Natural History Museum of Utah

About

The Natural History Museum of Utah sits inside the Rio Tinto Center, a copper-clad building set into the foothills at the University of Utah's Research Park. The building opened in November 2011 and holds more than 1.6 million specimens and objects covering Utah and the Intermountain West, including one of the largest collections of Allosaurus fossils anywhere.

Visitors move through ten permanent galleries covering ancient life, geology and minerals, Native American cultures, the Great Salt Lake, and Utah's biological diversity. The collection behind those galleries totals more than 1.6 million objects, with about a million anthropological items alongside large paleontology, entomology, zoology, and botany holdings. Families with young children can also stop at Our Backyard, a smaller hands-on gallery with water tables and specimens to touch. Most visitors spend two to three hours on the main floors; add time if you plan to eat at the Canyon Cafe or catch a program.

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with hours extended to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays. It sits a short drive from downtown Salt Lake City, next to Red Butte Garden and surrounded by other University of Utah research buildings, so it pairs easily with a garden visit or a campus stop.

Because almost everything is indoors, the museum works well on a hot afternoon, a smoky-air day, or a cold winter visit when outdoor attractions are less appealing. Admission is charged for all visitors and rates vary by age group, so check the museum's ticketing page for current prices before you go.

Accessibility

The Natural History Museum of Utah is wheelchair accessible, and it publishes detailed accessibility information covering parking, entrances, restrooms and sensory support.

Arriving and parking: seven accessible parking spaces, including van-accessible spaces, sit on the upper level of the museum's public lot. A passenger drop-off turnaround is about 150 feet from the main entrance; the route from the general accessible parking spaces is longer, about 356 feet, and includes an incline.

Entrance and getting around: all museum entrances are step-free for wheelchairs and strollers. Inside, there is no ramp between levels 4 and 5, so wheelchair users need the elevator to move between those floors. Wheelchair-accessible restrooms are on every floor, with all-gender restrooms on levels 1, 2, 3, and 5.

Services: free wheelchairs are available at the Ticket Desk on Level 1, first-come first-served. The museum also offers a complimentary descriptive audio tour, the Aira visual interpreting app, sensory bags with tactile objects, and loaner noise-canceling headphones, light-sensitivity glasses, and fidget toys. Our Backyard is a quiet, sensory-friendly gallery aimed at young children if you need a calmer stop. ASL interpreters can be arranged for visits and programs with advance notice, and the museum can provide transcripts or captions for select virtual programs. Service animals are welcome in all public areas.

Practical tips: for a quieter visit, go Monday through Thursday after 1:30 p.m. or Wednesday evening between 5 and 9 p.m. For interpreters, sensory bags, or other accommodations, contact the museum two to four weeks ahead at 801-587-5721.

Checked by Accessible America, August 2026. Report a change

More accessible places in Utah

• Red Butte Garden (Salt Lake City)
• Clark Planetarium (Salt Lake City)
• Utah Museum of Fine Arts (Salt Lake City)
• This Is The Place Heritage Park (Salt Lake City)
• Hogle Zoo (Salt Lake City)
• Solitude Mountain Resort (Salt Lake City)

Photo credits

• The Natural History Museum of Utah's angular copper-toned building against a clear blue sky.: Jim Nista, CC BY-SA 3.0 (source)
• A flat paved walkway lined with Walk of Ages timeline markers outside the Natural History Museum of Utah.: Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
• Visitors walk the paved outdoor Walk of Ages path near the Natural History Museum of Utah.: Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)