Salt Lake City Trolley Tour with Characters & Stories

Three theatrical guides turn a trolley into a sightseeing show, not a lecture.

A trolley tour of Salt Lake City's historic landmarks—Temple Square, Utah State Capitol, Cathedral of the Madeleine, and fifteen other sites—narrated by a Conductor, Assistant, and Motorman who perform the city's history in theatrical style. The tour runs 1.5 to 2 hours and includes old-fashioned bottled sodas and Cracker Jacks. Children from age 2 are welcome; infants sit free on an adult's lap.

Step-by-step itinerary

Salt Lake City historical trolley tour

• Ride classic Salt Lake trolley
• Visit Utah State Capitol
• Explore Cathedral of the Madeleine
• See Mormon Battalion Monument
• View Temple Square and Salt Lake Temple
• Admire Salt Lake Tabernacle
• See LDS Conference Center
• Marvel at City & County Building
• Visit Beehive House
• Pass City Creek Center
• View Salt Lake Public Library
• See Utah Governor’s Mansion
• View Council Hall
• See Delta Center
• Admire Joseph Smith Memorial Building
• Pass The Gateway plaza
• View Family History Library
• Look up at Church Office Building
• Admire Washington Square
• Glance at Eagle Gate
• See Brigham Young Monument and Meridian Marker
• View Masonic Temple
• Visit Deuel Pioneer Log Home

The Experience

You board a vintage trolley in downtown Salt Lake City and settle in for a ride that's part tour, part show. A Conductor, his Assistant, and a Motorman—all professional entertainers—take turns narrating the stops in character, weaving stories of pioneers, faith, politics, and the people who built this city. The trolley moves through the historical districts, passing the Utah State Capitol perched above the valley with views of the Wasatch Mountains, the soaring Cathedral of the Madeleine completed in 1909, and Temple Square, where Brigham Young chose to plant the center of his new settlement in 1847. You see the Salt Lake Temple itself—40 years in the making, its granite blocks hauled 20 miles by hand—and the Salt Lake Tabernacle, an engineering marvel from 1867 with a 150-foot domed roof and no interior pillars.

The trolley also passes the modern LDS Conference Center, the largest religious auditorium in the world, the City & County Building that looks like a sandstone castle, the Beehive House where Brigham Young lived, and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, originally the grand Hotel Utah from 1911. You glide past City Creek Center with its retractable glass roofs and trout-filled stream, the Public Library's five-story glass arc designed by Moshe Safdie, and the Eagle Gate, a bronze eagle spreading its wings above State Street. The route includes the Governor's Mansion, Council Hall, the Delta Center home of the Utah Jazz, The Gateway plaza, and the Family History Library—the world's largest genealogical archive. Along the way, your guides share the grit and vision behind each landmark: the Mormon Battalion's 2,000-mile march, the Masons who helped build civic foundations, the pioneers who hand-carved a cathedral in the desert.

Trolley Treats—old-fashioned bottled sodas and Cracker Jacks—come with your ticket. The tour runs 1.5 to 2 hours and moves at a pace that works for all fitness levels. Infants sit free on an adult's lap; children from age 2 are welcome. No car seats or strollers fit aboard, and public transit options are nearby if you need to reach the departure point.

What’s included

• A musical sightseeing show on wheels with three theatrical entertainers and sightseeing tour guides.
• Trolley Treats including old-fashioned bottled sodas and Cracker Jacks snacks.
• a 1.5 to 2 hour ride through Salt Lake City's historic districts passing Temple Square, the Utah State Capitol, the Cathedral of the Madeleine, the Salt Lake Tabernacle, and fifteen other landmarks.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by City Sights, Inc.

Is this one for you?A standard trolley tour gives you a route and facts; this one gives you a route and a show. The three theatrical guides turn the landmarks into stories instead of stops, so the afternoon stays in your head instead of fading by dinner.

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Top questions

What is the Salt Lake Tabernacle and why does it matter?

The Salt Lake Tabernacle, completed in 1867, is one of the most acoustically perfect buildings ever built. Its 150-foot domed roof spans without a single interior pillar, and the sound inside is so pure that a pin could once be heard from across the hall. It remains home to the world-famous Tabernacle Choir and stands as a symbol of how frontier builders achieved engineering wonders long before modern technology.

How long is the trolley tour and what does it include?

The tour runs 1.5 to 2 hours and includes a ride through Salt Lake City's historic districts with three theatrical entertainers narrating the stops. Trolley Treats—old-fashioned bottled sodas and Cracker Jacks—are included with your ticket.

Can I bring my young children on this trolley tour?

Yes, children from age 2 are welcome. Infants sit free on an adult's lap, but no car seats or strollers are allowed aboard the trolley.

What is Temple Square and why is it important to Salt Lake City?

Temple Square is the spiritual heart of Salt Lake City—a ten-acre site enclosed by graceful gates and gardens that Brigham Young himself chose in 1847 as the center of the pioneer settlement. At its heart stands the Salt Lake Temple, built stone by stone over 40 years, with granite blocks hauled 20 miles by hand. The temple's six soaring spires symbolize faith reaching toward heaven and remain one of the most recognized religious landmarks in America.

Does the tour go inside the landmarks or just pass by them?

The trolley passes by the landmarks, allowing you to see them from the street and hear their stories from your theatrical guides. Some sites, like the Salt Lake Temple, are not open to the public, but the tour shares the human drama and history behind their creation.

What makes this trolley tour different from a standard sightseeing tour?

Three professional entertainers—a Conductor, Assistant, and Motorman—perform the city's history in theatrical style rather than delivering a straightforward lecture. They share dozens of tales about politics, faith, architecture, and the pioneers who built Salt Lake City, turning the trolley itself into a sightseeing show.