History of Utah comes alive at This Is the Place

Time travel isn't possible in the literal sense, but if you want to be transported in American West flavor to pioneer Utah, then This Is the Place Heritage Park is as good as it gets.

With 45 historic buildings on 450 acres near the This Is the Place Monument, the park at 2601 E. Sunnyside Ave. is fast becoming a Williamsburg-type of "must-see" historical re-creation.

"The Living History" season at This Is the Place begins Friday, May 15. The park's newest addition, the Native American Village, is slated to open then, while a Mountain Man Rendezvous will be staged that weekend, too.

While visitors can enjoy the park year-round, the warm weather season is when all of its buildings are staffed with actors portraying pioneers doing Old West activities.

"We do so much stuff here," said marketing director Jorden Blucher. "You'd be lucky to see everything in a day."

Because the park still has lots of open space, future expansion is possible. "There's quite a bit of room here," he said. "We're built on a hill."

The hill means you can get a pretty good workout walking around the park, but there is also a train that serves as a shuttle between some locations.

The terrain also provides sweeping panoramas of the Salt Lake Valley. Walking a portion of the park's Main Street northward provides the perspective of what a pioneer road in the late 1800s might have looked like.

A smaller version of the Eagle Gate monument at State Street and South Temple greets visitors at the entrance. The park's Monument Cafe and visitor center are also near the front.

Inside the park are a combination of authentic and replica structures, including Gardiner Cabin, Social Hall, ZCMI, the Brigham Young Home, a gristmill, Huntsman Hotel, Deseret Hospital and even a Deseret News Print Shop. "Most of the homes are original, but the larger ones are replicas," Blucher said.

The park offers many hands-on activities during the summer season. It is unique among Utah state parks in that it is run by a nonprofit group, he said.

Another new feature this year will be "Welcome to Zion Family Nights" held once a month during June, July, August and September.

The park also boasts its usual celebrations — youth rodeo (June 27); Mormon Mile Fun Run/Walk (July 18); Pioneer Days (July 24-25); Civil War Re-enactment (Sept. 11-12); Haunted Village (Oct. 9-31); and Candlelight Christmas (Nov. 27-Dec. 23).

The park is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and also hosts numerous family reunions each year and has its own fire pits.

Entrance fees through May 14 are $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors. Those fees rise to $8 and $6, respectively, on May 15 during the summer season. Family annual memberships are available for $90. There are also grandparent and other memberships available.

More information may be found at www.thisistheplace.org or by calling 801-582-1847.

E-MAIL: lynn@desnews.com