Is traveling a thing of the past? I sincerely hope not, but for now my travel plans are on hold. As much as I love to see new places and breathe the rarefied air of somewhere else, I still hesitate to set foot on a plane. It’s not just the thought of sharing germs with other passengers – since we’re all wearing masks and being considerate about social distancing right? No, the fear is that I’ll get far far from home and everything will shut down again, trapping me in Tangier or Uzbekistan or any other place that’s fun to visit, but definitely not my living room.
So, since uncertainty is a certainty these days, I’ve decided to stick close to home which in my case is Salt Lake City, Utah. That being the case, I’ve compiled a Doors of Salt Lake post for Norm’s Thursday Doors. The following are just a few of the fun doors I’ve come across in my local wanderings. Hope you enjoy!
The door to the First Presbyterian Church is a real beauty, as is the rest of this Gothic Revival style building.


The Up House is actually in Herriman which is not quite Salt Lake, but pretty close. This is a fun recreation of the house owned by Carl and Ellie in the Pixar movie “Up”. The colorful home is an exact replica inside and out, of it’s movie counterpart, and the owners are very patient with photographers.
This is the door to a Salt Lake City landmark. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints temple took 40 years to complete and was dedicated in 1893. The details are amazing. Look at this door, and the metalwork on the doorknob – no wonder it took so long to build.
From simple to spectacular, you see a wide variety of homes in Salt Lake. The one on the left, is a refurbished settlers home, with a pretty wooden door and decorative storm door. On the right, the Mckune Mansion located near Capitol Hill. Both date to early 1900’s.
More doors to downtown dwellings – eclectic styles that just shout “stop the car and take a picture of me!”

The Victorian Gothic style Assembly Hall is located on Temple Square and has been around since 1877. Its 24 spires add a definite touch of drama.

These imposing entryways belong to the Salt Lake City and County building, and the city’s Capitol building.

Of course we’ll wrap up with one of my favorite places – the Salt Lake City Library. Admittedly the doors are rather modest, but made special by the fact that they lead to worlds of adventure.

” Books are the plane, the train, and the road. They are the destination and the journey, they are home. ” Anna Quindlen
With that I’ll close. Wishing you happy travels whether abroad or in your own back yard.
For more fun doors, click on Norm’s Thursday Doors, where Door Lovers of the world unite.
so many special doors
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Way to find fun photo ops right in your own home town area! So many cool ornate details to admire and the Up House made me smile. I’ve never been to Salt Lake City, I’m thankful you shared photos so I could travel there virtually.
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Thanks Shelley, you should see the Up House in person. We visited when it was brand new and the inside was fantastic. Talk about details, they copied the movie house down to the lampshades. Good to hear from you.
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That would be so awesome to see! Have they opened up to visitors or are they shut down now?
You’re welcome, it’s always a pleasure to stop here to see what you’ve posted. I appreciate hearing from you too.
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LOve all those doors.. I should be in Uzbekistan right now and Tajikistan but had to cancel. Have postponed for next spring!!
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Seriously? I’m so sorry you can’t be there. What fascinating travel destinations I hope you get to go later. All we can do right now is wait and see. Thanks for stopping by!
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Oh my goodness did I enjoy this post! I too am fascinated with doors (I’ve even made an art quilt, Recycled Door, inspired by an amazing door I saw in an image from Australia). I loved this: “Salt Lake City Library. Admittedly the doors are rather modest, but made special by the fact that they lead to worlds of adventure.” 🙂
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Hi Tierney, thanks for reading clear to the end, I sometimes wonder if people do. I’d love to see your recycled door quilt. Do you have a link to a picture?
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All right I found the post 🙂 https://tierneycreates.com/2016/06/17/breaking-the-law-update-on-recycled-door/
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Thanks for digging that up Tierney. So interesting to see the quilt go from idea to do finished product. I love that the quilting was made to look like wood grain. As for being a nonconformist – To thine own self be true.
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Wonderful post! I love architecture and history. Just think, behind each door is the story of generations. I always wonder about the craftsman who created such beautiful work, and their time creating a piece they knew would survive long after them….
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Kind of like your paintings. 🙂
But yes, I agree. You took the words right out of my mouth.
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Can I just say one more thing? I love doors. It’s amazing that people put so much craftsmanship and creativity into them . . . although that does reinforce the idea of making a positive first impression. I suppose the whole thing hinges on one’s priorities. Its interesting to think about the tie between the door and what lies within,
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Yes, my priorities “hinge” on doors. I like the idea of whether a door is representative of what you’ll find inside. I think a lot of people make an effort to put some personality into their doors just for that reason. Thanks , Oh, and you may make as many comments as you like best ad man.
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The concept of doors reminds me of the Christmas song that talks about the wreath that hangs on your own front door. Sometimes when you have been out traveling the best looking door is your won when you finally get home.
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Isn’t that the truth!. It’s always so heavenly to walk through the best door of all.
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Lovely doors! I visited SLC about 8 – 10 years ago and had a great time. We were there for a car club meet-up and stayed downtown very close to that gorgeous library. While there, we also got to drive on the salt flats (I couldn’t believe no one was there to tell us how crazy we were to drive so fast 🙂 ), visit the Great Salt Lake and see the bison, and attend a concours on the grounds of the state capitol. The one thing I didn’t do was take in all those beautiful doors. I have wanted to visit SLC again anyway, but now I have even more reason to go back!
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Hi Janis, I’ve never been to the Salt Flats, or seen the bison. I guess I should get out more. I’ve often said we should just pretend we’re visiting and do all the things the tourists do. I have more time to tour my own backyard these days. Thanks for your comment.
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What a glorious variety! The shots are excellent, too. You’re an absolute artist! I love the bee skeps on the doorknobs. If I remember correctly, that symbolizes industry, but I could be wrong. Thanks for a bright spot in the day!
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You’re right. Thanks for the compliment, but photography is not my forte. Luckily I have sites like Pixabay to fill in when my own photos don’t make the cut.
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Hi Library Lady, this is a fun post, I never pay much attention to doors, but can see now that I should. These are beautiful!
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Hi Cynthia, I’ve gotten a little obsessed with architecture since starting this blog. Not only do I love doors and windows, but the hardware found on them can be amazing too. We once went to the Ann of Green Gables house on Prince Edward Island and the door hinges were intricately detailed. the cool thing about this was they hardly even showed. I love that the craftsman took pride in his work even thought most people wouldn’t see it.
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Just wow – so much elegance in those structure
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Elegance is a very good word for these dignified old buildings. Thanks for following along.
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My absolute pleasure
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These are wonderful doors. I’ve been to Salt Lake City twice, but those trips were almost 30 years ago. I love the hinges on that first door, and the temple is magnificent.
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Thanks Dan. It’s amazing what you can find in your own back yard if you keep your eyes open.
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