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The Natural History Museum of Utah has been a Salt Lake City cultural institution since 1959, when the University of Utah's faculty began gathering and organizing its natural history collections. Ten years later, these items moved into the old George Thomas Library, where they comprised the state's official natural history museum for more than 40 years.
In late 2011, the Natural History Museum of Utah relocated to the all-new, architecturally spectacular Rio Tinto Center. Situated at the very edge of the Wasatch foothills, this 42,000-square foot building contains exhibits ranging from mining heritage installations, to dinosaur skeletons - all housed in this incredible, brand new space at the base of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail System.
Come to enjoy a journey into Utah's natural past; if you have extra time (on weekdays and Sundays), join an architectural tour of the Rio Tinto Center. On one of these, you'll learn about the building's green features, unique design and materials, and the art contained within its walls.
During its lifetime, the Natural History Museum of Utah has served to educate Utah about its own extended past, and humanity's place in it. In total, the museum now holds more than 1.2 million objects in its anthropology, biology, and geology collections. In addition to the public exhibits, the Rio Tinto Center provides facilities for research and advanced study.
