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Skinwalker Ranch is a 512-acre property at the center of the Uintah Basin, which has long been home to tales of the paranormal—including hundreds of recorded firsthand accounts dating back to the 1950s. After decades of study, the source of the strangeness in the basin remains a mystery. The area, and other supernatural hotspots in Utah, continue to lure new investigations to document and discover the cause of these unexplained events.
The ongoing History Channel series The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch is in its fifth season and follows Skinwalker Ranch owner Brandon Fugal and his team as they attempt to uncover the ranch’s mysteries—from UFO sightings to cattle mutilations—experimenting with any and all technology at their disposal, like lasers and ground-penetrating radar.
The “skinwalker” and Utah are also at the center of the premiere episode of the latest season of Ghost Adventures, the popular paranormal investigation series on Discovery+. Zak Bagans and his team travel to Torrey, Utah, where a family reports sightings of a “skinwalker,” a reference to a magical figure that appears in Navajo Nation traditions. It is not Ghost Adventures’ first investigation in Utah, either. Their team has visited a dozen other spots in the Beehive State over the years, including the Fear Factory.
Paranormal investigators, like Bagans and his team, typically use a variety of handheld tools and worn equipment to document these events, such as electromagnetic field meters (EMF), portable radio scanners (AKA “spirit boxes”), thermal imaging and infrared cameras.
The U.S. Government had an interest in Utah’s paranormal activity as well. According to a 2024 report by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, a former Department of Defense program (Advanced Aerospace Weapons System Application Program, 2009–2012) investigated an “alleged hotspot of paranormal activity at a property in Utah,” examining reports of “shadow figures,” “creatures” and “inter-dimensional phenomena” believed to frequently appear at the unnamed property.
Further readings on paranormal investigations in Utah
The Utah UFO Display: A Scientist Brings Reason and Logic to Over 400 UFO Sightings in Utah’s Uintah Basin by Frank B. Salisbury
Hunt For The Skinwalker by Colm A. Kelleher and George Knapp
UFOs: Generals, Pilots and Government Officials Go on the Record by Leslie Kean
UFO: The Inside Story of the U.S. Government’s Search of Alien Life Here—and Out There by Garrett M. Graff.
In the shadows of the Wasatch Mountains, the cityscape of Salt Lake is filled with echoes of its dark past. From abandoned factories where workers’ lives were ripped away by heavy machinery to opulent social clubs tainted by violent acts—sinister circumstances have created a tapestry of haunted locations throughout our city. As stories of the unexplainable become folklore, we seek to uncover the tales of untold and restless spirits. Welcome to a phantasmic journey through the darker corners of Utah history. Welcome to Haunted Salt Lake.
Made up of six buildings and two underground tunnels, Fear Factory is one of Salt Lake’s largest haunted attractions. Photo courtesy of Fear Factory.
Portland Cement Factory (Aka The Fear Factory)
Sarah Jamieson, owner of Grimm Ghost Tours, leads monthly paranormal investigations of the Portland Cement Factory, now the haunted attraction Fear Factory. “There’s so much activity there, we haven’t had a single night where some event doesn’t occur.” Jamieson and her team of investigators have recorded EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) of chilling voices warning them to “get out,” heard rattling chains scraping across catwalks and become familiar with a playful entity in the underground tunnels. Demonic animatronics and gory torture scenes set up throughout the haunted house add to the site’s disturbing tone, and Jamieson believes they might even amplify the very real paranormal phenomena she has witnessed.
During the Portland Cement Factory’s manufacturing heyday in the 1800s, the expansive site was an industrial hellscape for workers. Employees could fall prey to the dangerous working conditions left and right, from boiling vats of chemicals to bone-crushing grinders and live wires. The agonizing manner in which victims died is nothing short of excruciating, none more so than Frank Holmes. In 1903, he was pulled into a revolving shaft, limb by limb, until a coworker finally shut off the machine. Holmes lost an arm and broke his leg and jaw in the accident before finally succumbing to his injuries.
Working conditions at the Portland Cement Factory were dangerous. Ghost hunters believe the many deaths left behind lingering spirits of workers. Photo courtesy of Utah State Historical Society.
Just a few years earlier, a 35-year-old worker named George Howe was descending a ladder when his sleeve got caught in a coal crusher. With a shout of agony, his arm was ripped from his body and Howe fell onto the coal tower, where his mangled corpse was later found.
The Salt Lake Herald reports on reports on the factory incident involving Frank Homes on July 31, 1903. Clipping courtesy of Newspapers.com
Tragic accidents continued for years until the factory finally closed its doors. Even still, death continued to find a way into the abandoned factory. In the years following, The Salt Lake Fire Department responded to calls of train-related suicides and bodies of unhoused folks seeking shelter inside the factory, further shrouding the site in a heavy aura of despair.
However devastating Fear Factory’s past, the site is a renowned point of interest amongst the paranormal community. “The fact we can’t even know how many deaths occurred here is pretty intriguing from a supernatural perspective,” Jamieson says. Sudden acts of violence leave behind a residual energy that Jamieson believes enhances the unexplainable, like the shadows her group often sees pacing the factory’s catwalk or sudden illnesses experienced by women inside the so-called “hell” silo. In the underground tunnels, the spirit of George Howe often reaches out to investigators with a phantom brush or playful ankle grab, “He’s a very touchy-feely entity,” Jamieson laughs.
Word of these encounters even brought Ghost Adventures own Zak Bagans to the scene in 2014, where his team investigated loud bangs, dark laughter, bright floating anomalies and foreboding statements like, “It’s coming,” and “I did it!” Zak summarizes their findings in typical Ghost Adventures style: “This factory might be a Halloween funhouse, but what’s happening inside is no laughing matter.”
Of all the activity recorded at Fear Factory, Jamieson always notes a significant uptick right after the haunted house opens for the season. “Anytime you get a lot of emotions in a place, it tends to enhance the paranormal,” she says. “Fear and even excitement act as an amplifier.” It’s not hard to imagine why the screams of thrill-seeking attendees might rouse the entities whose own lives ended in shouts of surprise and pain. Maybe they are reaching from beyond the veil to warn the living of the perils that await them in the Portland Cement Factory.
The Capitol Theatre
On a summer evening in 1949, Salt Lake’s venerable Capitol Theatre welcomed 600 guests to watch a Rita Hayworth double feature in honor of Independence Day. During the screening, a fire broke out in the basement and the entire theater was evacuated. Thankfully, nearly every guest made it out unharmed. All but one. A 17-year-old usher named Richard Duffin became trapped in the building while helping people evacuate and succumbed to the smoke in the basement. Duffin’s life was cut far too short in an instant—perhaps why his spirit lingers to this day.
