Salt Lake City lies at the base of the Wasatch Mountain range. Host City for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, athletes and enthusiasts flock in droves to Salt Lake City for Utah’s world-class snow and skiing facilities. This area is a well-known winter and summer outdoor recreation destination. More than 150 years ago Mormon pioneers passed through the Wasatch Mountains and into the Salt Lake Valley. Greeting these founders then and our present tourists now is a diverse landscape of three million acres. Beginning with our “Badlands” of the Bonneville Salt Flats, and working up toward the granite-formed peaks of the Rockies the valley and surrounding mountains of the Great Salt Lake offer spectacular view and generous resources. Just 45 minutes from Zermatt Resort - Salt Lake City was recently named “America’s Most Livable City.” These same characteristics that make Salt Lake City a great place to live – also apply to nearby Midway, Utah – home of Zermatt Resort. Salt Lake’s styles range from rustic Western to sophisticated fun. During the XIX Olympic Winter Games held in 2002 successfully hosted 70,000 visitors each day. Not only did we keep the torch light on as a beacon for the spirit of the games, our city-wide vision was to “Light the Fire Within”.

Salt Lake City Attractions: Historic Temple Square – Temple Square symbolizes headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and functions as the epicenter of Salt Lake. The famed Salt Lake Temple, built between 1853 and 1893, and the Salt Lake Tabernacle accentuate the architectural feats of these 19th century man-made wonders. The acoustical configuration within the Tabernacle allows for maximum sound quality from the huge pipe organ which accompanies the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir. As Salt Lake’s crowd-stopper, Temple Square draws is one of the major tour sites of the West. Eagle Gate spans between State Street and South Temple and once marked the entrance to Brigham Young's estate. Erected in 1897 just east of Temple Square, is the Brigham Young Monument - a larger-than-life statue of the colonizing church leader and former governor of the Utah territory.

This Is The Place Heritage Park - This Is The Place Heritage Park, located at the base of Emigration Canyon, commemorates the arrival of the first wagon train/handcart company of pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley. Utah’s most popular historic park celebrates Mormon pioneering courage by honoring the historic journey of 80,000 pioneers and their 2000-mile migration to settle Utah’s high desert. Guides take visitors through a living history museum of a 19th century pioneer community comprised of over 40 recreated and original buildings from settlements throughout Utah.

The Great Salt Lake & Antelope Island State Park - Antelope Island is the largest island in the Great Salt Lake, and can be easily accessed by a 7.5 mile causeway. The 28,022 is a preserve for antelope, coyotes, mule deer, bobcats, buffalo, upland game birds and waterfowl. Antelope Island features 18 miles of trails open to hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding and beaches for swimming and wildlife watching. Covering over 2,000 square miles, The Great Salt Lake is a shrunken version of prehistoric Lake Bonneville. Float like a cork. Buoyancy in the Great Salt Lake is a natural phenomenon with saline rates much greater than that of the ocean. Visit the Bonneville Salt Flats and the historic Saltair Resort, survey the Pony Express Trail, and track the deserted Central Pacific Railroad bed around the north end of the Great Salt Lake.

Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, a part of the University of Utah, is one of the city’s most popular parks. Covering over 150 acres, Red Butte Garden and Arboretum is the largest botanical and ecological center in the Great Basin. Hogle Zoological Gardens provides shelter and refuge for over 1,200 exotic animals, counting 100 endangered species and 250 species from around the world. Tracy Aviary, America’s oldest and largest bird park, eleven-acre, operates in conjunction with Liberty Park. The Aviary currently fosters a population of about 500 birds and 150 different species, 21 of which are listed as endangered or threatened.

The Living Planet Aquarium employs a hands-on, explorative approach in demonstrating its four major exhibits: Aquarium Experience at the Gateway, Amazon Rain Forest Exhibit, Tropical Pacific Coral Reefs, and Utah’s Rivers, Lakes, and Streams.

Kennecott Copper Mine – Only two man-made objects are large enough to be seen from aerial photographs taken in outer space: The Great Wall of China and the Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine 28 miles southwest of Salt Lake. Producing 300,000 tons of copper each year, Kennecott Copper Mine is the world’s largest man-made excavation sized at 2 ½ miles wide and ¾ of a mile deep.

Cultural Arts:
A number of outstanding performing arts groups thrive in Salt Lake City, well-known for its gamut of fine art institutions. Ballet West sets precedence as one of the nation’s finest ballets. The Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company and University of Utah’s Repertory Dance Theatre are highly acclaimed as well. All dance companies perform in the Capitol Theatre. The renowned Utah Symphony presents concerts year-round and has also recorded with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The Utah Opera Company stages several operatic productions each year.

Museums:
Affiliated with the University of Utah, The Utah Museum of Natural History models paleontology exhibits including mounted Allosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Camptosaurus skeletons from the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry. The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (1530 East South Campus Drive), also in association with the University of Utah, exhibits a fixed collection of nearly 15,000 art objects from various world cultures straddling a 5,000-year timeline.

The Museum of Church History and Art houses a collection of art work by Mormon artists and provides art exhibits and artifacts relating to the history of the Mormon Church from the mid-1800s to present. The Family History Library, west of Temple Square, is the largest genealogical library in the world with two billion names on record.

Shopping:
The Gateway, Salt Lake City’s newest shopping center, reflects the hub of style and trend while exuding youthful energy in a truly cosmopolitan atmosphere. This outdoor shopping center has over 90 shops/restaurants.
Gardner Village - discover 22 shops surrounding the historic Gardner Mill. As Salt Lake’s antique nirvana, Gardner Village provides exclusive goods, fashion, food and cafes.
Crossroads Plaza is the perfect complement to the range of shopping opportunities in Salt Lake and is home to major department stores (Nordstrom and Mervyn’s), and more than 145 specialty shops and restaurants.
Trolley Square is considered a national historic site with 80 unique shops and restaurants in charming trolley-car barns. The shopping center combines an aura of art and design and is the leading edge in retailing fashion.

Professional Sports:
Depending on what’s “in season,” you can catch Utah’s professional and semi-professional sports’ teams strutting their competitive stuff, including Utah Jazz – NBA basketball, Utah Starzz – WNBA basketball, Utah Grizzlies – AHL hockey, Real Salt Lake – MLS soccer, Utah Blitzz – MPSL soccer, and the Salt Lake Stingers – PCL baseball.