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St. George is a city in southwest Utah. It has a few interesting places to visit in town and can be used as a base for Zion National Park. The Red Cliffs National Conservation Area is also nearby.
History
St. George was founded as Dixie by Mormon settlers in 1861. It was originally meant to be a cotton producing town, but production never really took off. Today, it’s a fast-growing city with an important tourism industry.
Coronada Inn and Suites
We stayed in St. George for the night en route to Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada and Las Vegas. The Coronada Inn and Suites was our hotel. It was spacious but not exactly as clean as we would have liked. We weren’t too impressed with the staff, either.
Downtown
To visit the city, we started at the small historic downtown on Main Street. In front of the Zion First National Bank building is a statue of Brigham Young on a bench.
St. George Tabernacle
Walking south on Main Street is the St. George Tabernacle. It was built between 1863 and 1871. The clock on the tower was made in London. Daily tours are available and admission is free.
Town Square
Just south of the tabernacle is a small park, Town Square. It contains a fountain called the Splash Pad.
Dixie Academy Building
Next to Town Square is the old Dixie Academy building, which was built between 1909 and 1911. It now houses the St. George Children’s Museum. Admission is US$6.25 per person (as of September 2023). Check the official website for operating hours.
Ancestor Square
North of downtown on Main Street is Ancestor Square. It’s a small retail park consisting of art galleries, restaurants, and retail space housed in some of the city’s oldest buildings.
Brigham Young Winter Home
On the northern end of Ancestor Square is the Brigham Young Winter Home. It was built between 1869 and 1871 and later purchased by Brigham Young. He used it as his winter home from 1870 until his death in 1877. Free tours of the home are available on a daily basis.
We had a wonderful tour guide who did a wonderful job showing us the home and answering all of our questions. Our tour started in the yard where we saw the gazebo and a work shed. There’s also a garden that has a few cotton plants in it.
We then went inside the house and saw the parlor, kitchen, and dining room.
Upstairs are some bedrooms including the bed used by Brigham Young, Young’s office, and a reading area.
Opera House
Down the street from the Brigham Young Winter Home is the Opera House. It was originally built as a wine cellar in 1864 and was converted to an opera house due to pressure from the LDS Church. The building operated as an opera house until 1936, but was restored as an opera house and opened to the public once again in 1988.
Art Museum
Next door is the St. George Art Museum. It was originally a sugar beet seed storage facility. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 6pm. Admission is a suggested donation of US$5 per person (as of September 2023).
McQuarrie Memorial Museum
Around the block is the McQuarrie Memorial Museum run by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. It contains exhibits about pioneers who came to the area in the 19th century. Admission is free (as of September 2023). It’s open daily except Sundays and Wednesdays from 10am to 5pm.
Pioneer Courthouse
On the corner is the Pioneer Courthouse. It was built between 1866 and 1870 and was also used as a prison. Today, it serves as a city visitor center and is open for tours.
St. George Utah Temple
Finally, a few blocks south of downtown is the St. George Utah Temple. It was built between 1871 and 1877. It’s the LDS Church’s third temple and first in Utah after westward migration
The temple is only open to members of the LDS Church, but there’s a visitor center next door. At the visitor center, you can learn about the history of the temple and its construction. We also watched a short video about family and the LDS Church. We were turned off by the staff who seemed a bit pushy about the religion, unlike at Temple Square in Salt Lake City.