The entity, nicknamed “George,” has become well-known for his displays of teenage angst that include tampering with a freight elevator and producing the smell of smoke when there is none. While Capitol Theatre representatives contend that Mr. Duffin officially left the building after their most recent renovation in 2019, stories of strange phenomena live on.
Designed in a stunning Italian Renaissance style, the 111-year-old theater exudes tranquil luxury. But far below the velvet-laden balconies and luminescent stage, Capitol Theatre’s catacomb-like basement has become a paranormal hotspot for George’s antics.
Newspaper clipping from The Ogden Examiner July 5, 1949. On the right is a photo of Mr. Richard Duffin. Clipping courtesy of Newspapers.com
Former resident stagehand Doug Morgan had dealt with the supernatural resident for years during his nearly 40-year tenure. “I feel his presence every once in a while,” he told the Deseret News in 1999. The specter becomes even more active during his favorite annual production of The Nutcracker—and he keeps the stage crew on its toes. During the show’s opening night one year, the stage lights began to malfunction. Morgan had a sneaking suspicion it wasn’t a case of faulty wiring. “I bellowed out, ‘Damnit George, knock it off or I’m going to have you exorcized!’” The playful poltergeist seemed to take the hint. “My stage lights came right on.”
Perhaps George’s spirit is holding on to a youthful mischief, but his run-ins with the living aren’t always so innocent. In an episode of SyFy’s now-canceled show Paranormal Witness, two Salt Lake City officers share their testimony of unexplainable events while working security at the theater in 2006.
Officers Morgan Matthews and Dave Murphy were tasked with after-hours surveillance, a job that frequently brought them to the windowless basement. One night, Officer Murphy heard a door slam near a basement rehearsal room and rushed to investigate. He hesitated when his sixth sense flashed warning signs. “A cold runs right through me like I’m freezing to death. It’s a feeling of evil,” he recalls. Alarming noises, disembodied whispers and the scent of smoke continue to plague the officers for months until Matthews had enough. While routinely checking the footage from an infrared camera, he notices a lone figure sitting in the auditorium. Suddenly, the apparition streaks across the screen in a blur, and Matthews makes out a fiendish scowl staring back at him. “From that point on I would not work in the theater,” he says. “If there is something that demonic, I don’t want to be around it.”
Former Senior Accountant Blair Fuller shares another encounter with George during a late-night work session. When the elevator across from his office mysteriously opens, he steps in the elevator to investigate. Without warning, the door closed and the elevator began its slow descent to the basement. “Hello, is anyone there?” Fuller called out to the dark basement hallway. The only answer was an impending sense of dread and the faint acrid smell of smoke.
While George’s elevator escapades may have come to an end when the theater installed a new freight car during the remodel, who’s to say that his restless spirit doesn’t remain in the building? After all these years, perhaps Mr. Duffin has developed a penchant for theatrics in the afterlife.
Fort Douglas
Utah’s Fort Douglas was established in 1862 amid the tensions surrounding the Civil War and concerns over Utah’s commitment to the Union. Photo courtesy of Utah State Historical Society.
Lying silently along the East Bench near the University of Utah, the Fort Douglas Cemetery is teeming with whispers of the past. Soldiers, military working dogs and prisoners of war all share this plot of land as their eternal resting place—but not all rest in peace. In the southwest corner, near the POW graves, cemetery visitors have heard indelible German murmurs. Across from the entrance, a photo taken by a ghost hunter shows a towering apparition of a man on a horse. Throughout the gravesite, the boisterous barks of a German Shepherd sound off in warning. And it’s not just the cemetery. The entire Fort Douglas base is a hive of paranormal activity, making it a favorite stop on ghost tours and Halloween field trips.
Ogden Ghost Tours’ Kristen Clay brings groups of Girl Scouts to the Fort Douglas Military Museum to learn about Utah’s first army base and to hopefully catch a glimpse of the museum’s resident specter. During one tour, a scout sees an oddly dressed man give her a flirtatious wink and asks Kristen who might be behind the prank. Meet “Clem,” a short, bearded man many thought to be the ghost of 1st Sgt. John Jackson, who was shot and killed in 1899 by a fellow brother-in-arms.
The service men buried in the Fort Douglas Cemetery represent the Civil War, Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Photo courtesy of Utah State Historical Society.
“Immediately, I knew what happened because Clem thinks he’s quite the ladies’ man.” Clay recalls responding to the girl, “You saw our ghost!” Clem received his nickname from a group of Boy Scouts, but sightings of Clem have been documented for decades by investigators and museum employees. Most often sighted in the museum’s basement, formerly used as the barracks, Clem stalks the hallways in an unhurried step and sometimes breathes down an unsuspecting museum goer’s neck. The entity is so ubiquitous, Fort Douglas has even hosted events in his honor during October—ensuring Clem’s fame even in death.
Colonel Patrick E. Connor. Photo courtesy of Marriot Library, University of Utah.
Clem is Fort Douglas’ most well-known ghost, but he is far from the only man to have died on the base. On Feb. 18, 1896, Pvt. Marshal Mitchell shot himself, leaving a note that said, “A pang is in all I feel, there is blight in all I see.” Another soldier hanged himself in October of 1901 and, in 1869, Corporal William Foster murdered Lucius O’Brien.
During WWI, Fort Douglas became a German internment camp and confined more than 300 prisoners during the conflict. Twenty-one German Soldiers died while imprisoned, along with 12 Italian soldiers and one Japanese soldier. All are buried in the Fort Douglas Cemetery, along with the man who founded the camp in 1862.
Col. Patrick E. Connor became well known in his tenure at Fort Douglas as a commanding officer of an anti-Mormon garrison, sparring with Brigham Young himself, and leading the brutal ambush on the Shoshone in the Bear River Massacre. He died in 1891 and was buried with his men, but he can’t seem to let go of his authority over the base. Grimm’s Ghost Tour guides have interacted with Col. Connor through spirit boxes and dowsing rods—often when a member of their tour is misbehaving. “He watches over the cemetery and military museum,” Sarah Jamieson says. “If an investigator is goofing off, he will get your attention through the spirit box or tapping in the room to let you know, you don’t act like that on his land.”
he ghost of Col. Patrick Connor (above) is said to appear on horseback in the Fort Douglas Cemetery and was possibly sighted during a ghost tour. Photo by Grimm Ghost Tours.
In a photo taken during one of her tours, a figure appears to hover above a gravestone. Wearing what appears to be a cavalry hat, his legs are spread wide as if straddling a horse. Like Clem, the Colonel’s spirit is intertwined with Fort Douglas and doesn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon.
The Alta Club
Before Utah became a state, 81 mining barons founded a private gentleman’s club in the heart of Salt Lake City inside the Dooley building. While the club was created to host the state’s finest social gatherings, during Prohibition and the Great Depression, the Alta Club would invite transgression through its doors as they hosted makeshift speakeasies and even a few slot machines.
