Utah is full of strange and wonderful sights, but there are some landmarks that even many of the state’s newest residents may not know about. Whether you’re a native Utahn or just visiting, you’re sure to find something unexpected on this list of wonderful and weird Utah landmarks.
Here are some weird Utah landmarks that even some Utahns don’t even know about.
Gilgal Sculpture Garden
Did you know that just a half-block away from Trolley Square lies a hidden gem full of giant sculptures? The Gilgal Sculpture Garden, created in the 1950s by Thomas Battersby Child, Jr., contains 12 sculptures and over 70 engraved stones, including an Egyptian sphinx with the head of Joseph Smith, the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Child, who was 57 when he began the project, devoted much of his energy to it until his death in 1963 at the age of 75. Salt Lake City then took over maintenance of this Utah landmark in the year 2000, making it a hidden public park for all to enjoy.
Mars Desert Research Station
- Map: Hanksville, UT
Even though humanity is still years away from launching a manned spacecraft to Mars, that hasn’t stopped researchers from actively training for the eventual journey. But where on Earth can you find conditions similar to the Red Planet? Utah of course!
The unique terrain near Canyonlands National Park created the ideal location for the Mars Society to construct the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS). Participants at the NASA funded facility help test procedures, new technologies, and even have to don a spacesuit when leaving their habitats.
Visiting the MDRS might sound like a blast, but unfortunately the test environment is not open to the public. Unless you’re invited, the only way to tour the Mars Desert Research Station is virtually using Google Maps or via their photo gallery. So why not take a virtual trip to Mars today?
The USPS Remote Encoding Center
My grandfather had terrible handwriting, and I was always amazed when his letters would arrive at my house. How were the people at the post office able to read his handwriting when even I couldn’t? Little did I know, the US Postal Service had a secret weapon in their arsenal: the USPS Remote Encoding Center (REC).
In 1994, the first REC was established by US Postal Service in Salt Lake City, UT. By 1997, there were fifty-five REC locations across the United States, and at their peak, they processed a whopping 19 billion address images annually. Talk about a lot of sloppy handwriting!
As email adoption soared and OCR technology advanced, the REC locations were gradually phased out. By 2013, only one REC facility remained: the original Salt Lake City location. It’s the first and last of its kind. It’s not an official Utah landmark – yet. But it should be.
If you’re ever in the area, you can take a drive by and gawk at this weird Utah landmark. It’s only a few miles south of the Salt Lake City International Airport. Who knows, maybe you’ll be lucky enough to witness the REC in action, deciphering the illegible handwriting of someone you know.
The Hole N” The Rock House
When Albert Christensen began planning his family’s dream home in the 1940s, he decided to take a unique approach – instead of building, he decided to dig. After 12 years of hard work, his 5,000 square foot home inside a giant rock was complete, featuring 14 rooms, a fireplace with a 65-foot chimney, and even a bathtub carved directly into the rock.
Unfortunately, Albert passed away soon after completing his masterpiece, but his wife continued to live in the cave home for several decades until her passing in the 1970s.
Today, the strangely punctuated Hole n” The Rock is now a popular roadside tourist attraction, diner, petting zoo, and picnic area located about 12 miles (19.31 km) south of Moab, UT. Go explore this incredible feat of engineering and ingenuity!
Thistle Ghost Town
- Map: Thistle, Utah
In 1890, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) breathed life into the small homesteading town of Thistle, transforming it into a vital maintenance hub. With easy access to the railroad, Thistle was a small town full of promise – until an unusually wet year created a massive mudslide that wiped out the entire town.
In April 1983, a mudslide slid into the path of the Spanish Fork River, creating a dam that diverted an unstoppable deluge of mud and water into Thistle. Residents had no choice but to flee, never to return. Government officials have since declared the Thistle Mudslide one of the costliest mudslides in US history, and the first presidentially declared disaster area in the State of Utah.
Today, Thistle is an abandoned ghost town, with many of its homes and buildings still underwater and buried in mud. A stark reminder of the power of nature, and the fragility of our dreams.
The “Victim Of The Beast 666” Headstone
The Salt Lake City Cemetery is home to many graves, but none quite as intriguing as Lilly E. Gray‘s. Her headstone, which reads “A Victim of the Beast 666,” is so unique that it has become a popular destination for paranormal tour groups. With its darkly humorous inscription, it’s almost as if Motley Crue wrote the epitaph for their Shout At The Devil album.
Gray’s mysterious grave marker has prompted everyone from state archivists to general Internet users to try to figure out why she was “A Victim of the Beast 666”.
According to the death certificate for Lilly E. Gray, she was born in Canada to Wilmer and Francis Gray on June 4, 1881, not June 6th as indicated in the inscription.
