-
In Search of Robbers Roost
Robbers Roost Utah, one of the infamous hideouts of Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch, is not easy to find even with directions from the locals. Explore Utah.
-
Journey Through Utah's History at This Is The Place Heritage Park
This Is The Place Heritage Park has a major place in Utah’s history — quite literally.
-
Kanab's Western Legends Heritage and Music Festival
Kanab's Western Legends Heritage and Music Festival is filled with round-the-clock Western-themed entertainment — think: music, cowboys and history.
-
Legacy and Craft
Three of Glen Thompson’s custom leather horse saddles are fitting examples of craftsmanship and a Utah folk art tradition. See more at the Chase Home Museum.
-
Movies Filmed in Utah: Plotting a Cinematic Drive-Through
Follow a Germany-based film enthusiast on an extended road trip to discover the rich history of Utah cinematography.
-
Navajo: Fry Bread, Tacos, Pizza
Despite its troubling origins, Navajo fry bread is an inspired food of the nation’s people, and it can be found in many forms with various names around the southwest.
-
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.
-
Time Traveling at Ogden's George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park
Many have dreamed of exploring jungles and forests only to discover a land filled with dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes? The George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park is the place to bring that dream to life, with 100-plus exhibits and realistic, full-sized dinosaur replicas, capturing the imagination of young and old alike.
-
Tooele? Tuilla? The Fascinating History of this Utah Town
While the town of Tooele has a fascinating story to its name, the best part about one of Utah’s original counties is its history.
-
Utah Female Artists Explore the Sublime Through Art
See how Utah women artists are creatively interpreting a dramatic landscape into art.
-
Utah’s Unexpected Pit Stops
You’re doing it wrong if you think road trip pit stops are boring layovers on your way to more exciting destinations. How many of these hidden gems have you been to? Here are 11 mini-adventures to check off your list next time you’re road-tripping through Utah.
-
Why a Visit to the Blanding Dinosaur Museum is a Must
The Blanding Dinosaur Museum, off U.S. 191 in Southeastern Utah, is a hidden gem: The artifact collection here includes bones, dinosaur eggs, and even fossilized skin! The museum also has three wonderfully preserved petrified trees and unique movie memorabilia.
