Although the original site where Brigham Young led the pioneers to settle is in the Salt Lake Valley, pioneer history is something shared and celebrated throughout Utah.
In the decades following the pioneers' arrival on July 24, 1847, groups began spreading and settling at locations across the state. Many of these locations are maintained and celebrated to this day as pioneer treasures — providing memories of those who have long since passed on.
Here is a list of a few of those sites, some of which are well-known and oft-visited, and others that may be lesser-known.
Northern Utah
Self-guided tour of historic sites in Brigham City: The tour includes approximately 18 locations in Brigham City, such as the site of Box Elder Fort, the Box Elder Tabernacle and Lorenzo Snow's grave.
Visitors can also visit a monument honoring Brigham Young and see the spot where he gave his last public address on Aug 19, 1877, "when he organized the Box-Elder Stake," according to the Utah Division of State History.
The sites included in the tour can be found throughout Brigham City. Visit brighamcity.utah.gov/self-guided-tour-of-historic-sites.htm for a list of locations recommended as part of the tour.
Call’s Fort: Anson Call and his two brothers were builders of northern Utah. This monument, located at 4320 N. Highway 69 in Honeyville, represents a protective fort built by the Call brothers. According to the Utah Division of State History, the original fort was 120 feet square with 8-foot walls that were 3 feet thick and built of rock, some of which is included in the monument.
Original Gristmill Stones: Heber C. Kimball decided to grist grains when he arrived in Utah. Kimball directed the construction of a grist mill in the early 1850s, and it was completed and maintained with the help of the North Canyon Ward, Daniel Davis and George Quinn McNeil. The Daughters of Utah Pioneers commissioned a replica of the original grist mill, located at 905 S. Orchard Drive in Bountiful, and the Sons of Utah Pioneers placed commemorative plaques and two original gristmill stones nearby.
Indian Trails Monument: The Indian Trails Monument highlights five Indian Lodge Trails that spread from Ogden Valley. According to the Sons of Utah Pioneers, explorers often used the trails established by the Shoshone tribe to navigate the area, and "Brigham Young sent exploring parties north and south along the Indian trails west of the Wasatch Mountains to locate places for settlement."
The plaque, which is located at the summit of North Ogden Canyon, includes maps and more information about the trails.
Miles Goodyear Cabin: Miles Goodyear was a mountain man who built a cabin near the Weber River in 1845, two years before Brigham Young led the first group of pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley.
According to weberdupmuseum.org, Goodyear's cabin is recognized as the first known permanent, non-Native American structure built in Utah. The cabin was refurbished in 1994 and has been moved from its original location. It can now be found next to the Weber County Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum, 2104 Lincoln Ave., Ogden.
Golden Spike National Historic Site: As a tribute to those who built America’s first transcontinental railroad, this park commemorates when the Golden Spike was driven on May 10, 1869.
Visitors can enjoy a re-enactment ceremony on Saturdays and holidays from May 1 through Labor Day at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., as well as other activities.
The visitors center, located 32 miles west of Brigham City, is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission to the park is $7 per vehicle in the summer and $5 in the winter or $4 for individuals entering on bicycle or foot during the summer and $3 in the winter. Visit nps.gov/gosp/index.htm for additional information.
Salt Lake Valley
Mormon Pioneer Memorial Monument: This monument, located at 50 W. North Temple in Salt Lake City, is dedicated to the more than 6,000 Mormon pioneers who died between 1847 and 1860 while making the journey to Utah from across the nation and the world. It is also the gravesite of Brigham Young, Mary Ann Angell and Eliza R. Snow.
Beehive House and Lion House: Both the Beehive House and the Lion House, located side by side at 67 E. South Temple, were built as homes for Brigham Young and his family. However, the Beehive House also served as the executive mansion of the Territory of Utah from 1852 to 1855 and was the official residence where important guests were entertained. It was also the residence of Lorenzo Snow and Joseph F. Smith.
