Tracks to Trax: Connecting Communities is a downloadable, audio/mp3 tour of the historic warehouse and Gateway District of Salt Lake City.

In 1869, the transcontinental railroad connected at Promontory Summit and by 1870 the railroad extended from Ogden through the west side of Salt Lake City, establishing the west side as the city's gateway, sowing the seeds for its future segregation from the town's geographic, cultural, and economic mainstream. In the next decade a network of rails spread throughout the city, proliferating most heavily in the Gateway District. As the railroad expanded, Utah's commercial industry grew, allowing Salt Lake to attract a diverse group of entrepreneurs, merchants, and laborers.

From 1880 to 1920 Salt Lake City's population exploded from 21,000 to 120,000, much of which can be attributed to the railroad, but it changed the character of the west side from a residential neighborhood to a distinctive warehouse district. Diverse ethnic communities that formed beginning with the coming of the railroad began to break up after World War II. And though economic booms of the late twentieth century and changes in transportation planning have altered the landscape, the history and architecture of the neighborhood is still prominent.

Take the tour and discover the Gateway District's history for yourself.

Download the tour here in an 80 MB zip file.

Download the map here.

This tour was developed by Allison Carlquist, Dejan Eskic, Lyndsay Frendt, and PJ Nakamura of the University of Utah College of Architecture + Planning, April 2009.  Narration provided by Kara Glaubitz.  Music provided by Colette Call and Michael Lucarelli.

South Temple has been Salt Lake City's most prestigious address since the city was first settled. Walking along South Temple today you will see stately mansions, magnificent churches, and impressive clubhouses. Utah Heritage Foundation's Historic South Temple Street Walking Tour Guide contains descriptions of 39 historic buildings from State Street to Virginia Street, a map, and numerous contemporary and historic photos. Completing the tour on foot requires approximately 2 ½ hours. The guide also includes Time Travel on South Temple, a tour for kids ages 9-12.

Historic South Temple Street Walking Tour Guide

  Download the complete guide (7.43 Mb) or sections below

Table of Contents

Left-click on the files below to download or right-click to save them to your hard drive.

Acknowledgements

Map

South Temple: A tour

Time Travel on South Temple: A tour for kids ages 9-12

Did Salt Lake City have a Chinatown? Where can you find Art Deco style buildings downtown? What is the oldest commercial building in the city? Find the answers to these questions and more in Utah Heritage Foundation's Historic Downtown Salt Lake City Walking Tour Guide. This 44-page guide with a map contains five one-hour walking tours, including a special tour of Main Street for kids ages 9 -12. Come read the story of Salt Lake City's settlement and growth in downtown's historic buildings.

Historic Downtown Walking Tour Guide

Left-click on the files below to download or right-click to save them to your hard drive.

  Download the complete guide (4.55 Mb) or sections below

Table of Contents

Cover and Introduction

Acknowledgments

Map

North Downtown Heritage Tour

Main Street Tour

Time Travel on Main Street: A tour for kids ages 9-12

Exchange Place and Market Street Tour

Gateway-Railroad District Tour

This publication is currently out of print, in both map and guide forms, and is only available for download here.  We have no printed copies available for distribution.  Watch our website, blog, and ENEWSletter for information about our upcoming publication of a downtown walking tour book.

Where can you explore historic buildings ranging from vernacular adobe houses to the monumental Utah State Capitol Building? Salt Lake City's Capitol Hill neighborhood is rich with Utah history and a diversity of architecture.

This guide contains descriptions of 24 buildings on Capitol Hill, including the popular Marmalade Historic District, a map, and numerous sketches.