A science and art museum near downtown Salt Lake City announced that it is permanently closing after nearly 15 years, following “yearslong challenges” with its aging building.
But other parts of the 61-year-old building remain open, and Salt Lake City says it plans to find new uses for it.
The Leonardo, 209 E. 500 South, announced in a statement posted on its website that it will not reopen. The museum had previously been closed for months due to needed repairs, which operators said ultimately proved to be too overwhelming.
“This difficult decision follows yearslong challenges with the aging building,” the statement reads, in part.
The Leonardo opened in 2011, moving into the old Salt Lake City Library building. Its owners received a 50-year lease from the city, as the nonprofit sought to create a museum that used science, technology and art more interactively to help visitors “explore creativity, curiosity, innovation in themselves and in other people,” Lisa Davis, a spokeswoman for The Leonardo in 2011, explained at the time.
City residents approved $10 million toward seismic upgrade and modernization of the building by the time the museum opened, but museum officials said other issues emerged over the years. The building’s escalators, elevators and plumbing all reached the end of their “serviceable life,” the museum’s statement notes.
“Despite efforts with the city and dedicated vendors, these issues could not be overcome,” museum officials wrote. “We remain proud of The Leonardo’s legacy and impact on our community. While our physical doors will close, we encourage all who have been inspired by The Leonardo to continue fostering creativity, curiosity and innovation in Utah and beyond.”
Salt Lake City is “saddened” about the museum’s closure, as it was a “beloved creative space for the community,” but the city still plans to utilize the building despite concerns outlined by The Leonardo, said Andrew Wittenberg, a spokesman for the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office, in a statement to KSL.com. He said the city is working with Ken Sanders Rare Books, which relocated to the building in 2021, so it can remain open.
City leaders are also looking at new uses for the building.
“The city is actively exploring cultural uses for the ground floor space and will maximize the rest of the building for administrative offices,” Wittenberg said. “We encourage the community to continue to visit and support Ken Sanders as it remains open and publicly accessible.”