Places to go

The default bad-weather answer for the south valley. Busiest on weekend afternoons and during school holidays; mornings are much calmer.

Ticketed; members free · indoors · about 3 hours · ages 1–90

12033 South Lone Peak Parkway, Draper, UT 84020

One of the largest dinosaur collections anywhere, with a dig pit and hands-on rooms rather than glass cases only. If you are going more than twice a year the membership pays for itself across the four venues.

Ticketed; Thanksgiving Point membership covers it · indoors · about 3 hours · ages 3–85

2929 North Thanksgiving Way, Lehi, UT 84043

Built into the hillside so the building itself is part of the visit, with a serious dinosaur hall and a top-floor view over the valley. Ask about the resident discount, which is not advertised at the door.

Ticketed; discounted for Utah residents with ID · indoors · about 3 hours · ages 3–90

450 North State Street, Salt Lake City

Hands-on play museum aimed squarely at under-tens, with a large outdoor water and climbing area that is only open in warm weather. Loud and packed on rainy Saturdays; a weekday morning is a different place.

Ticketed; membership covers it · indoors · about 3.5 hours · ages 2–12

3605 Garden Drive, Lehi, UT 84043

The exhibit floor costs nothing, which makes it a genuine free option rather than a ticketed one with a free corner.

Free · indoors · about 2 hours · ages 4–90

110 South 400 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Warm spring water inside a limestone dome you enter through a tunnel, about ninety degrees all year. Booking is by timed slot and weekends sell out well ahead. Children need to be confident in deep water since there is no shallow end.

Timed booking; higher at weekends · indoors · about 1.5 hours · ages 6–80

Play-based and aimed at under-tens; a nine year old will have run out of it in an hour. Parking is in the Gateway garage, so validate it or the ticket price effectively goes up.

Ticketed · indoors · about 2.5 hours · ages 1–10

444 West 100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84116

Skating on the actual Olympic speed skating oval, indoors and cool even in August. Public sessions are limited and often mid-day on weekends, so the schedule decides the trip rather than the other way round.

Public session admission plus skate hire · indoors · about 2 hours · ages 4–75

Big bouldering and auto-belay walls, and the auto belays mean one adult can supervise two children without needing a second belayer. Weekday afternoons are far calmer than weekend mornings.

Day pass plus shoe hire · indoors · about 2 hours · ages 5–70

Indoor leisure pool with a lazy river and slides, warm enough for toddlers, which makes it the winter answer to the summer pool question. Busy in the two hours after school lets out.

Day pass · indoors · about 2 hours · up to age 85

Worth visiting as a building, not just a library: a spiral walkable roof, a glass atrium and a children's floor with its own small rooms. Free, warm, and open on Sundays when most alternatives are not.

Free · indoors · about 1.5 hours · up to age 90

An odd one that works: a shop with an indoor ferris wheel, aquariums and a wildlife display, all free to wander. Genuinely useful on an inversion day when you need somewhere warm that costs nothing.

Free · indoors · about 75 minutes · ages 1–80

Roller rink with inflatables and a soft play area attached, so a child too small to skate still has something to do. Sessions are scheduled rather than all-day, so check times before driving over.

Admission plus skate hire · indoors · about 2.5 hours · ages 3–60

Indoor pool, so it answers the winter version of the same question.

Day pass · indoors · about 2 hours · ages 1–80

Cheap enough that a small budget lasts, which is the whole appeal.

Pay per play, nickels · indoors · about 1.5 hours · ages 4–16

Free, warm, and open when almost nothing else is. Runs its own children's programmes, which the library events source picks up separately.

Free · indoors · about 60 minutes · up to age 90

12877 South 1830 West, Riverton, UT 84065

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4 South 400 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

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3451 South 5600 West, West Valley City, UT 84120

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1395 East Presidents Circle, Salt Lake City, UT 84112

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3353 South Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City, UT 84119

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2417 West High Mountain Road, Park City, UT 84098

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4795 South 1900 West, Roy, UT 84067

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5.3 mi west of central Salt Lake City

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1730 North Main Street, North Logan, UT 84341

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389 South 900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

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3376 South 5600 West, West Valley City, UT 84120

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2275 East 3300 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84109

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1236 West 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104

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4670 South 2300 East, Holladay, UT 84117

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5.5 mi west of central Park City

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11428 South Parkway Plaza Drive, South Jordan

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1146 East Fort Union Boulevard, Midvale, UT 84047

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335 West 1830 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84115

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7872 South Old Bingham Highway, West Jordan, UT 84088

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817 West Antelope Drive, Syracuse

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260 South 200 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

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410 University Avenue, UT 84601

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5624 South Redwood Road, Taylorsville, UT 84123

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1751 South 1100 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84105

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910 North 900 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116

Free · indoors

86 West Factory Street, Garland, UT 84312

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1013 North 900 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116

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3089 North Canyon Road, Provo, UT 84604

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Free · indoors

32 North West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150

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490 East 1100 North, North Salt Lake, UT 84054

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6161 South State Street, Murray

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3084 East 3300 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84109

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439 East 900 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

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660 Main Street

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4936 West 3500 South, West Valley City, UT 84120

Free · indoors

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2971 West 4700 South, Taylorsville, UT 84129

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80 West Center Street, Provo, UT 84601

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575 University Parkway, Orem, UT 84097

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923 South State Street, Salt Lake City

indoors · ages 21 and up

2496 South West Temple, South Salt Lake, UT 84115

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5550 South Freeway Park Drive

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731 East 2100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84106

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1025 South 500 West, Woods Cross, UT 84010

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250 West State Street, Lehi, UT 84043

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223 West Center Street, Provo, UT 84601

Free · indoors

573 Main Street, Park City

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2419 2400 North, Tooele, UT 84074

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2699 South State Street, South Salt Lake

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7238 South Plaza Center Drive, West Jordan

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151 State Street

indoors · ages 21 and up

1048 East 2100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84106

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2843 South 5600 West

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2856 South 5600 West, West Valley City

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952 East 100 North Street, Payson, UT 84651

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3005 Harrison Boulevard, Ogden

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3629 West Center Park Drive, West Jordan, UT 84084

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5770 South Redwood Road, Taylorsville, UT 84123

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1100 West 7800 South, West Jordan, UT 84088

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3390 South State Street, South Salt Lake, UT 84115

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1465 South 700 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84105

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50 East South Temple, Salt Lake City

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80 South Regent Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

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11078 State Street, Sandy, UT 84070

indoors · ages 21 and up

1641 North Main Street, Tooele, UT 84074

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indoors · ages 21 and up

3200 East Big Cottonwood Canyon Road, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121

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742 South 500 West, UT 84101

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500 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

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165 East 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

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2095 North Main Street, North Logan, UT 84341

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680 South 900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

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2843 South 5600 West, West Valley City

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indoors · ages 21 and up

608 West 700 South

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4122 West 13400 South, Riverton, UT 84096

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4528 W 1700 S, Syracuse, UT 84075

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3779 W South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan, UT 84009

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7307 South Canyon Centre Parkway, Cottonwood Heights

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5083 West 13400 South, Riverton, UT 84096

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101 North West State Street, American Fork, UT 84003

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1092 North Canyon Creek Parkway, Spanish Fork, UT 84660

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