Utah Heritage Foundation opens doors on hist..

Utah history • Get a rare peek on Salt Lake City's glorious theater of old

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The brand, spanking new City Creek is currently all the rage and bother of downtown Salt Lake City.

For a study in contrast, not to mention history, you and yours can now see the inside of Main Street's historic Utah Theatre. No clothes shops. No yogurt cones or cellphone provider kiosks. Just a clear-eyed look at the glorious interior of what was once the toast of downtown Salt Lake City entertainment life.

Built in 1919 at a cost of $2.25 million—no small sum, back then, and no small sum to most of us now—it filled the center of downtown like nothing else before it. A third story was removed circa 1937, according to a Heritage Foundation press release, and as the age of live theater progressed into film the venue lived long enough to screen the 1976 remake of "King Kong."

Shuttered for more than two decades, it's now open for free tours courtesy of docents with the Utah Heritage Foundation. If you want to rekindle memories of old, or show your children or grand kids a piece of architectural history, here's your next Saturday morning activity for June 9, July 14 or Aug. 11.

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Guided tours of Utah Theatre

When • June 9, July 14 and Aug. 11; 10 a.m.-noon with tours beginning every 10 minutes

Where • Utah Theatre, 148 S. Main Street, Salt Lake City

Info• Free. Call the Utah Heritage Foundation at 801-533-0858 for more information.

Utah Heritage Foundation opens doors on historic Utah Theatre for free tours