The Salt Lake Valley
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The Salt Lake Valley
Evergreen Guide Issue #9003 · Anytime Guide
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Where to take the kids when the weather turns

Inversion, rain, or 105 degrees: five indoor spots that actually hold up.

Good morning, Salt Lake.

Some days the valley air or the thermometer makes outside a no. These five indoor spots are the reliable rescues, all an easy drive from anywhere in the county.

📍 30 seconds in the valley⏱️ 4 min read

🏠 Indoor escapes that hold up

Worth it

Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, Draper

Gentoo penguins, sharks, sea turtles, Komodo dragons, and a virtual-reality EECO Voyager ride under one big roof. It is the valley's go-to for a guaranteed two or three hours of wide-eyed kids.
🕐Hours: Daily
📍Address: 12033 Lone Peak Pkwy, Draper
💵Cost: Paid admission
Our take
Members skip the line and it pays for itself in two visits if you have little ones.
⚠️ Heads up: Weekends and school breaks get packed; a weekday morning is calm.
$$ familiesindooranimals
Best of the week

Clark Planetarium, downtown

Three free levels of space exhibits downtown, plus IMAX films and laser shows for a fee. You can spend an hour for nothing or make an afternoon of it with a dome show.
🕐Hours: Daily
📍Address: 110 S 400 W, Salt Lake City
💵Cost: Free (films extra)
Our take
The free exhibits alone justify the trip; add a show only if the kids are old enough to sit.
⚠️ Heads up: Parking downtown is easiest in the Gateway garage next door.
Free familiesfreedowntown
Worth it

Discovery Gateway Children's Museum, downtown

Sixty thousand square feet of hands-on play, from a fossil dig to a big water table to a STEAM lab. Built for the under-10 crowd to touch everything.
🕐Hours: Daily
📍Address: 444 W 100 S, Salt Lake City
💵Cost: Paid admission
Our take
Bring a change of clothes; the water table claims a victim every visit.
⚠️ Heads up: Best for ages 2 to 9; older kids may breeze through it.
$$ young kidsindoorhands-on
Worth it

The Leonardo, downtown

A museum of creativity and innovation downtown that blends art, science, and tech with rotating hands-on exhibits. It skews a little older than the children's museum, so it is a good pick for tweens.
🕐Hours: Open most days, check the schedule
📍Address: 209 E 500 S, Salt Lake City
💵Cost: Paid admission
Our take
Check what special exhibit is up before you go; that is what makes or breaks the visit.
⚠️ Heads up: Hours vary by season and special exhibit, so confirm before driving down.
$$ tweensindoorcreativity

Bad-air day or 105 in the shade, now you have a plan. Go enjoy the AC.

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