Although Lilly’s path from Canada to Utah is mostly unclear, later in her life she married an ex-con named Elmer Gray. The couple were both in their early 70s and were wed in Elko, Nevada on July 10, 1952.
Before their marriage, Elmer served prison terms in Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Utah for burglary and other miscellaneous charges. According to his appeals records, Elmer was a difficult prisoner and obsessed with several conspiracy theories. He believed that his prison terms were a “farce Termination” and that he had been “kidnaped[sic] by 5 Democrat Officials.”
With both Lilly and Elmer already in their 70s when they first met, the couple’s marriage only lasted a little over six years . Lilly became ill and died on November 14, 1958. Foul play was not suspected as Lilly passed away after spending a week in the hospital. Elmer followed her and died six years later at the age of 83 on Halloween Day, October 31, 1964.
Little is known about their relationship, but Elmer was ultimately responsible for the strange inscription. Why he chose to engrave “A Victim of the Beast 666” on his wife’s headstone will forever be a mystery. But by doing so, he unknowingly created a very weird Utah landmark.
If you want to pay your respects to Lilly E. Gray, her grave is located on the northeastern side of the Salt Lake Cemetery.
Pando: The Heaviest Known Organism On Earth
In 1976, Jerry Kemperman and Burton Barnes made a remarkable discovery: a 108-acre cluster of quaking aspen trees in south-central Utah, all connected by one root system. The unique phenomenon was aptly named Pando, Latin for “I spread,” but more affectionately known as the Trembling Giant – a nod to the 1993 Discover Magazine article that brought it to the world’s attention.
At an estimated 6,000,000 kilograms, Pando is the heaviest known organism on earth. Its age is a bit of a mystery, but estimates range from 10,000 to 1 million years old – making it one of the oldest living things on the planet.
The Devil’s Slide
- Map: I-84 in Weber Canyon
If the Devil built a playground, what would the slide look like? That was how James John Walker, one of the first residents of Weber Canyon, described this odd pair of rocks.
The Devil’s Slide, two 200 foot long limestone strata rocks running parallel to each other, estimated to be between 170 and 180 million years old. So, if you’re ever driving through Weber Canyon, take a look off the southern side of I-84, just west of the town of Croydon, and you’ll see the Devil’s Slide for yourself.
The Real Up House
- Map: Herriman, Utah
The 2008 Pixar movie Up was a massive success, captivating both critics and audiences alike. But one fan was especially taken with the film – Home builder Blair Bangerter. So much so, that he got permission from Disney to build a replica of the famous house from the movie, down to the last detail – even the furniture was custom-built to match.
The Real Up House in Herriman, Utah is now listed as the #1 thing to do on Trip Advisor, but don’t expect to get a tour – it’s still a private residence.
The Summan Pyramaid
In 1975, Salt Lake City resident Claude “Corky” Nowell had a life-changing encounter with an alien race known as the “Summa individuals,” who revealed to him the secrets of the universe. This prompted Nowell to found the Summum religion and change his name to Summum Bonum Amon Ra, so he could share these secrets with others.
But the Summum religion is more than just a spiritual practice. Between 1977 and 1979, they built a pyramid to serve as their main headquarters and the location of their modern mummification services. That’s right, members of the Summum religion actually practice mummification – and you can hire their services for a cool $67,000 per person, or just $15,000 for a small pet under 15 pounds (6.8 kg). Oh, and they also make wine in the pyramid.
If you’re curious to visit the Summum Pyramid, it’s just a few blocks south from the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. Plus, the Summum church offers a live stream of their religious readings Wednesdays at 7 pm. So, why not check it out?
The Spiral Jetty
Created in 1970 by American sculptor Robert Smithson, the Spiral Jetty is a 1,500-foot-long (460 m), 15-foot-wide (4.6 m) counterclockwise coil made out of basalt rocks, located at the northern end of the Great Salt Lake. To construct the sculpture, Smithson hired a contractor from Ogden, Utah to haul 6,650 tons of rock in dump trucks and dump it in a precise formation in the lake. It took two tries to get it right – the first attempt took six days, but Smithson wasn’t satisfied with the result, so he called the crew back and they spent another three days perfecting the formation. Ah, the beauty of art!
Why Are There So Many Weird Utah Landmarks?
From Arches National Park to Temple Square, there are plenty of iconic Utah landmarks for tourists and locals alike to explore. But if you’re looking for something a bit more off the beaten path, there are plenty of unique and fun landmarks to discover throughout the Beehive State.
Did you already know about all these weird Utah landmarks? How many have you been to? Why are there so many? Did we miss any of your favorites?
Please let us know in the comments – we’d love to hear from you! Thanks again for reading!
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