A couple of days ago I visited the Utah State Capitol. The main reason for the visit was because it is part of the Visit Utah GeoTour. To find the cache here, you have to visit the capitol during opening hours and find clues to answer the questions in the cache description.
The state capitol sits on a hill overlooking the valley with a good view of the Great Salt Lake and Downtown Salt Lake City.
There is plenty of free parking all the way around the Capitol building. Make sure to use only marked parking spots because police are patrolling this area continuously.
Most likely you will enter from the east side of the building. At this level, you can find a lot of information about the history of Utah. Surprising to me was that part of the movie Independence Day was filmed in Utah. Utah is known for its industry and was in the past a big mining state. Utah is also the home of the Mormons and the headquarter of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints is located in Downtown Salt Lake City. This is called the Temple Square and worth a visit if you come here.
At the center of this floor, you will find the Hall of Governors with a large marble-tiled reproduction of the Governor’s Great Seal of Utah on the floor.
A reproduction of the Liberty Bell is on display at the same level at the west entrance. This bell is one of over 50 copies.
Look at the ground and the tiles used here. They look like honeycombs. The Beehive is an important symbol for Utah.
The next level up is often called “the main floor”. The big area is flanked by marble staircases and balconies.
Busts and informational plaques in the upper hallways honor important and famous Utahns. Make sure to visit all levels of this building.
They have guided tours of the state capitol available every hour from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
To the east of the building, down in a little valley, you find the Memory Grove Park. This park is also worth checking out during a visit here.
The entrance to the building is free of charge. It’s also a great place for photo shootings. I saw many freshly married couples having their picture taken here but also other people were shooting here.
During my visit, I saw a helicopter landing and taking off on the lawn of the capitol. This was pretty cool to see, unfortunately, I wasn’t close enough to get a good look at the landed helicopter.
Since you are already here, check out the Council Hall. This is the home of the Utah Office of Tourism and Travel Information. Check the opening hours for the Office of Tourism and Travel Information on their website. Both close at 5 p.m. all the time. Next to it is the White Memorial Church.
Peter has a passion for Traveling, Photography, and Geocaching. These are the best ingredients for amazing adventures all over the globe. “Traveling is fun, no matter if you stay in a luxury hotel or travel like a backpacker.” Peter shares his experiences on his Blog www.gatetoadventures.com
Some of Peter’s photos are published on corporate websites, in-flight magazines, travel guides, and much more.