Salt Palace Convention Center – Things To Do With Your Team

Located in the heart of Salt Lake City, the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center, more commonly referred to as the Salt Palace Convention Center, is a facility that’s sure to be one of the nicest convention centers you visit with your team. From its incredible interior to its exceptional exterior, calling this convention center a “palace” is less of an overstatement than you might think.

The Salt Palace Convention Center wasn’t the first venue in Salt Lake City to feature the name “Salt Palace” however. The first incarnation of the Salt Palace was built in 1899 and contained a dance hall, theater, and bicycle racing track. True to its name, the building’s exterior was sprayed with salt crystals to reflect sunlight. It was destroyed shortly after opening by a fire in 1910.

The title of Salt Palace was eventually passed onto an indoor arena that opened in July 1969. This Salt Palace was home to the Utah Stars of the American Basketball Association, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles hockey club, and the NBA’s Utah Jazz.

The arena was demolished in 1994 and its place now stands the current incarnation of the Salt Palace, which boasts 515,000 square feet of exhibit space, 164,000 square feet of meeting space, a 45,000-square-foot grand ballroom, and 66 meeting rooms.

Although the Salt Palace Convention Center could be considered a local landmark because of its century-long legacy, Salt Lake City is home to plenty of other sights to see that you and your team should make an effort to visit whenever you have some downtime during your stay. Many are located within less than a mile radius of the convention center.

Also within a mile radius of the facility are a variety of fun, family-friendly attractions and great places to eat, meaning that during your team’s trip to the Salt Palace Convention Center, two things are certain: you’ll never be hungry and you’ll never be bored.

Things to Do

City Creek Center

City Creek Center is a world-class retail destination nestled in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City just minutes away from the Salt Palace Convention Center.

This unique open-air shopping center boasts incredible features like a retractable glass roof, a 12,000-foot creek that runs throughout the entire 20-acre span of the property, a pedestrian skybridge rising over Main Street, and more. It offers more than 100 different retailers and restaurants, including anchors Macy’s and Nordstrom. 50 S Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Clark Planetarium

For more than 50 years, Clark Planetarium has been the go-to destination in Salt Lake City for visitors of all ages that are eager to learn more about space and science.

During your visit to the Clark Planetarium, you and your team can explore 10,000 square feet of interactive exhibits and experience incredible, out of this world visuals in the Hansen Dome and Orbital ATK IMAX Theatre.

After you return from your cosmic journey, stop by the planetarium’s gift shop to find the perfect keepsake to commemorate your visit. 110 S 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum

Located in the Gateway Mall, the Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum offers 60,000 square feet of interactive, hands-on fun for kids of all ages.

There you’ll find a world of fun and adventure, featuring exciting exhibits like Kid’s Eye View, where children can explore the big, wide world on a kid-sized scale; and Block Party, a imagination playground that lets children build amazing structures using big blue blocks; in addition to workshops and special performances offered daily. 1473 S 700 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84104

Utah State Capitol

One of the best ways to learn about the state that you and your team are visiting is with a tour of the state’s capitol. Fortunately for you and your team, the Utah State Capitol is located just under a mile from the Salt Palace Convention Center, making it a convenient Salt Lake City landmark to visit whenever you all have some free time.

Tours of the capitol are offered Monday through Friday and run just under an hour in length. Groups of 10 or more are required to reserve a tour in advance. 350 N State St, Salt Lake City, UT 84114

The Leonardo

Occupying the former home of the Salt Lake City Public Library, The Leonardo is an innovative contemporary museum that explores the unexpected ways that science, technology, art, and creativity connect.

The exhibits at The Leonardo include Flight, an interactive and immersive exploration of the history, science, art, and technology associated with the project of human flight, featuring a fully-restored C-131 aircraft and two custom-made flight simulators; Leonardo’s Workshop, which embodies Leonardo da Vinci’s creative obsession with tinkering, design, and experimentation through encouraging visitors to identify and solve problems using a variety of different mediums, including wood, metal, and plastic; and Perception, which explores how our minds manipulate our sense to alter our view of the world around us.

In addition to their one-of-a-kind permanent exhibits, The Leonardo also hosts world-class travelling exhibitions and unique educational opportunities. All of these wonderful sights are just a short distance away from the Salt Palace Convention Center.  209 E 500 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

The Escape Key

Your group’s experience at The Escape Key, one of Salt Lake City’s most popular attractions, begins when you are all locked inside one of four uniquely-themed rooms, each with varying degrees of difficulty: Lair of Lunacy, Sherlocked, Russian Roulette, and CSI: SLC. After that, it’s entirely up to you and your team to earn your freedom by finding clues and solving puzzles in less than 60 minutes.

Walk-ins are accepted but it is recommended that you make an online reservation in advance. 353 E 400 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Places to Eat

Blue Lemon

Blue Lemon is a restaurant that has redefined the meaning of “fast casual.” Their dedication to quality food, fresh ingredients, unique flavors, and gourmet plating sets them apart from your average casual dining experience. The items on the menu at Blue Lemon are all creative, all delicious, all reasonably-priced, and all guilt-free.

With such a diverse selection of fresh, tasty dishes like soups, salads, sandwiches, tacos, burgers, and more, as well as a breakfast and kids menu, it won’t be difficult for everyone to find a meal they’ll enjoy at Blue Lemon. What will be difficult however is choosing just one. 55 W South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana

Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana brings an authentic taste of Naples to Salt Lake City and it’s under a 10-minute walk away from the Salt Palace Convention Center.

Their pizza Napoletana is made with traditional soft dough that is cooked for only a minute in a 900-degree, artisan-crafted, Neapolitan oven. Every pizza at Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana is made using only first-rate ingredients, including San Marzano tomatoes and homemade mozzarella.

In addition to their selection of delicious pizzas, the menu at Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana also features traditional Italian antipasti like focaccia topped with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and oregano, and Caprese salad, made with fresh mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and basil leaves. 260 S 200 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Market Street Grill

Since 1980, the Market Street Grill has been one of Utah’s most popular seafood restaurants, providing guests with exceptional service and award-winning menu selections.

Friendly wait staff and an open kitchen contribute to a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere where some of the best seafood between Seattle and Boston is served in a plentiful variety of contemporary dishes, along with steaks and a delicious array of non-seafood choices.

Market Street Grill also serves breakfast daily, as well as brunch on Sundays, making it a great restaurant for you and your team to dine at no matter what time of day it is. 48 W Market St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Taste of Red Iguana

Get a “taste” of one of Salt Lake City’s most popular Mexican restaurants at Taste of Red Iguana. Although Taste of Red Iguana is considered the “fast food,” smaller scale equivalent to the original Red Iguana, which is also located in Salt Lake City, albeit at a farther distance from the Salt Palace Convention Center, it doesn’t lack any of the flavor and quality that made the original Red Iguana restaurant a resounding success since it first opened in 1985.

On the menu at Taste of Red Iguana you’ll find classic Mexican favorites like nachos, fajitas, and burritos, along with some more unconventional choices like chimichangas filled with pork and smothered in chile verde and melted cheese and enchiladas suizas, filled with sour cream chicken and topped with mole poblano and melted jack cheese. 28 S State St, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

While Salt Lake City isn’t considered one of the foremost travel destinations in the U.S., it certainly could be with all of the unique landmarks, attractions, and eateries that can be found there.

You and your team might even find yourselves eager to return to Salt Lake City in the near future because of all the fond memories you’re likely to make during your visit to the Salt Palace Convention Center.