Top 20 Places to Take Kids in and around Salt Lake City, UT - 2021

Loveland Living Planet Aquarium showcases ecosystems from around the world. Come see sharks, otters, penguins, seahorses, sea jellies, snakes, caimans, piranhas, stingrays, and more! Make sure you don't miss the Expedition: Asia habitat, featuring clouded leopards, Asian small-clawed otters, giant Asian fish, birds, and more.

Visit the animals of the African Savanna, the bears and pinnipeds at Rocky Shores, or the big cats of the Asian Highlands plus much more!  Classes, events, camps, and daily programs occur all summer long!  Visit hoglezoo.org for details.

Thanksgiving Point Gardens, the Children’s Discovery Garden, Farm Country, and the Museum of Ancient Life, Emporium, and restaurants offer stimulating and engaging experiences in a safe, family-friendly setting. They foster learning, bring families closer together and provide beautiful gathering places for groups of all kinds, giving them opportunities to share their cultural heritage and common bonds.

Clark Planetarium is Salt Lake’s go-to destination for visitors of all ages who want to discover and learn about space and science. Play on the gravity floor, see a real meteor and explore other worlds. With three floors of free exhibits and two state-of-the-art theaters featuring films about space and science, you and your family are sure to have fun while learning something new.

Discover the power of play at Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum! Located at the Gateway shopping center in downtown Salt Lake City, Discovery Gateway offers 60,000 square feet of interactive, hands-on fun. Visit the Museum to explore engaging workshops, programs, and exhibits that invite the whole family to create, learn, and play together! 

Tracy Aviary offers opportunities to view hundreds of live birds. Families can also watch bird shows, attend classes and summer camps, take guided tours, and hand feed some of the birds. Birthday party packages are available.

The Natural History Museum of Utah is a premier family attraction and active research institution located on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Guests can explore more than 5,000 artifacts on display that highlight Utah’s incredible history, from ancient past worlds ruled by dinosaurs to the biodiversity that thrives throughout the state today. Explore billions of years of awesome at NHMU.

With more than 400 interactive experiences, you can choose a new adventure each time you visit the Museum of Natural Curiosity®. For more educational opportunities, visit the Exploratorium exhibit in the Innovation Gallery or take a class in one of the Dickson Academy classrooms. The options are endless for all curious minds at the Museum of Natural Curiosity.

To provide innovative, professional family theatre and theatre education that involves and elevates our community.

Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point is home to Utah's original corn maze & most popular destination for fall family fun, including: pumpkins, hayrides, cow train, pumpkin blasters, pig races, jumbo jumper, pumpkin princess playland, Halloween parades, ropes course, bee lines, amusement rides, gemstone mining, yummy fall food, fireworks and much more.

Hike, mountain bike or horseback ride the park’s backcountry trails for spectacular views of lake and island scenery; spend a star-filled night in one of several primitive campsites; stroll along sandy beaches and take a dip in the lake’s salty waters or step back in time with a visit to the historic Fielding Garr Ranch. Antelope Island is home to free-ranging bison, mule deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn (antelope), and many other desert animals. Millions of birds congregate along the shores surrounding the island, offering unparalleled opportunities for birding. Year-round Interpretive opportunities round out the Antelope Island experience.

Red Butte Garden is the largest botanical garden in the Intermountain West and together with the University of Utah, is a state arboretum. We are located on 100 acres in the foothills on the eastern edge of the University of Utah campus. The Garden has welcomed guests since 1985 and consists of over 21 acres of developed gardens and five miles of hiking trails winding through an extensive Natural Area. The Garden; which is community-funded; is renowned for its numerous plant collections, display gardens, 500,000 springtime blooming bulbs; including a vast collection of daffodils; world-class outdoor summer concert series, and award-winning horticulture-based educational programs.

Premier fitness & recreation facility offering a wide range of activities for the entire family. KOPFC is the ideal destination for all your fun, fitness and recreational needs. 2 time Best of State winner, our facility offers unmatched aquatics, fitness and leisure activities as well as home to the Fire Water & Ice Festival. Stop by and see for yourself why this facility should be at the top your list for all in one destinations.