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You've likely heard your parents, grandparents and possibly even great-grandparents waxing sentimental over days gone by. With a heavy sigh, they might regale you with tales about the old movie theaters, buildings, amusement parks and other places they used to enjoy when they were your age.
In those days, movie tickets cost less than a dollar, according to a USA Today article. People didn't bury their faces in cell phones and social media, and your best bet for finding a date wasn't on Tinder but at the local dance hall.
But now those places are gone — or at least not what they used to be.
To give you an idea of what the older generation feels they've lost, here's a short list of some popular Utah attractions and destinations that have come and gone.
Saltair
Advertised as the "Coney Island of the West," the original Saltair got its start in 1893 and was one of the first amusement parks in the country. Located in Magna along the shores of the Great Salt Lake, Saltair was a happening place in its day. People from all over the country came to swim, dance and enjoy the various carnival games and rides that used to be there.
But that popularity couldn't save it from a ravaging fire in 1925. After a second Saltair went up, it suffered the same fiery fate in 1970. According to Utah.com, the current Saltair was built in 1981 and is mostly used as a concert venue. If you want to check out the current lineup of artists and events, visit thesaltair.com.
Lagoon's Patio Gardens
Speaking of amusement parks and concert venues, Lagoon's bygone Patio Gardens was quite a hub of entertainment back in the day. A 2018 Deseret News article by Court Mann reports that Lagoon hosted a "revolving door of legendary musicians" from 1954 to 1969. These famous names include the likes of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and more. Some groups and artists made multiple appearances, including Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles and The Beach Boys. (The latter even specifically mention Lagoon in their song, "Salt Lake City.")
Once larger concert venues came onto the scene, smaller places like Lagoon's Patio Gardens slowly started to phase out. Today, Dracula's Castle and Game Time Arcade sit where the old Patio Gardens used to be.
If you're curious to see who else performed at Lagoon all those years ago, you'll find a full list on lagoonhistory.com.
The Centre Theatre
Not to be confused with Hale Center Theater, the original Centre Theatre was an old-timey movie theater on State Street and 299 South in Salt Lake that opened in 1937. Cinema Treasures says that Centre Theatre "was considered one of Salt Lake's finest examples of Art Deco style architecture." Its most recognizable feature was the 90-foot tower placed above it.
After Paramount Pictures Inc. operated the theater for years, it fell under new management and was eventually demolished. The Broadway Centre development took its place in the 1980s.
The Deseret Gym
If your grandparents were the physical fitness types, there's a good chance that they owned a membership to the old Deseret Gym in downtown Salt Lake. According to a 1995 Church News article, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints originally built the gym in 1910 (and later replaced it in 1964) as a means for its members to "grow and develop in body and spirit in an appropriate atmosphere."
In 1997, Church president Gordon B. Hinckley announced plans for what would become the Conference Center, which now sits where the Deseret Gym once stood.
Utah Lake Sho-Boat
In 1932, Hewitt Strong and Elmer Smith fulfilled their dream of operating a large showboat on Utah Lake. The Historical Marker Database reports that the S.S. Sho-Boat took its maiden commercial voyage on April 11, 1932 when it carried members of the Utah State Dentists' Association on a dinner cruise to Skipper's Bay. The boat was equipped with a dance floor, kitchen and bathrooms. It ran for 14 years.
Though other vessels have carried big parties of people across Utah Lake through the years, the now-defunct Sho-Boat remains the largest.
Saratoga Springs Resort
Saltair wasn't the only Utah resort to crop up on the scene in the late 1800s. Utah History Encyclopedia reports that many similar places dotted the map around that time as society became more industrialized. Saratoga Springs Resort was one of them.
In 1884, John Beck, a German convert to the Church of Jesus Christ, bought a bunch of land around Utah Lake, which included a group of hot springs. He named the area Beck's Saratoga Springs.
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"Although the original buildings are gone, the resort area is now a part of a private development that contains an outdoor pool, clubhouse and a beautiful bowery and kitchen facility for groups and parties," the Saratoga Springs City website states.
Wall Arch
Moab has long been a popular tourist destination thanks to its natural rock formations and famous arches. Sadly, one of those arches — Wall Arch — succumbed to the tests of time and collapsed in 2008. Up to that point, Wall Arch had been the 12th largest arch among the thousands of others in the park, according to the National Park Service.
The good news is that its collapse was no one's fault. The bad news is that it's only a matter of time before another arch follows suit.
"All arches are but temporary features and all will eventually succumb to the forces of gravity and erosion," the National Park Service website explains.
If there's a lesson to be gleaned from the seven attractions listed here, it's this: Don't wait to visit and enjoy the fun places around you! You never know how long it'll be around.
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The firm is committed to keeping Utah families and communities safe by ensuring wrongdoers are held accountable. While a lawsuit isn't always the answer when it is needed having someone on your side can mean the difference between declaring bankruptcy and rebuilding your life and moving forward, especially when you're up against an insurance company or a hospital.
Siegfried & Jensen has represented more than 35,000 clients and recovered over $1.2 billion for them.
