Wallet-friendly fun
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
LDS families and their friends are likely enduring a list of chronic ailments as summer approaches: Petro Pain. Oil Ouch. Fill'er-up Phobia. Ethanol Envy.
Indeed, rising fuel prices mean almost everyone is watching their spending just as the young ones and teenagers are getting out of school and looking for something to do.
Summer visitors to Church headquarters — along with folks residing along Utah's Wasatch Front — can enjoy a variety of LDS-themed museums and facilities without cracking their gas-weary wallets. Start first, of course, by visiting the many attractions on Temple Square. Then plan to spend an extra hour or two off Temple Square learning more about the Church's history and mission at several other spots that may be forgotten. And, yes, admission to each is free of charge.
The Museum of Church History and Art
Located across the street from the south entrance of Temple Square, the Museum of Church History and Art is a must-see for anyone eager to learn or simply celebrate the Church's rich history through a broad collection of artifacts and artwork.
The museum's permanent exhibit located on the ground floor tells the story of the Latter-day Saints that begins with Joseph Smith's First Vision then transitions to the Mormon Pioneer experience, the settlement of Kirtland, Nauvoo and the Salt Lake Valley, and concludes with the multi-chaptered emergence of the Church as a worldwide religion that blesses the lives of millions.
Epic in scope and message, the permanent exhibit has introduced the LDS experience to hundreds of thousands of visitors of all backgrounds.
The remaining galleries at the museum are filled with several temporary exhibits — including a collection of early photographs of Church headquarters, a popular display commemorating the Relief Society, a historical exhibition on the venerable Salt Lake Tabernacle and an interactive family exhibit entitled "I Am a Child of God."
And don't forget to wander over to the Deuel Pioneer Log Home located outside the museum for a glimpse of Salt Lake City's past.
The Museum of Church History and Art is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tour information is available by calling (801) 240-4615.
Welfare Square and Humanitarian Center
Parents eager to teach their children eternal lessons of charity and provident living can start by touring Welfare Square and the Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center.
At once a modern, functioning facility and a historical landmark, Welfare Square is a powerful symbol of the Church's global mission to "care for the poor, foster self-reliance and provide meaningful opportunities for work and service."
An hour-long tour of Welfare Square provides visitors a tangible lesson on how the Church's welfare program blesses and betters lives. President Thomas S. Monson has invited all to come to Welfare Square, promising, "Your eyes will glow a little brighter, your heart will beat a little faster, and life itself will acquire a new depth of meaning."
Welfare Square is located at 780 W. 800 South in Salt Lake City. Call (801) 240-1245 for tour information.
Meanwhile, a 45-minute tour of the LDS Humanitarian Center, 1665 S. Bennett Road (2030 West) allows visitors to witness the preparation of clothing, blankets, medical supplies and other provisions destined for areas in need throughout the world. Call (801) 240-5954 for tour information.
The Pioneer Memorial Museum
Operated by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, this museum is filled with artifacts and memorabilia of the Mormon pioneers from the time they entered the Salt Lake Valley until the historic joining of the railroads in 1869.
The museum boasts a massive collection of the countless tools and objects — some fancy, some functional — that defined pioneer living, including furniture, hand-made clothing, quilts, books, guns and artwork.
The Pioneer Memorial Museum is located near the Utah State Capitol at 300 North Main Street. Call (801) 532-6479 for more information.
BYU museums
Several free-admission museums on the Church-owned Brigham Young University campus are a reasonably gas-friendly 45-minute drive from Salt Lake City.
BYU's Museum of Art includes a variety of exhibits that draw from the school's vast perm-
anent collection and several traveling exhibitions. Besides its permanent exhibit "American Dreams," the museum is hosting a showing of Victorian art from the collection of John H. Schaeffer and a sobering photo exhibit capturing the dismantling of nearby Geneva Steel.
Located on North Campus Drive in Provo, Utah, the Museum of Art often hosts family-friendly activities designed to introduce youngsters to the visual arts. Visit MOA.byu.edu for updates, or call (801) 422-8287.
Other BYU on-campus museums include the popular Monte Bean Life Science Museum with its seemingly endless menagerie of beasts, birds and bugs, and the BYU Earth Science Museum that houses the school's growing collection of dinosaur fossils.
Call (801) 422-5052 for information on the Monte Bean Life Science Museum; (801) 422-3680 for additional information on the BYU Earth Science Museum.
E-mail to: jswensen@desnews.com