In the 1950s, one overindulgent member fell asleep in a third-floor bedroom holding a lit cigar, resulting in a fire that nearly destroyed the building and took the man’s life. The floor was closed off for decades and the Alta Club adopted a firm no-smoking policy, but some members still attest to seeing an apparition of a dapper gentleman puffing on his cigar in the main room.
The Alta Club was founded in 1883 and modeled after prominent gentlemen’s clubs in England and San Francisco. Photo courtesy of The Alta Club.
Another wraith-like entity seen by clubgoers and employees is a dark-haired woman dressed in white. Known as the “Lady of the Evening,” the ghost makes herself known in the basement with the smell of her lilac perfume wafting through the air. Although her origins have been lost in time, some believe she may be connected to the double murder-suicide that occurred at the Alta Club 64 years ago.
On July 23, 1960, Jay Bertleson entered the kitchen and fired three rounds into pantry maid Lucille Van Gerren’s chest. After the 46-year-old woman fell dead, Chef Edward Sasaki pleaded with the shooter and hit him over the head with a large mixing spoon until he was killed by gunfire. The gunman, whose motives are unknown to this day, fled to a basement bathroom where he turned the .38 caliber pistol on himself. The meaningless deaths shocked Salt Lake City residents and have added another sinister stain to the Alta Club’s history.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports on the shocking double-murder and suicide in 1960. Clipping courtesy of Newspapers.com
The McCune Mansion
While preparing for an upcoming wedding, a piano player sits at McCune Mansion’s grand piano and begins to play. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots a young girl dressed in a long nightgown float through the room to the sound of his music. The musician becomes frustrated and finds the wedding planner to wrangle the child, but to his surprise, they respond “We’re the only ones here.”
McCune Mansion was built in 1901 for Alfred and Elizabeth McCune. Photo courtesy of Utah State Historical Society.
Firsthand accounts of a little ghost girl, like this one relayed by Grimm Ghost Tours’ Sarah Jamieson, are not uncommon at the 123-year-old mansion. “She’s a bit mischievous and likes to rearrange wedding decorations,” Jamieson says. Called to partake in the events at the mansion, the young spirit has been seen emerging from a floor-to-ceiling mirror in the drawing room and mingling with guests.
Her predilection for dancing draws many to believe she may have been a student when the building was the McCune School of Music and Art in the 1920s. Those who see her attest to her innocent comportment and protective energy—other than one electrician who claims the girl emerged from the mirror to observe his work with coal-black eyes and gave him such a fright he refused to return to the mansion again.
The haunted mirror at McCune Mansion, where a little ghost girl is said to hide in. Photo courtesy of Utah State Historical Society. (Note: Image has been altered for dramatic effect)
The Salt Lake County Building
Washington Square Park is the site of the original Mormon pioneer camp in 1847 and has since hosted cattle drives, medicine shows, circuses and even jousting tournaments. When the Salt Lake County Building was built on the square in 1894, residents would visit the hall to get married, sit trial and receive sentences.
“There’s so much emotion and history,” says Jamieson. “It results in a lot of activity inside the building.”
During the building’s construction, tons of rough-hewn sandstone were hauled up to the spires by rope. One day, a rope snapped and the heavy materials went plummeting where two young boys happened to be playing, killing them both.
The Salt Lake County building was completed in 1894 and has been the site of nearly every municipal decision during this century. Photo courtesy of Utah Division of State History.
Thought to be brothers, the boys’ spirits have remained on site and have been spotted by Jamieson and her group of investigators on multiple occasions. “They are very interactive,” she says. “They’ll play with toys and balls, rolling them up and down the hallway.” The County Building is also visited by the ghost of the boy’s mother, who Jamieson believes found them after her death so they would not be alone in the afterlife.
Two more entities seen roaming the grounds include past Salt Lake City Mayor George Montgomery Scott who roams the third floor near his old office. The loud sounds of a gavel have also been reported, and an apparition of a man with flowing robes. Perhaps an old judge wishes to pass more sentences on the living? Far below the building, the unused tunnels that connect the County Building with the then Salt Lake Jail (now the library) carry a menacing aura that some ghost hunters attribute to the evil men who passed through years before, including none other than serial killer Ted Bundy.
In the summer of 1945,19-year-old Joe Badali stepped off a train into the barren expanse of sunburned desolation known as Wendover, Utah. He was an East Coast kid, raised in Connecticut, and most recently stationed with the Army Air Force in Delaware. The terrain before him was like nothing he’d ever seen—a blistering moonscape of low, rocky hills jutting up like icebergs from the vast, lifeless salt flats. Joe turned to Steven Gregg, a fellow soldier transferred from Delaware, and said, “They took us from heaven and sent us to hell.”
Hell, as it turned out, was an ideal place to test the men and machinery that would execute one of the 20th Century’s defining moments: the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan in World War II. During a frenzied 10-month period beginning in late 1944, Utah’s remote West Desert was on the leading edge of the atomic arms race, as crews put the finishing touches on the world’s first nuclear weapon and the plane that would carry it into battle.
The ground crew of the Enola Gay. Col. Paul W. Tibbets, the pilot, is the center.
Photo Courtesy J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah,
Can you keep a secret?
In the fall of 1944, the Army Air Force (AAF) put 29-year-old Lt. Col. Paul Tibbets in command of the newly formed 509th Composite Group. The 509th was a completely self-sufficient unit of nearly 1,800 airmen, machinists, engineers and scientists charged with carrying the atomic bomb to the enemy. Tibbets was already an accomplished pilot, having flown combat missions in Europe and North Africa. He was also a military test pilot for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, the plane the AAF chose for the atomic missions.
Army brass offered Tibbets the choice of three bases for the 509th, but he never even made it to the other two; one look at Wendover and he was sold. The air base on Utah’s western border had a large airstrip, barracks, hangars and other support buildings built by conventional bomber groups starting in 1940. It also had easy air access to California’s Salton Sea, where test bombs could be dropped.
But the airfield’s primary asset was its isolation. The base covered 3.5 million desolate acres and the fledgling town of Wendover offered few distractions beyond the tiny cobblestone Stateline Hotel. It was the perfect place to keep a very big secret.
That secret was even kept from the soldiers themselves. No one was told the full extent of their mission, and they were not to talk about it to anyone, including spouses and other military personnel.
Like most incoming soldiers, Joe Badali’s first interview at the base was with an FBI agent, who informed Badali that the agency had investigated him so thoroughly as to have paid visits to his schools and neighbors back home. The agent then asked, “Can you keep a secret?”
