This Is The Place Heritage Park
4.6(3.8K)google
4.0(88)yelp
HistoryPioneer HistoryHistoric BuildingFamilyInteractiveEducational
Overview
This Is The Place Heritage Park is a sprawling living history museum situated along the foothills of Salt Lake City, marking the historic location where Mormon pioneer leader Brigham Young first looked over the valley in 1847 and declared it their new home. The centerpiece of the park is the massive 'This Is the Place' monument, complemented by a meticulously recreated 19th-century pioneer village. Visitors can explore fully furnished historic historic homes, interact with costumed historical interpreters practicing blacksmithing and historic crafts, ride vintage trains, and experience high-energy pioneer activities for traveling families.
Practical Info
Mon10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tue10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wed10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thu10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Fri10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sat10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
SunClosed
Suggested Duration3-5 hours
Best TimeSpring through autumn (May to October) is premier for full live colonial trade craft and blacksmith demonstrations. Opt strictly for the 9:00 AM morning gate opening; morning mountain breezes ensure mild temps as the rising sun paints the monumental bronze 'This Is The Place' Monument and the historic 19th-century dirt pioneer village huts beautifully, avoiding the midday heat.
Getting ThereSituated right at the mouth of Emigration Canyon at 2601 Sunnyside Avenue, directly opposite Hogle Zoo. Driving a car is mandatory due to its foothills site: follow Sunnyside Avenue due east from downtown for 4 miles. The historical state historic park features an immense, well-lit and completely complimentary flat asphalt parking plaza steps from the ticketing grand pavilion.
Travel Tips
- Free Public Monument vs Paid Heritage Village Gate: The prominent outer stone monument and gift plaza require zero admission fees. However, crossing the main security gates into the active 19th-century Pioneer Heritage Village requires purchasing explicit entry tickets.
- Winter Live-Actor Suspensions Alert: The village relies on costumed historical re-enactors demonstrating black-smithing and spinning. From November to March, these performers are entirely absent and historic homes are locked shut; budget your time accordingly.
- 50-Acre Sprawling Dirt Track Hop-On Tram Strategy: Spanning over 50 acres of gravel and dusty footpaths, walking the entire perimeter causes heavy physical exhaustion. Make immediate use of the park's internal trackless replica trains that loop perpetually to historic stations.
Reviews
Positive
- This grand living history open-air museum packs full visual impact, beautifully recreating Gilded Age pioneer cabins, blacksmith shops, and farmlands.
- The park offers great fun with rich hands-on activities like making horseshoes, spinning yarn, and riding vintage mini trains for deep historical core value.
- The sprawling parklands feature smooth accessible ramps throughout, equipped with ample modern clean restrooms and comfortable shaded seating benches.
- The staff wear authentic period costumes and provide highly welcoming, knowledgeable service; the all-access ticket offers exceptional value for families.
Heads up
- The historic clusters are spaced far apart, making walking exhausting; visitors are often forced to rent pricey on-site golf carts to move between zones.
- The general admission ticket is noticeably expensive compared to other local public museums, making it heavy for big families as a premium attraction.
- Being an open-air historical complex with sparse shade trees, it gets intensely hot under the baking midsummer sun, risking rapid heat exhaustion.
- The interior historic buildings completely lack modern power elevators or wide ramps to preserve historical flair, making upper floors inaccessible for strollers.