The Lion House now hosts wedding receptions and other events. The Beehive House is open for free daily tours from 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Ensign Peak: On July 26, 1847, Brigham Young, members of the Quorum of the Twelve and others climbed to a nearby peak, tied a yellow bandana to a walking stick and waved it as “an ensign for the nations” (Isaiah 11:12). Today, there is a monument to honor this event. The Ensign Peak Nature Park, located at 1002 N. Ensign Vista Drive, Salt Lake City, sits at the trailhead. According to Utah.com, the hike is approximately one mile round trip.
Sons of Utah Pioneers National Headquarters: In addition to supporting many of these monuments around the state, the Sons of Utah Pioneers have several plaques to represent historical events.
Visitors can go to the Sons of Utah Pioneers National Headquarters, 3301 E. 2920 South, Salt Lake City, to see artifacts and receive information about the monuments and museums the organization sponsors throughout the state. A list of these locations can also be found online at sup1847.com.
Pioneer Memorial Museum: The museum, located at 300 N. Main, Salt Lake City, is full of personal belongings of pioneers from all parts of the world who traveled to Utah.
"As you enter the Pioneer Memorial Museum, you walk back into history. Here are the belongings of a hardy pioneer people who migrated 2,000 miles west across the plains from Nauvoo, Illinois, and from all parts of the world," according to the museum's website.
The museum, which is also known as the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum, is open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Wednesday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Admission is free.
This Is the Place Heritage Park: The grounds of This Is the Place Heritage Park, 2601 E. Sunnyside Ave., Salt Lake City, include several monuments, markers and buildings commemorating pioneers, including the Miracle of the Seagulls Monument, the National Pony Express Monument and the statue on the spot where Brigham Young said, “This is the right place; drive on.” Many of the monuments can be viewed as part of the location's Statuary Walk.
Other activities are also offered throughout the year, including visiting pioneer tradesmen, pony rides and period crafts and food.
Admission varies by age, day and time of year but ranges from $3-$11. Visit thisistheplace.org for additional information.
Central Utah
Juab County Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum: This DUP museum is housed in what used to be the Juab County Courthouse at 4 S. Main, Nephi, and contains items that belonged to the first settlers in the county. Visitors can view three floors of artifacts, from pioneer photos to pioneer furniture. Antique farming implements line the museum’s grounds.
The Juab County DUP Museum is open Monday-Friday from 1-5 p.m., and admission is free. Call 435-623-5202 in advance to schedule a group tour.
Fairview Museum of History and Art: Home to a large collection of Avard Fairbanks sculptures, the Fairview Museum of History and Art, 85 N. 100 East, Fairview, also contains an extensive assortment of pioneer artifacts, including farming equipment and family histories. The museum includes two buildings, one centered more on pioneer history and one featuring regional arts.
Admission is free, and the museum is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Visit fairviewmuseum.org for more information.
Pioneer dugout: Mormon pioneers arrived in Manti in late 1849, right before a winter storm hit. They survived the winter in dugouts — shelters built into the side of a hill the temple would soon be built on.
In 1999, Manti youths built a replica of the pioneers’ dugouts, which stands east of the temple site at 400 N. 300 East, Manti. Visitors can ask for the key to the dugout at Temple View Lodge across the street and look around in the one-room shelter, which is furnished with pioneer-era pieces.
Call the Sanpete County Travel Council at 435-835-6877 for additional information.
Spring City: This entire central Utah town is on the National Historic Register, and it was named one of “America’s Prettiest Towns” in a 2010 Forbes article. It was settled in 1849 along with much of the Sanpete Valley.
Guests can explore the small city on their own or call ahead to schedule a guided tour. Highlights include a historic chapel and city founders’ homes. Visit friendsofhistoricspringcity.org for more information.
Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum: Brigham Young directed the construction of the Territorial Statehouse in Fillmore, anticipating that Fillmore would be the capital of Utah.
According to Fillmore City's website, the statehouse was designed by Truman O. Angell, the architect of the Salt Lake Temple, and is now the oldest existing government building in Utah. Only the south wing of the statehouse was ever finished, and it housed the 1855 Territorial Legislature meeting before the capitol was moved to Salt Lake City in 1856.
The Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum, 50 W. Capitol Ave., Fillmore, is open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $2 per person, $1 for Utah seniors, veterans and children ages 6-12 and free for children ages 5 and under. Families of up to eight people can visit for $6. Visit stateparks.utah.gov/parks/territorial-statehouse for additional information.
Southern Utah
Fruita rural historic district: Originally called Junction, Fruita was settled in the late 19th century near the Fremont River and Sulphur Creek. The townspeople planted orchards and survived for years by bartering and selling their produce.
Fruita now is part of Capitol Reef National Park, and the orchards are still producing. Visitors to the settlement can pick and buy their own fruit and see remains of the town, such as the one-room schoolhouse and the restored Gifford homestead. Visit nps.gov/care/learn/historyculture/fruita.htm for additional information.
Frontier Homestead State Park Museum: In the early 1850s, Brigham Young sent a group of Latter-day Saints to mine iron in southern Utah, and Cedar City was founded. The Frontier Homestead State Park Museum, 635 N. Main, Cedar City, was established in 1973 to preserve the history of the region. The state park contains historic buildings and houses, horse-drawn wagons and farm equipment and rotating art exhibits.
The park is open daily from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., June-August, and Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., September-May. Admission is $3. Visit frontierhomestead.org for more information.
Temple Quarry Trail: Located in the hills above St. George is this scenic trail lined with large black rock that serves not only as a scenic route but also as a look into the past. The trail follows the course used from 1871-74 by Mormon settlers gathering materials to build the St. George Temple.
“The trail … was built to access the Quarry on the south west side of the Black Hill,” a sign along the trial states. “The large lava rock was needed for the foundation and basement walls of the St. George Temple, because the stone was ‘impervious to the alkali soil.’”
According to St. George News, the trail is approximately 2.5 miles round trip and begins at 283 Donlee Drive.
McQuarrie Memorial Pioneer Museum: Visitors to the St. George area can visit the local Daughters of Utah Pioneers museum for an overview of many of the areas of interest from the pioneers and the events that occurred early in the city’s history.
The museum is open January-November, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., excluding Wednesdays, Sundays and holidays. The museum is located at 145 N. 100 East, St. George. Visit dupstgeorge.org for additional information.
Orson Pratt House: Orson Pratt is known among members of the LDS Church for his proselytizing as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and for a time, he was also asked by Brigham Young to help build the church in southern Utah. He built a home there that still stands today as part of the Green Gate Village Historic Inn. According to the inn’s website, the home has since been restored and modernized with several rooms that can be reserved by travelers.
Visitors are able to tour the grounds on their own daily. A plaque outside the home, located at 76 W. Tabernacle St., St. George, indicates it is part of the National Register of Historic Places.
Old Log Church and Pioneer Park: Pioneer Park on Main Street in Monticello is home to the Old Log Church, a replica of the city’s original 1888 chapel. Visitors will also see other pioneer artifacts and building reconstructions, including a sheepherder’s cabin and a blacksmith’s cabin.
Visitors are welcome to wander through Pioneer Park on their own. Monticello has recently worked to make it a peaceful stop for a family picnic.
Jacob Hamblin Home: Known as a “friend to the Indians,” Jacob Hamblin was a member of LDS Church sent to establish relations with the Native Americans in the St. George area, according to lds.org. He built a home in Santa Clara, approximately 7 miles west of St. George, that became his family's home.
The Jacob Hamblin Home is one of the four official sites of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the St. George area. Free tours are given daily by full-time missionaries. Visit lds.org/locations/jacob-hamblin-home for additional information.
Pine Valley Chapel: As pioneers began settling in the Pine Valley area of southern Utah, they found the need to build a place for locals to attend church. According to the Washington County Historical Society, Ebenezer Bryce, the man for whom Bryce Canyon National Park is named, designed and supervised the construction of the chapel, and the building was completed in 1868.
The chapel is located at 52. W. Main, Pine Valley. Tours are available on Sundays year-round from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. and Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Memorial Day through Labor Day. Call the tour guide coordinator at 760-415-2063 for additional information.