“I said, ‘I think so,’” recalls Badali, during an interview from his home in Ogden in 2005. That answer, imbued with teenage nonchalance, was not quite what the agent had hoped for. “He stood up,” says Badali, “leaned across the desk, pounded his fist down and said, ‘Damn it, can you or can you not keep a secret? Yes or no?’ I said, ‘Yes sir!’ ”
All told, roughly 400 FBI agents kept an eye on the men stationed in Wendover, camouflaged as workers, military personnel and civilians. “We found out after the war that our latrine orderly was an FBI agent,” laughs Badali. “I’m sure he picked up a lot of gossip there.”
When Morris “Dick” Jeppson arrived at the base in late 1944, he quickly realized that his stay would be anything but ordinary. Jeppson was a 24-year-old electronics wiz from Carson City, Nev. The Army Air Force had sent him through its electronics school, then on to Harvard graduate school, and finally to MIT to study radar engineering. He and six other electronics specialists arrived in Wendover at the behest of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the scientific arm of the atomic program.
“We were met there [in Wendover] not by the Air Force but by Professor Brode from the University of Cal Berkeley,” says Jeppson, who passed away in 1987 at his home in Las Vegas. “He took us around in a carry-all to talk to us about this highly secret but important project. He briefed us a bit, but he didn’t tell us what the project was.”
Only later did Jeppson realize why he’d been sent to Wendover. “One or two of us surmised during our trips to Los Alamos that we were working on a uranium weapon,” he says. “But we never talked about it.”
Neither did Joe Badali, although he knew better than most what was going on. His unit, the 216th Special Base Unit, assembled dummy test bombs of the uranium bomb called Little Boy, and the plutonium version known as Fat Man. During a briefing in the bomb assembly building, Sgt. Joe Cerace stood next to a Fat Man and deftly explained the weapon’s unconventional nature.
“I can still see this little sergeant there patting the bomb,” says Badali. “And he says, ‘This here is an atom bomb. If this bomb were to explode, there’d be a big hole in the ground where Utah used to be.’ He scared the hell out of us.”
Taking flight
The Little Boy and Fat Man bombs were enormous. Little Boy was 10 feet long, 28 inches in diameter, and weighed 9,700 pounds. Fat Man was slightly longer and 500 pounds heavier, with a bulbous, five-foot diameter housing that gave it its name. The only way to load them into the belly of the B-29s was to tow the planes over specially constructed bomb-loading pits and hydraulically hoist the bombs into place from below ground.
With such a heavy payload on board, the 15 B-29s assigned to the 509th were modified to carry out the atomic missions. To save weight, Tibbets ordered the planes stripped of their guns, turrets, ammunition and fire-control systems. Only the tail gunner’s .50-caliber machine guns were left in place. Improved engines were installed and the forward bomb bays were outfitted to carry either Little Boy or Fat Man.
The Enola Gay in flight.
Photo Courtesy J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah
Under the direction of Col. Tibbets—he’d been promoted to full colonel in January of 1945—the 15 crews took to the skies over Western Utah, designing and testing the means to drop a bomb that was still being developed and had never been detonated.
Even Tibbets did not know fully what to expect. The scientists at Los Alamos conceded that the shockwaves from the blast could destroy the plane that dropped it, even at 30,000 feet. So Tibbets trained the crews to take a sharp, diving 158-degree turn away from the target once the bomb was released, putting maximum distance between the plane and the detonation.
On June 14, 1945, Captain Robert Lewis picked up plane 44-86292 from the Martin Company assembly plant in Omaha, Nebr., and flew it to Wendover. He didn’t know it then, but Lewis was piloting the Enola Gay, the plane that would carry out the world’s first atomic bombing mission.
The Enola Gay left Wendover for the Pacific island of Tinian on June 27, 1945. Technically, it was still not the Enola Gay. The plane would not get its familiar moniker until August 5, the eve of the first drop on Hiroshima. Tibbets had decided he would pilot the mission himself and chose 44-86292 for the task. The plane was normally piloted by Captain Lewis and his crew. For this mission, Lewis would move to the co-pilot’s seat.
Just hours before takeoff, Tibbets summoned a crew to paint his mother’s name, Enola Gay, on the side of the cockpit. Lewis was reportedly quite upset to walk out onto the airstrip and see his airplane decorated with new nose art.
At 2:45 a.m. the next morning—August 6, 1945—the newly christened Enola Gay took to the South Pacific skies with 12 crew members and one Little Boy uranium bomb. Dick Jeppson, the electronics wiz from Carson City, was positioned in the forward pressurized compartment. Just days before, Navy Captain William “Deak” Parsons, a weapons officer, had voiced his concern that a crash during takeoff might detonate the bomb. So Little Boy had to be armed in the air—a job that fell to Parsons and Jeppson.
“Just after the plane took off,” recalls Jeppson, “he [Parsons] had me join him in the back of the bomb bay to connect some special wiring that had been left disconnected. That was one step of arming.” The second step, Jeppson explains, was to remove three test plugs that were inserted in the skin of the bomb and replace them with “live” plugs that would allow the firing signal to detonate the bomb. Once armed, the Enola Gay climbed above 30,000 feet and set a course for the Japanese mainland.
At 8:15 a.m., Tibbets and crew released Little Boy, 31,600 feet over Hiroshima, and immediately went into the hard right diving turn they’d practiced so many times in Wendover. Dick Jeppson didn’t have a window in the forward compartment, but he didn’t need one.
“The plane experienced a shockwave from the primary detonation,” Jeppson recalls. “There was a second shockwave a few seconds afterward. From my training, I realized that that was reflected shockwave from the ground, which proved that the bomb had, in fact, detonated at somewhere near the desired elevation above the ground.”
The hangars and airfield buildings are being slowly renovated by the Historic Wendover Airfield organization.
Photos By Adam Finkle
Three days later, Major Charles Sweeney of the 509th piloted the B-29 Bockscar to Nagasaki, dropping the Fat Man bomb. Not long after the Japanese surrender, Tibbets returned to Wendover, where young Joe Badali and other members of the 216th Base Unit lined up to shake hands with the colonel. Badali remembers it well.
“He shook our hands and said, ‘Now when you meet someone, you can tell them, shake the hand, that shook the hand, that shook Japan.’ ”
The action in Wendover these days is on the Nevada side of the state line, where sprawling neon casinos and hotels blink seductively at travelers on Interstate 80. On the Utah side, the old airfield control tower stands watch over an assembly of buildings in various states of renovation including the cavernous, arched hangar at the east end of the airstrip—which once housed the gleaming Enola Gay, fresh off the assembly line.
Jim Peterson is the president of Historic Wendover Airfield, an organization working towards restoring the airfield to its wartime condition.
Photo by Adam Finkle
On the other side of the country, the plane itself has been painstakingly restored and is on permanent display at the National Air and Space Museum near Washington D.C.
