Salt Lake City Walking Tour: Capitol & Historic Landmarks

Salt Lake City founding era tour, walking guide, historic buildings, insider stories

A free walking tour of Salt Lake City covering the Utah State Capitol, Salt Lake Tabernacle, Church History Museum, and Family History Library, with a live guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese. The tour runs two hours and includes time for photos and questions. You'll hear the stories behind the city's most significant buildings and how the early settlers shaped the community. Pickup is available on one of the two options at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Salt Lake Tabernacle5m
2. Family History Library5m
3. Church History Museum5m
4. Utah State Capitol20m

Explore Salt Lake City landmarks

• Meet at monument for introduction
• Visit City Creek and Sports Hall of Fame
• View transcontinental train building exterior
• Learn history inside Salt Lake Tabernacle
• Stop at FamilySearch Library exterior
• Brief stop at Church History Museum
• Pass by Triad Center complex
• See building with cultural history en route to Pioneer Museum
• Hear pioneer stories en route to State Capitol
• Tour Utah State Capitol building interior
• Explore art and events in magnificent building

The experience

The tour starts at a meeting point downtown where your guide gives an overview of what you're about to see. From there, you walk through the heart of Salt Lake City, moving between landmarks that tell the story of how the city was founded and what shaped it. You'll pass City Creek, where water still runs through downtown, and stop at the Utah Sports Hall of Fame Museum to hear about the city's athletic heritage. The guide points out the old transcontinental railroad building and explains its role in connecting Salt Lake to the rest of the country.

The Salt Lake Tabernacle is a centerpiece of the walk: a history-filled building where your guide shares what happened inside and what it represents to the community. You'll also see the Family History Library from the outside, a world-renowned center for genealogy research with records from around the globe, and the Church History Museum, where the guide provides context about the main religion in the city. Along the way, you pass the Triad Center, a downtown complex with offices and broadcast studios, and hear about the Pioneer Museum and the events that shaped local history.

The walk ends at the Utah State Capitol, where the guide covers both the architecture and the historical background of the building that houses the state's government. You get time to take photos at the landmarks, ask questions throughout, and absorb the stories of the foundation pioneers who arrived here and built the city. The whole tour takes two hours, and the pace is suitable for all fitness levels.

What’s included

• Two-hour guided walk through downtown Salt Lake City.
• live guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
• time to take photos at the landmarks.
• Q&A with the guide.
• five-minute wait for all participants to gather.

Options for this experience

2 options

Salt Lake City walking tourGuide in English, Spanish or Portuguese · 08:00 and 10:30

Salt Lake City Walking TourGuide in English · 08:00

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00 and 10:30Last departure this season: 22 Dec

AgesAdult (18 to 70 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.You can choose from 20 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Free Walking Tour Salt Lake City

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want the founding stories of Salt Lake City told by someone who knows the buildings and their place in the community. The guide does the research so you can focus on the landmarks and what they meant to the people who built them.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

What buildings do I actually walk past on this Salt Lake City tour?

You visit or pass the Utah State Capitol, Salt Lake Tabernacle, Church History Museum, Family History Library, Utah Sports Hall of Fame Museum, Pioneer Museum, and the Triad Center downtown. The guide provides information about each one, some from the outside and others with more detail about their history and significance.

How long is the walking tour in Salt Lake City?

The tour runs two hours total, including time for photos and questions with the guide along the way.

Is this a free walking tour?

Yes, it's a free walking tour, though the operator promises a memorable journey through Salt Lake City's history and the most interesting information about the city's famous places.

Can I ask the guide questions during the tour?

Yes, there's time built in for Q&A with the guide, and you're welcome to share any questions you have throughout the walk.

Is this tour suitable if I'm not in great shape?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, so you don't need to be an experienced walker to join.