Utah Museums
When one thinks of Utah, museums are not usually the first things that come to mind. Snow sports , fishing, hiking, biking and off roading are popular and well known in Utah. But museums?
There are a good number and wide variety of museums throughout the state. For instance, it is easy to find museums that feature dinosaurs and their history in Utah, history and everything you wanted to know about mining in Utah, classic cars, Native Americans and indigenous people of the area, aerospace, railroads, Latter Day Saints (LDS) history museums, art, fine art and wildlife museums – for starters.
We will focus on several museums in this article, however, please keep in mind that there are many that include many fascinating treasures waiting to catch your attention.
In Alpine a very unique museum is the Alpine Art Center. This is a sculpting center, founded by two sculptors, featuring an outdoor sculpting garden with surrounds the property. Inside, there are sculpture displays, paintings and watercolor works. The highlight is the state of the art foundry offering visitors a unique opportunity to see metal cast works of art in process. This is an enriching and fascinating museum to visit.
Historic Union Station Museum in Ogden is the site of four museums, a library, a miniature railroad exhibition and an art museum. The four museums include an Arms Museum, a Natural History Museum, an Automotive Museum and a Railroad Museum. The Automobile Museum features cars from the “golden age”, such as Cadillacs, Packards, Lincolns and Pierce Arrows among others - and all the cars are operational and restored to their original condition. The Natural History Museum has excellent displays of artifacts, gems - including a 44,427 carat smoky quartz - and numerous fossils, plus displays of dinosaur and aquatic history including a rare dinosaur egg. Of course, there is a Railroad Museum which is dedicated to preserving significant history of the railroad in Utah, including the joining of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. The Browning Arms Museum, named after Ogden native John M. Browning, who was known throughout the world as the inventor of the Browning Automatic Rifle, has other hunting, sport and military guns and prototypes on display. This is one of the most complete exhibitions of Utah’s history and artifacts, brought together to remind visitors of the sacrifices and obstacles plus adventures and triumphs of the past in Utah.
Salt Lake City boasts numerous museums, one of the most interesting being Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts, which features artifacts from rural Utah, from Native Americans and occupational and ethnic groups. There are demonstrations of music and dance, as well as pow-wow demonstrations and cowboy poetry. The museum provides a unique look into contemporary Utah and Utah history. There is also The Price Family Holocaust Museum, featuring an exhibit hall and a memorial garden. The exhibit provides information regarding the rise of and consequences of Nazism. It is also a tribute to the Price family which was affected by the holocaust, and a tribute to the Jewish people, their survival and rebirth once these overwhelming times were over.
Also in the Salt Lake area is the Kennecott Copper Mine, the world’s largest man-made excavation, is 2 and ½ miles across and ¾ mile deep. It is so large that it can be seen from outer space. The main product mined is copper; however gold and silver are also mined in smaller quantities. An extensive array of artifacts and mining equipment are displayed at the mine, which offers a fascinating look into the mining industry and history.
In the town of Jensen in eastern Utah, there is a fascinating site – The Dinosaur National Monument Quarry Visitor Center. This is a unique look at the history of Utah. Over 1,600 dinosaur bones can be viewed just as they were deposited in a river approximately 145,000,000 years ago. The monument is located about 20 miles from Vernal, UT.
In Southern Utah, you can find the Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, a world class museum of Native American Culture, an archeological repository and a Prehistoric Puebloan Anasazi village and a large exhibit of Puebloan artifacts. This is the largest collection of these artifacts in the four corners area, which also displays contemporary and ancient Native American culture.
These are just a few of Utah’s museums. There are several excellent museums that explore prehistoric times here, the history of the Native Americans and the history and culture of the Mormons, as well as farming, mining, aircraft, railroad and other that made Utah what it is today. Don’t forget that there are many other Utah museums – the majestic living museums of outdoor Utah. There are spectacular State Parks, lakes, rivers, mountains and more. A museum doesn’t have to necessarily be housed in a building, and because of that, Utah has many, many amazing museums throughout the state.
Take the time to explore the museums that interest you and are located in the area where you live or are planning to visit. You will be pleasantly surprised by the amount of information you will find about Utah and what shaped it.