The Wendover Airfield is slowly being restored by the Historic Wendover Airfield Society, which has preserved many of the barracks, hangars and support buildings where the crews lived in secrecy and trained for the atomic mission. The field’s restored service club is the main museum site and inside, on display is a replica of Little Boy—the bomb that changed the course of mankind, and once stirred Utah’s west desert into a frenzy of activity in a massive effort to end the war.
Utah at War
Utah developed into an important base for the U.S. Military at the onset of WWII. Its location was ideal for military planners, who after Pearl Harbor were justified in worry about Japanese attacks on the Western Coast. In 1941 Army Air Corps Gen. Henry H. Arnold set about diversifying military resources far into the nation’s interior and away from the reach of the Japanese Navy. Utah with its existing installations and highway and rail access became a prime location.
During WWII, Hill Air Force Base’s role in national defense became essential and it remains so.
Photo Courtesy Utah State Historical Society
Fort Douglas, which was built to house federal troops sent to Utah during the Civil War, was re-purposed as a processing center for U.S. Army recruits.
The Ogden Arsenal, a weapon storage facility was built in 1921. It would become a manufacturing and shipping center during WWII.
Hill Field, now Hill Air Force Base was established in 1940 but its beginnings were in 1934 as a mail supply relay. In 1940, the United States was supplying allies with weapons and support and quietly building up its own military power. Hill was a prime location to supply West Coast installations.
Wendover was chosen over Hill Field for the B-29 training missions to deploy the world’s first atomic weapons for its remote location to maintain secrecy.
Source: Launius, Roger D., “World War II in Utah,” Utah History Encyclopedia (University of Utah Press, 1994)
The Darker Side of War in Utah
On Feb. 9, 1941, in the aftermath of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which ordered the incarceration of nearly 120,000 Japanese-Americans.
Topaz held Japanese-American Citizens who were incarcerated during WWII.
Photo Courtesy Topaz Museum.
Many of those Japanese-Americans were sent to Topaz, Utah, near the desert Topaz Mountain, where they finished building the barracks they were to live in, set up the barbed wire fence and built out the rest of the camp. More than 11,000 people were processed through Topaz—the population peaked at about 8,300.
In 2007 the Topaz site was listed as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. The Topaz Museum opened in 2017 with interpretive exhibits detailing life in Topaz. President Roosevelt announced in 1944 that the camps would close in 1945. The Topaz camp didn’t close until October 31, 1945. Topaz Museum, 55 W. Main St., Delta, topazmuseum.org
Visit a Different Wendover
The Historic Wendover Airfield Museum in Wendover, Utah, just over the border from the casinos and hotels in Wendover, Nev., is one of the most authentically preserved WWII Army Air Force bases in the United States. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Learn more and plan your visit at wendoverairfield.org.
The Wendover Airfield in Wendover, Utah Photos By Adam Finkle.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the November 2006 issue of Salt Lake magazine.
Ted Smith/ S.L. Parks Department’s Utah Writers Project, Utah State Historical Society.
Around 1911,Salt Lake City completed work on its first major park, Liberty Park. The park was built in the grand tradition of New York’s Central Park and London’s Hyde Park, albeit on a much smaller scale. In that tradition, Salt Lake City’s grand park must have a zoo among its attractions. Animals exotic and, more often, not so exotic filled the menagerie. But what zoo is complete, at least in the minds of Salt Lake City residents at the turn of the 20th Century, without an elephant? In 1916, Salt Lake City school children gathered up nickels, dimes and pennies in a fundraising drive and purchased an Asian elephant from a traveling circus for what was then the elephantine sum of $3,250. Her name was Princess Alice and she came with her circus handler. Emil “Dutch” Shider.
Princess Alice was a favorite, drawing visitors from around the region. But Alice didn’t take well to captivity. She became known for her daring escapes, rampaging around the surrounding Liberty Wells neighborhood, knocking down fences and hiding from searchers for hours. The repeated escapes, although charming, alarmed neighbors and prompted an effort to relocate the zoo to its current location at the mouth of Emigration Canyon in 1931.
Local author and historian Linda Sillitoe memorialized Princess Alice’s exploits in her work of fiction The Thieves of Summer,which she set during her childhood in Salt Lake City around the time Princess Alice and the zoo moved to Emigration Canyon.
A sculpture in relief of Princess Alice’s visage was included in the elephant enclosure and remains there today. Even with the new digs, in 1947, she once again escaped, rampaging around the zoo grounds. In 1953, at the age of 69, Alice was euthanized after a prolonged illness.
Art installation located at Hogle Zoo commemorating Princess Alice. Photo by Elizabeth Rudloff, Tim Kelly/ Utah State Historical Society. Emil “Dutch” Shider (above) was Alice’s longtime caretaker. Ted Smith/ S.L. Parks Department’s Utah Writers Project, Utah State Historical Society.
Alice’s Offspring
In 1918, Alice gave birth to a male elephant named Prince Utah, the first elephant ever born in Utah. Sadly, he died a year later after his mother rolled over on him.
Looking for a way to liven up your week ahead? Luckily, Utah has no shortage of exciting events to fill out your calendar. To help you make a selection, we’ve gathered a list of our favorite happenings around-town, from concerts, thrills, sips and scares! For even more events happening in Salt Lake City this week and throughout the month, visit our community events calendar!
Monday 09/09
What: 2024 Outdoor Concert Series: Buena Vista Social Orchestra Where: Red Butte Garden (2188 Red Butte Canyon Rd.) When: 09/09 at 7:30 p.m. Come and take in the vibrant music of Jesus Aguaju Ramos and his Buena Vista Orchestra. Performing live Monday, 09/09 at the Red Butte Garden, doors open at 6:30 p.m. Read our full show preview by music reviewer John Nelson.
What: Franck’s Restaurant + Rutherford Ranch Wine Dinner Where: Franck’s (6263 S. Holladay Blvd.) When: 09/09 at 6 p.m. Eat Drink SLC is featuring a series of unforgettable food and wine events throughout the valley, from Saturday 09/07 through Saturday 09/14. Franck’s and Rutherford Ranch wine is one of these special events happening on Monday 09/09 at 6 p.m. To see more of these events visit https://eatdrinkslc.com/savor-the-week/
Tuesday 09/10
What: Mrs. Doubtfire – The New Musical Comedy Where: The Eccles Theater (131. Main St.) When: 09/10 at 7 p.m. Enjoy a night of laughs with the family at the Eccles Theater, watching Mrs. Doubtfire – The New Musical Comedy. Rob McClure will reprise his Tony-nominated Broadway performance on tour alongside co-star (and actual wife!) Maggie Lakis in this internationally acclaimed hit musical. The show will play from Tuesday, 09/10 until Sunday, 09/15.
What: Wine Tasting Where: Cucina Wine Bar (1026 E. Second Ave.) When: 09/10 at 5:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. Join this tasting, fit for fall, with award winning Piattelli wines, from Argentina. You will get to taste 70 different wines, including sparkling, white, rose, red, reserve and some special edition wines.
