13 Indoor Adventures In Utah That Are Perfect For Winter
By Catherine Armstrong|Updated on November 16, 2022(Originally published November 11, 2022)
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Catherine Armstrong
Author
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
Everyone knows that Utah is a great place to play in the snow, but sometimes it’s nice to stay warm and dry during your winter adventures. Looking for some fun indoor winter activities in Utah? Here are 13 places to visit this season, and there’s something on this list for everyone.
With three floors of displays and hands-on exhibits, you'll have a blast exploring this outer-space museum. Catch a show at the Northrop Grumman IMAX, or go old-school in the Hansen Dome Theater - both are stunning. 110 S. 400 W., Salt Lake City, UT, 84101.
The shelves at the Salt Lake City Library are full of adventures waiting to be explored! This beautiful downtown space has more than just books - it's also home to a deli and coffee shop. You'll find cozy fireplaces to snuggle up by during winter months, too. The Main Branch is located at 210 E. 400 S., Salt Lake City, UT 84111. While this library is pretty amazing, your local city or county library also has plenty of amenities, too!
Read our feature article to find out more about this beautiful Utah library.
Here's a museum where kids are encouraged to touch everything! You'll want to spend all day long exploring the 12 exhibit rooms, where you'll find all kinds of play spaces. The St. George Children's Museum is located at 86 S. Main St., St. George, UT, 84770. You'll find other children's museums in Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Lehi, too.
You don't need an ocean to catch a wave! Visit Flowrider in Ogden, where they'll teach you to surf at their state-of-the-art indoor facility. Surfing takes some practice, so you might want to work on your skills over several visits this winter. 2261 Kiesel Ave., Ogden, UT, 84401.
Read our feature article to find out more about Flowrider Utah before you go! Surf's up, dude.
If someone in your family loves dinosaurs, you simply must visit the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. This place has one of the world's largest display of dinosaurs, with more than 60 mounted skeletons to see. You can have some hands-on fun at the erosion table and quarry dig. 2929 N. Thanksgiving Way, Lehi, UT 84043.
Check out everything this museum has to offer in our feature article here.
6. Get cosmic at this Olympic venue.
South Olympic Drive, S Olympic Dr, Utah 84049, USA
The Utah Olympic Oval was the site of speed-skating records during the 2002 Olympics, and it's been entertaining Utahns ever since. Hang out for an open skate session, or lace up your skates for cosmic skating. If you want to try something you've never done before, check out cosmic curling! 5662 Cougar Ln., Salt Lake City, UT, 84118.
Learn more about the Utah Olympic Oval and how you can be an Olympian for the day!
Buckle up and race around the indoor go-kart track at K1 Speed in Salt Lake City. Kids of all ages will love racing around the track at up to 45 mph on the high-performance go-karts here, and you'll also enjoy a cozy lounge with video games and couches for relaxing after your races. 725 E. 10600 S., Sandy, UT, 84094
Check out all the details about K1 Speed and plan your trip!
Many of Utah's county and city recreation centers have great indoor pools that are perfect for splashing and playing on a cold winter day, but Provo's Recreation Center indoor pool is one of the best in the Beehive State. How many indoor pools feature climbing walls and waterfalls? You'll also find a lazy river, water slides, and more. 320 W. 500 N., Provo, UT, 84601.
See hours and get more information on the Provo Recreation Center Indoor Pool website.
This puppy daycare and rec center is winter paradise for pups who love to swim. Sign your furry friend up for an open swim session in the 21' x 41' pool, and watch him have a blast. Good luck getting him back out of the pool when the session is over! 2827 S. 2300 E., Salt Lake City, UT, 84109.
Visit Barley's Canine Recreation Center's website website for more information.
Trampoline parks are the perfect spots to play on a cold, winter day. Practice your backflips, launch yourself into a pit filled with foam blocks, play some air hoops, and just generally have a blast. Get Air in Kaysville is one of the best spots for trampoline fun, but if it's too far from where you live, check your local listings for other trampoline parks closer by. 1188 Sportsplex Dr., Kaysville, UT, 84037.
Check out our feature article to learn more details about this trampoline park in Utah.
You'll want to spend an entire afternoon at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Draper, where you'll see more than 4,000 animals from countries all over the world. Walk through the 40-foot-long underseas tunnel, and gaze at all kinds of marine life in the 300,000-gallon shark tank. 12033 Lone Peak Pkwy., Draper, UT, 84020.
If you'd to experience the magic of flying, but think that jumping out of a perfectly good airplane seems insane, you might want to visit iFly, where you can experience the same thrills as skydiving - in a safe wind tunnel. 2261 Kiesel Ave., Ogden, UT, 84401.
Check out our feature article about this high-flying indoor adventure in Utah.
The Natural History Museum of Utah is located in the foothills above Salt Lake City, and the incredible city views from the parking lot are just the beginning when it comes to jaw-dropping sights here. Check out dinosaur bones, learn about ancient people, and watch scientists hard at work. 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108. Come see why this is one of our all-time favorite day trips in Utah!
What other indoor winter activities in Utah do you think should be on this list? Tell us in the comments below!
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indoor winter activities in Utah
Sarah M.|November 16, 2022
What are the best indoor museums in Utah?
Our list of the best indoor winter activities in Utah is very museum-forward, because we happen to think our state is home to some of the best museums in the country! And during the cold of winter, there's nothing quite like escaping into one of our museums for an afternoon. Here are some of our favorite museums in Utah:
Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point. The Museum of Ancient Life claims to have the largest collection of full skeleton dinosaur displays in the world, and you'll be amazed at the 60 complete mounted skeletons here. In addition to numerous displays, the museum is the workplace for real paleontologists and you can watch them work while you're there!
Utah Museum of Natural History. This museum is chock-full of informative and entertaining exhibits about everything from geology to astronomy and beyond. If it exists (or has existed) in the natural world, you'll find it here. Learn about Utah's first residents - the many species of dinosaurs who roamed the Beehive State. The museum houses dozens of reconstructed dino skeletons that help you imagine what these creatures were like millions of years ago.
Pioneer Memorial Museum. Located on Main Street in Salt Lake City is the Pioneer Memorial Museum, also known as the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum. This museum is known for housing the world’s largest collection of artifacts on a single subject – the pioneers. The state of Utah and many of its charming small towns owe their existence to the pioneers. In 1847, the pioneers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came into the Salt Lake Valley and worked tirelessly to make it their home. As you walk through this museum, you’ll find thousands of articles, displays, collections, and more that tell a story and showcase the life of these courageous individuals decades ago.
St. George Discovery Site at Johnson Farm. At the St. George Discovery Site at Johnson Farm, you can walk among thousands of fossilized dinosaur footprints. But that’s not all. At this incredible museum, you will see several life-sized models of dinosaurs, rare impressions, and more!