“This Is The Place Heritage State Park” is a place to see and experience what pioneer life was all about.  Some of the historic buildings have been moved to the park and are open to the public.

The Brigham Young  Adademy

The Brigham Young Farm House at This Is The Place Heritage Park is the original structure that was built in 1863 on the Mormon leader’s 823-acre farm in what is now the Sugarhouse area of the Salt Lake Valley (about 700 East and 2300 South). Brigham Young used the farm for experimental agriculture to determine which crops and livestock would survive and thrive in the unfamiliar climate conditions of Utah.Crops ranged from the familiar, such as alfalfa, strawberries and cauliflower to the exotic, like Chinese sugar cane and chufa nut (an edible root from Africa). About 25 acres of mulberry trees were imported to feed imported silkworms in what eventually was a futile attempt to produce silk domestically in Deseret. The farm also produced most of the dairy products, vegetables and grains used by the Young families.</p> <p>The farming operation was managed by Hamilton Gray Park, but the home and dairy were run by several of Brigham’s wives. They managed the household and supervised the daily activities there, from cooking to laundry to spinning wool and other aspects of pioneer life. In addition to the wives and their children, the household included girls hired to help and, at least for meals, the large number of farmhands needed to produce crops on such a large acreage.</p> <p class=”>

Though he never lived in the house, Brigham visited often. He entertained visiting dignitaries and held dances and other social events there. His daughter, Clarissa, recalled that her father especially enjoyed showing off the farm to visitors from the East.

The house had a couple of unusual features for its time. A three-sided wooden trough carried cool water from a spring near the house into a basement tank so fresh water did not have to be carried in buckets from a well each day as was necessary in most pioneer homes. And while the second floor was primarily bedroom space, one large room was kept as a dance hall.

Directly across the street from “This Is The Place Monument” is Utah’s Hogel Zoo.

Hogle Zoo has something for everyone! With hundreds of animals from hundreds of species to visit, the splendor of the animal kingdom is yours to behold. Be sure to visit Asian Highlands, a re-creation of a Himalayan village featuring five endangered Asian cat species, and Elephant Encounter — where the Serengeti meets Salt Lake City — and spotlights African elephants and white rhinoceros.

As part of a redesigned central plaza, the new Conservation Carousel takes kids of all ages for a whimsical spin on some of world’s most endangered or threatened animals. Each is a unique work of art, hand carved and painted by skilled craftsmen. A portion of all ride revenue is directed to Hogle Zoo conservation causes.

Hogle Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. For perspective, of the more than 2,000 USDA-licensed wildlife exhibitors in the country, fewer than 10% have achieved accreditation. By being AZA accredited, Hogle Zoo is recognized as one of the top zoos in the world.

Explore

Begin your Zoo visit by exploring our site! Learn about What to See and Do, and What’s New! Check out our Events Calendar for cool events your whole family can enjoy, including ZooLights! in December! Need a place to hold your company party? Think Hogle Zoo!

Learn

Want to learn more? Meet Our Animals and discover who lives at our Zoo. We also offer Education Programs for schools and organizations, and Zoo Classes to enrich your knowledge of our wild world.

The University of Utah (referred to locally as ‘the U’ or ‘the U of U’) is a publicly funded research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. One of ten institutions that make up the Utah System of Higher Education and Utah’s premier research school currently {as of late 2008} enrolls 21,526 undergraduate and 6,684 graduate students and has 1,419 regular faculty members. Currently (as of 2008) ranked 49th in the United States and 79th in the world. Of the more than 3,500 colleges and universities in the United States, the University of Utah is one of only eighty-eight that are classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as Research I universities; i.e., those which offer a full range of undergraduate programs, are committed to graduate education, and give research high priority.

The Park Building – Administration

Originally established February 28, 1850 by Latter-day Saint leader Brigham Young, it was initially named “University of Deseret”. The school closed two years later for financial reasons. It reopened as a commercial school in 1867 in the old Council House in what is now downtown Salt Lake City under the direction of David O. Calder, a prominent Salt Lake City businessman and associate of Mormon leader Brigham Young. The University was renamed University of Utah in 1894 and classes were first held on the present campus approximately two miles directly east of downtown Salt Lake City in 1900. Portions of the present campus are located on grounds formerly belonging to the U.S. Army’s Fort Douglas. The fort was officially closed on October 26, 1991, and although a small part of it remains as an Army Reserve post, the majority of its territory is now owned by the university, and occupied by student residences.

2002 Winter Olympics Flame

In 2002, the University hosted the Olympic Village as well as Winter Olympic events, including the opening and closing ceremonies. Prior to the events, the University received a facelift that included extensive renovations to Rice-Eccles Stadium, a light rail track leading to downtown Salt Lake City and an array of new student housing and a 134-room campus hotel and conference center (used by the Olympic athletes) at nearby Fort Douglas.

While you are at the conference you may want to make an excursion to the Historic Utah State Capitol Building.  Images in this post are courtesy of David Terry Photography.

The Historic Utah State Capitol Building

The Historic Utah State Capitol Building is located at the north end of State Street on Capitol Hill, just north of Historic Temple Square and has a very beautiful Rotunda that you will enjoy visiting.  Enjoy some of David Terry’s images below.