What: Ballet West at The Garden Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre (2188 Red Butte Canyon Rd.) When: 09/10 at 6:30 p.m. Ballet West is performing at the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre with both classic and contemporary works. VIP tickets are available for purchase, giving you access to a private reception prior to the main performance. Here you will have the opportunity to meet Artistic Director, Adam Sklute and Executive Director, Michael Scolamiero.
Wednesday 09/11
What: Wine Down Wednesdays Where: Après Pendry (2417 W High Mountain Rd., Park City) When: 09/11 at 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mid-week made better at the Après Pendry, every Wednesday for weekly wine specials, special tastings and more, all in our stunning, modern space that welcomes guests with indoor and al fresco seating.
Thursday 09/12
What: 2024 Utah RV SuperShow Where: Mountain America Expo Center (9575 S. State St, Sandy) When: 09/12 at 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. If you’re looking to purchase a new RV, or are just interested in seeing the newest set of RV’s, come and check out the large selection from different dealers around the state of Utah. The dates vary, starting on Thursday, 09/12 at 2 p.m to 9 p.m., Friday, 09/13 at 2 p.m to 9 p.m., Saturday, 09/14 at 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 09/15 at 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday 09/13
What: Post District Block Party Where: Post District (570 South 300 West) When: 09/13 at 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Send off summer at Post District’s inaugural Block Party. This event is free and will feature restaurant pop-ups, entertainment, giveaways, and an open-entry cornhole tournament with plenty of friendly competition!
What: Opening Day – Nightmare on 13th Where: Nightmare on 13th (300 W. 1300 S.) When: 09/13 Kick off spooky season the right way! Opening on Friday the 13th, the indoor haunted attraction, Nightmare on 13th, opens its doors for the season. Be among the first to walk through the haunted house this year.
What: 3rd Annual Art at The Park Utah Where: The Garden Place at This Is The Place Heritage Park (2601 Sunnyside Ave.) When: 09/13 and 9/14 at 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Located at the Garden Place at This Is The Place Heritage Park, this two-day event is open to the public, where you can connect and purchase art from local artists. Artists include Erin Berrett, Louisa Lorenz, Pamela Robins, Julie Berry.
Saturday 09/14
What: Deer Valley Mountain Beer Festival Where: Deer Valley (2250 Deer Valley Drive S. Park City) When: 09/14 and 9/15 at 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Take a scenic chairlift ride to the alpine venue where you can enjoy beer tasting, live music, eating outdoors, playing yard games, and participating in family-friendly activities.
What: The All American Rejects with Special Guest – Neon Trees Where: Days of ‘47 Arena – Utah State Fair (155 N 1000 W) When: 09/14 at 7 p.m. The Utah State Fair is back! Starting Thursday 09/05 until Sunday 09/15. Spend the day hopping between rides and playing games at the carnival, walk and eat your way around the Fair, before ending your day watching The All American Rejects in concert.
What: 2024 OCA Block Party Where: 455 25th St, Ogden, UT 84401 When: 09/14 Join Ogden Contemporary Arts for its second annual Block Party. The community event will include live music, food vendors, a beer garden, and free Artist Factory workshops.
What: 2024 Avenues Street Fair Where: 3rd Ave. – Between D and I Streets When: 09/14 at 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The 2024 Avenues Street Fair includes live performances, food and beverage vendors, parades, and art galleries.
What: SLC VegFest 2024 Where: 200 E. 400 S. When: 09/14 at 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. SLC VegFest is a community festival, celebrating veganism and plant-based eating. This event is organized by Utah Animal Rights Coalition (UARC). Not vegan? No worries! This event is not only for vegans, but also those interested in helping animals and reducing their ecological footprint, supporting local businesses, healthier living, and enjoying a fun festival with family and friends.
Sunday 09/15
What: Monster Truck Show at the Utah State Fair Where: Days of ‘47 Arena – Utah State Fair (155 N 1000 W) When: 09/15 at 6 p.m. Have a night of thrill watching Monster Truck stunts, tricks, and destruction. You can make a day of it by attending the carnival, eating around the fair, and checking out other fun activities happening around the Utah State Fair. Ride Alongs start at 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Autograph and Pit party at 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The State Fair runs from Thursday, 09/05 until Sunday, 09/15.
May 7, 2024 • Siempre Weddings, Draper Photos by Ashlee Brooke Photography
Utah Bride & Groom magazine hosted its annual spring gala in Draper this year, with a Mediterranean-themed evening full of lemons, chinoiserie and a celebration of Utah’s impressive bridal industry. The evening was designed by Duet Weddings and Events with floral input from Artisan Bloom, and catered by the award-winning chefs at Hill’s Kitchen alongside Sprinkles Cupcakes, Mecca Bar Co. and Vine Lore.
Sponsors: O.C. Tanner • St. Regis Deer Valley • Got Beauty • Elements of Sage • Chef Adam Park
Irene Katzias of Irene Co EventsIsabelle Caiozzo and Nelson Villegas of Cuisine Unlimited Jenner Lehr of Anne Elizabeth Print Studio, Alexa Howe of Lilly and Iris Rachael Masten of Sunday’s Best, Douglas Bethers, wedding officiant Tonya Hoopes of Hoopes Weddings and Events, Sydney Smith and Dominique Anderson of O.C. Tanner Jewelers
Visit Salt Lake’s 3rd Annual SALT Awards
June 25, 2024 • Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre Photos by Brandon Cruz Photography
Hospitality employees provide vital support for Salt Lake County’s visitor economy and Visit Salt Lake recognized the stars of our tourism industry at the third annual SALT Awards held June 25, 2024, at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre. With the theme of “The Greatest Show,” entertainment for the evening included a spectacular performance by the awe-inspiring TRANSCEND, represented by Utah Live Bands. The awards celebrated hospitality workers who exemplify service, accomplishment, leadership and tenacity (SALT), with categories in the lodging and dining industries as well as an award that encompassed those involved with attractions, venues, caterers and transportation providers. Each award recipient was recognized with an engraved SALT crystal award and a $2,000 check.
Transcend by Utah Live Brands VSL Staff photo.
Salt Lake magazine’s Best of the Beehive Launch Party
July 10, 2024• The Local Eatery & Bar Photos provided by Vine Lore
Salt Lake magazine held a party to celebrate the launch of its July-August issue and the 2024 honorees of the Best of the Beehive. The Best of the Beehive is Salt Lake magazine’s annual celebration of the people, places and things that make Utah great. For the 2024 Best of the Beehive, Salt Lake magazine editors, contributors and readers compiled our 75-plus reasons to love Utah. Food was served by the The Local Eatery & Bar’s food vendors, libations were served at the Local’s The Good Bar and provided Vine Lore, Beehive Distilling and Scion Cider. Decor was provided by Cactus and Tropicals.
