2-Day Salt Lake City Faith-Based Tour

Pioneer Memorial Museum

Welcome to the Pioneer Memorial Museum, otherwise known as DUP. This museum serves as one of many homes of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, and it holds what is considered to be the world's largest collection of artifacts on one subject. The museum is free and is always a great option for student groups while in Utah. Within this massive manor, you will find paintings, photos, manuscripts, and other various memorabilia from Utah's earliest founders. The artifacts come from 'the time the earliest settlers entered the Valley of the Great Salt Lake', and exploring them allows you to walk back into the history of these hardy pioneer people who migrated 2,000 miles from Nauvoo, Illinois, in search of religious freedom. The artifacts you find within may surprise you, with several different types of things to be seen within the Carriage House, Medical Room, Clothing Room, and overall 3 floors of museum space.

Council Hall

Sometimes referred to as Old Salt Lake City Hall, this visitor center holds local history exhibits within today. Learn all about how this collection of offices was used as the state's seat of government from 1866 to 1894, Council Hall holding the mayor's office and serving as the meeting place for the Utah Territorial Legislature. Visit the first-floor mayors office and second floor Rose Room courtroom during your visit. You will also learn about the 1700 pound bell sitting atop the building, as well as the architectural features such as red sandstone, capturing the 'beauty of the Old West'. The building was designed by the same architect as the tabernacle on Temple Square!

White Memorial Chapel

The White Memorial Chapel in Salt Lake City is a non-denominational church venue today but has a history of being a popular LDS meeting spot in the 19th century. The church was first built in 1883, serving as home to the 18th Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It stood in its original glory for 90 years on A Street and 2nd Avenue, disassembled in 1973 to be relocated. It was disassembled in such a fashion to ensure the architectural elements could be reused, saving the original steeple, gothic windows, doors, benches, buttresses, and inclined roof. It even contains some original stained glass! Altogether, the church serves and served as an example of Utah's early religious architecture, fashioned in the Gothic-style by architect Obed Taylor, who also designed the Assembly Hall at Temple Square. Today this church building is used for civic purposes, hosting 15/20 weddings each year plus concerts and community events.

Utah State Capital

A Neoclassical and Corinthian massive construction overlooking the great Salt Lake City, the Utah State Capitol has stood since its building in 1912 as a testament to the American government. Not only is it visually beautiful with the Greek columns and original artwork but, when you stop to consider the historical value, it stands as a beacon for political beauty and a triumph of the American Constitution. Open daily, the Utah State Capitol welcomes visitors to tour its grounds and interior. Student groups especially will appreciate the number of educational plaques, exhibits, artwork, memorials, and monuments running throughout the complex. Find your group learning about the settling of Salt Lake City, exploring the corridors and gorgeous architecture of its interior, and observing the House and Senate making history.

Deuel Pioneer Log Home

Sitting on West Temple Street, across from Temple Square, this historic home was one of the first permanent settlements built by pioneers in this area. It was built in July 1847 by Osmyn M. and William Henry Deuel, these men among the first to arrive in Salt Lake City from Nauvoo territory. The home was lived in by the Deuel family for just under 2 years. The structure was originally located in what is now Pioneer Park, a part of what was then the 'Old Fort'. When you visit this home today you will see a fully restored and authentically furnished log cabin, with pioneer artifacts inside such as the home's original cast iron stove. The home gives 'excellent insight into the lifestyle of the Mormon pioneers' and others who settled the once-elusive American West.

Church History Museum

With exhibits and collections explaining and applauding the history of the LDS church from Joseph Smith to Brigham Young and beyond, the Church History Museum is perhaps the single most important history museum to the LDS faith. Found at the west gates of Temple Square, the Church History Museum is committed to telling an accurate and faithful history of the church through artifacts, stories and testimonies, as well as the exodus of believers who made their way to Utah to found the City of Salt Lake. Exhibits and permanent collections range in topic from the story of Jesus to Joseph Smith's revelation and prophecy, the ministry of each President of the Church over time, and even women in the church. Explore the facility and find artifacts such as items utilized in miracles of healing, carpentry tools owned by Brigham Young, objects from the Temple in Nauvoo, Illinois, as well as paintings depicting Joseph Smith's journey as told in the Book of Mormon.

Temple Square 

The Salt Lake City Temple is perhaps the most famous faith-based destination in the United States. While you have to be a member of the LDS church to enter the Temple itself, tours are available of the magnificent 10-acre complex and include the Historic Lion House, Humanitarian Center, and the Beehive House among others. Start at the North Visitors Center and see the Thorvaldsen's Christus, an 11-foot statue of Jesus standing high on a pedestal and stretching his arms to the people below. Grab a map or even a tour guide and tour the campus to see the many educational attractions available. Learn about the history and doctrine of the Mormon Church at the Church History Museum where you can see an authentic 1847 log home, an original 1830 Book of Mormon, and even see an immigrant's ship bunk. From there visit the Joseph Smith Memorial Building which now houses the Legacy Theatre and several cafes for a lovely lunch outing, or tour some more history with the Beehive House where Brigham Young lived.

Brigham Young Monument

Downtown on Main Street you will find a monument dedicated to Brigham Young and also to the completion of the transcontinental telegraph that put the Pony Express out of business. Both sections of the telegraph, one from the east and one from the west, were hooked up in this spot, and believe it or not,  Brigham Young was the first person to send a message via this system!

The Lion House

This gorgeous historic home was actually the home of Brigham Young for some time, Young being the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the first governor of Utah. Inside the home, you will find the rooms decorated with antique furniture, ornate details like the lace curtains and intricate woodwork, and artifacts such as an antique piano. You can tour this home as a part of a free Temple Square tour and see the rooms for yourself (if there isn't an event happening). Also onsite you will find The Lion House Pantry, an onsite eatery offering 'exceptional home cooking with a side of history'. The eatery features authentic recipes handed down through the generations, with a daily rotating menu of foods such as roasted turkey, pineapple glazed ham, smoked salmon, and much more!

Beehive House

The Beehive House in Salt Lake City is a historic landmark that marks the official residence of Brigham Young, the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, from 1855 to 1877. The home got the name 'The Beehive House' due to the beehive structure that sits atop the home. After Young, 2 more Latter-Day Saints presidents lived here as well, including Lorenzo Snow from 1898 to 1901 and Joseph F. Smith from 1901 to 1918. Learn all about the lives of these men and much more during a free tour of the home, usually lasting about 30 minutes total. During the tour, you will learn details of Brigham Young's role as a prophet and community leader, as well as the private life of his family. You will also see his office, his carpentry tools, the place where Joseph Smith got his famous vision, architectural details such as the ornate woodwork and beehive structure, and much more!

Eagle Gate Monument

Eagle Gate Monument serves as the iconic entrance to Brigham Young's property, the area that led to the mouth of the City Creek Canyon. First erected in 1859, the massive eagle statue atop the gate has been replaced several times over the past 150 years, the present eagle weighing an astonishing 4,000 pounds. The eagle caps the 76-foot span of the gate, with a wingspread of 20 feet.