Things to Do With Kids in Salt Lake City

Utah's Hogle Zoo dates from 1931 and is located at the mouth of Emigration Canyon at 2600 E. Sunnyside Avenue. The Zoo is one of the most visited attractions in Utah and the top paid-for tourist attraction in Salt Lake City. It covers 42 acres and includes more than 800 animals.

Hogle Zoo's top exhibits include Asian Highlands and Elephant Encounter. Little ones will enjoy the classic Zoo Train and new Conservation Carousel. Don't miss the World of Flight Bird Show during the spring, summer and fall. From Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve, Hogle Zoo is transformed into a winter wonderland with the popular Zoolights display.



Liberty Park is Salt Lake City's second largest public park and includes trails, playgrounds, a pond, paddle boat rentals, tennis courts, picnic facilities, amusement rides and a water play area. Liberty Park includes the Chase Home Museum of Folk Arts and the excellent eight-acre Tracy Aviary, one of two free-standing aviaries in the United States.

Thanksgiving Point is a huge recreation area near the Point of the Mountain that includes spectacular themed gardens, a farm and agriculture center, movie theaters, an IMAX, shops, restaurants, a golf course, party and reception facilities, and the world's largest indoor dinosaur museum. There's so much to see and do at Thanksgiving Point that it's difficult to describe, but Thanksgiving Point definitely offers an escape from the everyday.

Thanksgiving Point is located about halfway between Salt Lake City and Provo just off Interstate 15 at the Point of the Mountain. For detailed driving instructions from your location, call 801-768-2300.

Lagoon is a large amusement park about 15 miles north of Salt Lake City near the town of Farmington. Lagoon has been in operation since 1896. Its mix of old and new elements makes it unique. The park's carousel has been in operation since 1906, and the wooden roller coaster has been running since 1921. Park owners put up a new big ride just about every year to keep locals coming back.

Lagoon is fun for all ages and includes kiddie rides and big thrill rides. The replica Pioneer Village is fun for all ages, and so are the musical performances in the pavillions and Lagoon Opera House. Lagoon includes a water park called Lagoon-A-Beach.

Look for Lagoon discount coupons on Coca-Cola cans or at banks, credit unions, supermarkets and Costco.

Seven Peaks, with locations in Salt Lake City and Provo, offers family summetime fun with extreme waterslides, a wave pools, kids' slides and swimming areas and lazy river rides. Some of Seven Peaks' big, fast and steep thrill slides are not for the faint of heart!

Both Seven Peaks locations include pavilions and other facilities for parties and reunions. Look for discount coupons at banks, credit unions, supermarkets and Costco.

Fat Cats combines a bowling alley with an arcade, pizza place and Mexican restaurant. It's not an original idea, but Fat Cats beats out the competition with consistently decent food and a clean, high-energy atmosphere. It's a great place for a birthday party, reunion or family outing.

3739 S. 900 E.
801-262-9890
Other locations in Provo, Ogden and Westminster, Colorado

The Gateway in west downtown SLC has plenty of shopping, dining and entertainment options for everyone, but kids will especially enjoy the Clark Planetarium and Discovery Gateway children's museum. The Olympic Snowflake Fountain in the Olympic Plaza is great for water play in hot weather.

The Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy includes 1250 animals and 267 species in three main exhibits: Discover Utah, Ocean Explorer, and Journey to South America. In March 2010 The Living Planet added another major exhibit: Penguin Encounter.

The Natural History Museum of Utah, near the University of Utah and Red Butte Garden, is an important part of Utah's scientific community but also a great place to visit with kids. Permanent exhibits cover archaeology, geology, paleontoloty, minerology and zoology.

UMNH offers kids' discovery activities every Saturday and a free science movie night every month. The museum offers a few free days each year.