Tamara Gibo (left) of Takashi, Jim Santagelo of the Wine Academy of Utah, Tracey Thomson of Vine LoreJeanette Cabral of Coco Art & Spa (left), Christer Whitworth, Greg Erickson, Jane Garff Whitworth, Janette Erickson, Lisa Peterson and wildlife mural artist Chris Peterson.
Valley Behavioral Health Hosts “Rise Together Celebration” Gala
May 16, 2024 • Salt Lake City Photos by Meagan Hammon, Valley Behavioral Health
To support the needs of its 14,000+ clients, Valley Behavioral Health hosted its inaugural “Rise Together Celebration” gala. The event honored individuals and organizations that have made a significant impact on Valley Behavioral Health’s clients and the community.
Valley Behavioral Health–the leading mental health provider in Utah–is using proceeds to help individuals grappling with homelessness, severe mental illness, autism and intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD).
Award recipients: Community Impact Award, Mayor Jenny Wilson; Partnership Excellence Award, Autism Council of Utah; Philanthropy Changemaker Award, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. David Dangerfield.
Jared Sanford and Community Impact Award honoree Mayor Jenny Wilson Julie Winn, VP of Children, Family and IDD Services, and event guests.
Jewish Family Service Brunch in the Garden Fundraiser
June 30, 2024 • Red Butte Garden Photos by Terra Firma Photography
Jewish Family Service celebrated at the Brunch in the Garden event in the stunning surroundings of Red Butte Garden on June 30, with proceeds going to support the vital services provided by JFS. This event also honored Darcy Amiel, our esteemed Past Board President, whose contributions have significantly impacted our organization. JFS is a nondenominational, nonprofit, social service agency serving all Utahns since 1872 with a mission to strengthen individuals and families of all backgrounds through counseling, advocacy, care management and education. The organization provides a variety of programs in Salt Lake City and Park City. To learn more, please visit jfsutah.org.
The Amiel family—Jack, Joey, Darcy and Ben Felix Kishinevsky, Jimmy Berg, Board Member and Brunch in the Garden Co-Chair Harriet Berg and Jennifer Kishinevsky.
Visit Salt Lake’s Inaugural SALT Summit
June 2024 • Locations around Salt Lake County Photos by Brandon Cruz Photography
Visit Salt Lake created the inaugural SALT Summit with events throughout June 2024, an educational and awards gala celebrating excellence in hospitality. Dedicated to honoring the hard work and exceptional service of our hospitality industry professionals, the SALT Summit is a movement to elevate the standard of excellence in hospitality, foster continuous learning and celebrate the unsung heroes and teams who make our industry thrive.
Event highlights included educational sessions with dynamic workshops led by industry leaders, and a keynote featuring Will Guidara, author of Unreasonable Hospitality. Participants gained insights into the latest trends, best practices and innovative strategies to elevate their service and leadership skills. There was an entire track for frontline staff to help provide resources and education to inspire. Expert-led sessions covered topics from resources and education for frontline staff—to customer service excellence and insight into innovative hospitality technologies. Sessions include “AI 101—How to Lead,” “Future of Destinations,” “Frontline Training 101,” and “Advocates to Experts—Resources to Enhance Quality of Life.”
Dee Brewer of Downtown Alliance and Kaitlin Eskelson of Visit Salt LakTom Kelly and Olympian Ashley Caldwell VSL President and CEO Kaitlin EskelsonSalt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson and Tom Kelly.
I think we can all agree that this past summer was a bit, well, aggressive.
We love you summer, but as Shakespeare wrote, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” Emphasis on the sweet. Welcome to September, my favorite month. Neither summer nor fall, September is a month of transition and thoughtfulness, the days grow shorter, the sky takes on its cobalt September blue and the hot summer fades into the rearview. This time of reflection is the perfect time to enjoy your musings over a cocktail, which is why we present our Farm-to-Glass Cocktail Contest every year.
Executive Editor Jeremy Pugh. Photo by Natalie Simpson, Beehive Photo
We ask the best bartenders in Utah to help us personify this time of year in a glass. This year, 18 bartenders from Park City, Salt Lake City and St. George have used local ingredients to create the basis for a dazzling tour of craft cocktail shakeups. We have compiled their stories and entries into a metaphorical “Utah Cocktail Trail.” During September and October, we invite you to hike, stroll, saunter, (crawl?) your way around to taste these thoughtful tipples at each stop. You can vote for your favorites and find the expert-level recipes to attempt at home at saltlakemagazine.com.
Leaning into the darker tones of the fall season, our writer Avrey Evans got out her EMF Meter and infrared thermometer and went ghost hunting. Utah is a hot spot for ghost-hunting podcasts and TV shows. And why not? After all Utah’s unique history is a delicious frontier mix of a history stew and makes an atmosphere perfect for seeking the paranormal. Her story (“Utah’s Most Haunted,” p. 56) uncovers the lore behind six of the most famous spots for spooky sightings (and she may have even seen a ghost on the hunt, you decide.)
Finally, discover the secret mission developed in Wendover, Utah (not Nevada) that would deliver the first nuclear bomb, end the war and launch the atomic era on planet Earth (“Under the Radar, p. 64). Yep. It happened right here. We can’t make this stuff up.
Summer is nearing its end and Salt Lake is closing out the season with another exciting week of events. From free film screenings to spirit pairings and end-of-summer festivals, there is plenty to do this week in the city. For even more events happening in Salt Lake City this week and throughout the month, visit our community events calendar!
Monday 8/26
What: Film Buff Series—The Dark Crystal Where: Brewvies When: 8/26 at 9 p.m. Brewvies presents a free Monday night movie series featuring eclectic films. This Monday’s screening is 1982 cult favorite The Dark Crystal, a dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Reserve your ticket here.
What: Spirits and Cigars Pairing Event Where: Prohibition When: 8/26 at 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. In partnership with Tinderbox, Prohibition presents a cigar and spirits pairing every fourth Monday of the month. August’s pairing features three whiskeys from High West, and one cigar of your choice. Arrive early to enjoy dinner before the event, and then head out to the patio for the pairing.
Tuesday 8/27
What: 2024 Outdoor Concert Series: Pink Martini Featuring China Forbes Where: Red Butte Garden When: 8/27 at 6:30 p.m. Red Butte’s summer concert series continues with an iconic performance from Pink Martini, a self-proclaimed “Little Orchestra” comprising dozens of musicians since its formation in 1944.
Wednesday 8/28
What: Wine Tasting with Cheese Pairing Where: La Caille When: 8/28 at 6 p.m. Sample five exquisite Chateau La Caille wines with a selection of artisanal cheeses inside the venue’s sophisticated pairing room. Seating for the exclusive event is limited and requires reservation. Reserve your seat here.