Utah Museums
There are a good number and wide variety of museums throughout the state. For instance, it is easy to find museums that feature dinosaurs and their history in Utah, history and everything you wanted to know about mining in Utah, classic cars, Native Americans and indigenous people of the area, aerospace, railroads, Latter Day Saints (LDS) history museums, art, fine art and wildlife museums – for starters.
We will focus on several museums in this article, however, please keep in mind that there are many that include many fascinating treasures waiting to catch your attention.
In Alpine a very unique museum is the Alpine Art Center. This is a sculpting center, founded by two sculptors, featuring an outdoor sculpting garden with surrounds the property. Inside, there are sculpture displays, paintings and watercolor works. The highlight is the state of the art foundry offering visitors a unique opportunity to see metal cast works of art in process. This is an enriching and fascinating museum to visit.
Historic Union Station Museum in Ogden is the site of four museums, a library, a miniature railroad exhibition and an art museum. The four museums include an Arms Museum, a Natural History Museum, an Automotive Museum and a Railroad Museum. The Automobile Museum features cars from the “golden age”, such as Cadillacs, Packards, Lincolns and Pierce Arrows among others - and all the cars are operational and restored to their original condition. The Natural History Museum has excellent displays of artifacts, gems - including a 44,427 carat smoky quartz - and numerous fossils, plus displays of dinosaur and aquatic history including a rare dinosaur egg. Of course, there is a Railroad Museum which is dedicated to preserving significant history of the railroad in Utah, including the joining of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. The Browning Arms Museum, named after Ogden native John M. Browning, who was known throughout the world as the inventor of the Browning Automatic Rifle, has other hunting, sport and military guns and prototypes on display. This is one of the most complete exhibitions of Utah’s history and artifacts, brought together to remind visitors of the sacrifices and obstacles plus adventures and triumphs of the past in Utah.
Salt Lake City boasts numerous museums, one of the most interesting being Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts, which features artifacts from rural Utah, from Native Americans and occupational and ethnic groups. There are demonstrations of music and dance, as well as pow-wow demonstrations and cowboy poetry. The museum provides a unique look into contemporary Utah and Utah history. There is also The Price Family Holocaust Museum, featuring an exhibit hall and a memorial garden. The exhibit provides information regarding the rise of and consequences of Nazism. It is also a tribute to the Price family which was affected by the holocaust, and a tribute to the Jewish people, their survival and rebirth once these overwhelming times were over.
Also in the Salt Lake area is the Kennecott Copper Mine, the world’s largest man-made excavation, is 2 and ½ miles across and ¾ mile deep. It is so large that it can be seen from outer space. The main product mined is copper; however gold and silver are also mined in smaller quantities. An extensive array of artifacts and mining equipment are displayed at the mine, which offers a fascinating look into the mining industry and history.
In the town of Jensen in eastern Utah, there is a fascinating site – The Dinosaur National Monument Quarry Visitor Center. This is a unique look at the history of Utah. Over 1,600 dinosaur bones can be viewed just as they were deposited in a river approximately 145,000,000 years ago. The monument is located about 20 miles from Vernal, UT.
In Southern Utah, you can find the Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, a world class museum of Native American Culture, an archeological repository and a Prehistoric Puebloan Anasazi village and a large exhibit of Puebloan artifacts. This is the largest collection of these artifacts in the four corners area, which also displays contemporary and ancient Native American culture.
These are just a few of Utah’s museums. There are several excellent museums that explore prehistoric times here, the history of the Native Americans and the history and culture of the Mormons, as well as farming, mining, aircraft, railroad and other that made Utah what it is today. Don’t forget that there are many other Utah museums – the majestic living museums of outdoor Utah. There are spectacular State Parks, lakes, rivers, mountains and more. A museum doesn’t have to necessarily be housed in a building, and because of that, Utah has many, many amazing museums throughout the state.
Take the time to explore the museums that interest you and are located in the area where you live or are planning to visit. You will be pleasantly surprised by the amount of information you will find about Utah and what shaped it.
Utah Museums
