General Information on Salt Lake City

Salt Lake lies in a mountain valley with the Wasatch Mountains to the east and north. The Oquirrh (pronounced "oaker") Mountains border the western edge of the valley. Salt Lake's official elevation is 4,330 feet/1,320 meters above sea level. In July, the average temperature is a high of 91° F (32.8° C) and a low of 63° F (17.2° C). Precipitation in the month of July averages less than one inch. Be prepared for hot days, and cool nights. When the sun sets, the temperature dramatically decreases.

Salt Lake City is in the Mountain Time Zone and uses Daylight Savings Time.

Local Attractions

The 2010 IHW will not offer organized excursions. Conference attendees are encouraged to independently explore the wonderful local attractions of Salt Lake City at their leisure.

Abravanel Hall
Foothill Cultural District
Fort Douglas
Hogle Zoo
Museum of Church History and Art
Red Butte Gardens
Temple Square
Utah Museum of Fine Art
Utah Museum of Natural History
Helpful Links

Abrevanel Hall
The spellbinding music heard inside Abravanel Hall most often comes courtesy of the world renowned Utah Symphony, though the stunning triangular construction of the building itself is a singular wonder of architectural depth and simplicity.

Foothill Cultural District
The area around the University is called the Foothill Cultural District, home to a number of prominent tourist attractions and known for its uniquely off-beat mix of art, history, intellect and commerce. Three prominent museums and a zoo are neighbors to an eclectic mix of shops, bars and eateries, offering a wide range of reasons for travelers and locals to enjoy mutual company.

Fort Douglas
Built and established in 1862, Fort Douglas became the site of many military operations, and remains today thanks to the preservation and exhibition efforts of the Fort Douglas Military Museum, which includes more than 40 historic buildings, a research library, and numerous exhibits that uphold Utah's military heritage.

Hogle Zoo
Animals from all over the world are right at home at Hogle Zoo, where famous residents include icons of American legend (bison, grey wolf, cougar) living right around the corner from exotic species from all over the world -- the white rhinoceros from Africa is a particularly rare favorite.

Museum of Church History and Art
Just west of the square is the Museum of Church History and Art, where Mormon history and culture is fully explored through interactive exhibits (climb inside a covered wagon and survey a Your browser may not support display of this image. scaled-down model of Salt Lake City itself), archival displays (the original Book of Mormon, which dates back to 1830 and serves as the religion's foundation) and traditional artistic renderings of area landscape.

Red Butte Gardens
The epic beauty of the Salt Lake valley is a true spectacle of nature. All it takes are open eyes to understand why early Mormon settlers declared the area Promised Land. Tucked away on campus at the University of Utah, there is a place of smaller scale but equally rapturous splendor, where the most enchanting natural elements are preserved in a timeless living dream.

Red Butte Gardens, so named for the land it occupies at the mouth of Red Butte Canyon, is a showcase of life at its beautiful best. The botanical garden and Arboretum are alluringly named Orangerie, a modern version of the old French constructions that housed winter gardens that included, of course, orange trees.

Temple Square
Temple Square is right next door to Abravanel Hall, a place where historical relevance and the modern appetite have become inextricable, offering a handful of the city's finest dining opportunities in a truly genuine environment.

Utah Museum of Fine Art
With a collection that spans more than 5,000 years of human creativity, the museum is perhaps best known for its groundbreaking devotion to the visual arts, consistently evolving with a range of exhibits that stretch the conventional wisdom of sensory perception.

Utah Museum of Natural History
The many worlds of science - from biology to botany, geography to geology - are open for exploration at the Utah Museum of Natural History, where visitors can learn about the scientific origins and development of Salt Lake City and the Great Basin while discovering the legions of prehistoric animal life, indigenous plants and rock formations that used to populate the region.

Helpful Websites for Exploring Salt Lake City, Utah
www.visitsaltlake.com/visit
www.slcgov.com/visitors
www.slctravel.com
utah.citysearch.com