What: West Valley City Summer Fest 2024 Where: Fairbourne Station Promenade When: 8/28 at 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Close out the summer at West Valley’s free summer festival. The evening event features food trucks, live entertainment, activity booths and more.
Thursday 8/29
What: Party on the Plaza Where: Trolley Square When: 8/29 at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Held the last Thursday of every month through September, Trolley Square invites the community to come enjoy an evening of live entertainment, food trucks and a beer garden on their outdoor plaza.
What: Hot Dog and Wine Nights Where: Tea Zaanti When: 8/29 at 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Relax inside Tea Zaanti’s vibey space with gourmet hot dogs and natural wine pairings. Each night features unique hot dog toppings and complementary wine, like last week’s lox dog paired with bubbly pet nat.
What: KRCL Annual Record and CD Sale Where: KRCL Studios, 535 West 300 North SLC When: 8/29 at 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Back by popular demand, KRCL is hosting two vinyl shopping days featuring cassettes, CDs and vinyl. All sales benefit Listeners Community Radio of Utah KRCL, so get ready for a night of crate-digging for a cause!
Friday 8/30
What: 2024 Lemon Bash Where: Ken Garff University Club at Rice Eccles When: 8/30 at 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Northwestern Mutual Utah hosts the 2nd annual Lemon Bash in support of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research. The event will feature delicious treats, family-friendly activities, a silent auction, and of course—lots of lemonade.
What: Friday Night Fun Films—The Goonies Where: Gallivan Center When: 8/30 at 8 p.m. The last in their Friday Night Fun Film series, the Gallivan Center will be screening The Goonies on August 30th. The family-friendly event takes place on their main plaza, the concession stand will be open for drinks and snacks.
What: Locally Made Locally Played Where: Broadway Centre Cinemas When: 8/30 at 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Salt Lake Film Society and The Blocks present an evening of cinema and song. Attendees will hear from local musicians while snacking on local fare and end the evening with a movie screening.
Saturday 8/31
What: UMFA In the Wild—Watercolor Landscapes Where: Buffalo Point Deck at Antelope Island State Park When: 8/31 at 1 p.m. Get inspired by the wilderness of Utah’s Antelope Island with UMFA. Guests will hear from artists featured in UMFA’s latest exhibit, and learn new watercolor techniques to paint the landscape.
What: Sandy City Farmer’s Market Where: Sandy Amphitheater When: 8/31 at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sandy’s newest farmer’s market showcases a wide selection of local food vendors, unique goods and handmade items. Bring the whole family to enjoy a splash pad, live music, food trucks, crafting booths and more.
Sunday 9/1
What: Drag Bingo, Burgers and Beer Church Where: Club Try-Angles When: 9/01 at 2:30 p.m. Utah’s longest-running drag show Matrons of Mayhem hosts an afternoon of bingo, burgers and fun. Bingo begins at 3 p.m., drag performances to follow.
What: Park Silly Sunday Market Where: Park City Main Street When: 9/01 at 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Silly Market has been a Park City institution for 17 years and is an eclectic mix of live music, food carts and local vendors. The mainstay event typically attracts 15,000 people every Sunday, totaling about 200,00 people per season.
In 1963, Tommy Jacobs won the PGA Tour’s1963 Utah Open Invitational at the Salt Lake Country Club. It wasn’t pretty. Despite a stellar round, Jacobs stumbled on the final stretch putting up a double bogey on the 17th and shot another double bogey on 18. Fortunately, Don January, the guy chasing him on the leaderboard, couldn’t pounce and Jacobs held on with one stroke.
That was the last time a PGA Tour Event was held in Utah. Of course, the Utah Open has continued as a PGA-sanctioned event, but last spring the PGA declared the Black Desert Championship, in Ivins, will be part of the FedEx Cup fall series. This means the best golfers in the world could chase Cup points on the par-72 course.
This doesn’t mean Scotti Scheffler will be playing (which is what you were wondering), but it could happen!
The 7,400-yard Black Desert Course. Renderings courtesy of Black Desert Resort.
The PGA Tour first appeared in Utah in 1930 when World Golf Hall of Fame member Harry “Lighthorse” Cooper won the Salt Lake Open. Seven years later, the tour returned to Salt Lake City in 1937, when Al Zimmerman won the first of back-to-back Utah Open titles.
The historic Western Open, now known as the BMW Championship, stopped in the Beehive State a decade later, when seven-time PGA Tour winner Johnny Palmer captured the 1947 tournament in Salt Lake City.
In 1948, Salt Lake City hosted the Utah Open Invitational, where Lloyd Mangrum edged George Fazio in a playoff. The event was played three more times (1958, 1960, 1963) with the 1963 edition featuring Tommy Jacobs’ dubious win.
Black Desert, a new luxury resort in Ivins, is huge. Sitting on 600 acres of land, the resort has 800 hotel rooms and luxury residences. The 19-hole course is a favorite for pro golfers who have come during the off-season to practice.
The Black Desert course was designed by Phil Smith and, World Golf Hall of Fame inductee, the late Tom Weiskopf, becoming his final design (see sidebar).
“We are honored to host the world’s most prestigious professional golf Tours at Black Desert Resort,” says Black Desert’s managing partner Patrick Manning.
“Bringing the best from the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour to Black Desert and them having the best experience imaginable, along with their fans, is priority number one.”
The Black Desert Championship is one of two professional golf events coming to Black Desert Resort, which will also host an LPGA Tour event in 2025.
Grandstands are being built along the course to accommodate the crowds. Renderings courtesy of Black Desert Resort.
Play the Course
Black Desert’s 19-hole, 7,400-yard course was designed by hall of famer Tom Weiskopf, who won 16 PGA Tour titles between 1968 and 1982, including the 1973 Open Championship. Weiskopf was the runner-up at The Masters four times. After winding down his career playing golf, Weiskopf became a noted golf course architect. Weiskopf passed away in 2022 and the Black Desert Course was the final course designed by this golf legend. He was voted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2023 and will be inducted this year.
The pro-level course is unique in that much of it was built around volcanic formations that are prevalent outside of St. George. The lava rock adds scenery as well as more than a little drama for players. Find out more and book a tee time at blackdesertresort.com/golf
If You Go:
What: The PGA Tour’s Black Desert Championship
When: Oct. 9-13, 2024
Where: Black Desert Resort, 1500 E. Black Desert Dr., Ivins, blackdesertresort.com
Tickets: VIP experiences and grounds passes are currently on sale at blackdesertchampionshipmens.com. On-sale dates for individual rounds have not been announced.
Note: Organizers caution that these tickets will be only available through the PGA’s official ticket provider, Ticketmaster, and not to fall for scams.
