Historic buildings in Salt Lake County that are definitely worth the visit

Utah was officially granted statehood in 1896, making it the 45th state of the U.S.Though it's one of the newer additions to the country, the state's history goes back much further.

In the 1830s, settlers belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began moving west to escape religious persecution, before ending up in Utah in 1847, according to PBS. Though it's been nearly 200 years since those first pioneers declared Utah to be the place, some of the most iconic and historical buildings built in the early days of Utah territory still stand today.

Here are a few historical buildings in Salt Lake County that are definitely worth a visit.

Salt Lake Masonic Temple

Salt Lake County is home to many temples, but one of the more historic and unique buildings is the Salt Lake Masonic Temple. Located on South Temple and 700 E, the temple is hard to miss from the street. The columns, stairs, stone sphinxes, and other Egyptian-inspired details on the front of the building don't blend in with the surrounding businesses and homes.

Inside, the building is filled with various rooms of different styles, such as the Colonial Room, the Egyptian Room, Gothic Room, and Moorish Room. Different lobbies, banquet areas, and a massive auditorium are spread throughout the estate.

According to the temple's website, the building was completed in 1927 and has been used continuously ever since.

Cathedral of the Madeleine

Salt Lake City is known for many things, but religion is probably top of mind for most. The Cathedral of the Madeleine stands tall above the other buildings on South Temple. According to its website, it took nine years to build the cathedral, starting in 1900 and finishing in 1909.

The Romanesque exterior remains largely the same since its creation. However, the Gothic interior was a design undertaking starting in 1917.

The church is fully-functional today. Worship and religious services take place daily at the cathedral, and special musical performances draw hundreds each Christmas and Easter season. Whether you stop in for a look around, a tour, a Mass service, or a performance, be prepared with plenty of time to take it all in.

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Another notable cathedral worth visiting in Salt Lake is the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral. The Greek Orthodox Church originally had a more modest building a few blocks away, but when their numbers grew over the years, a bigger church was needed. In 1923, the cornerstone was laid for the new church that now features Byzantine architecture rarely seen elsewhere in Utah.

The parish's second church, Prophet Elias Church complex, is located in Holladay off of Highland Drive. Though the design is different, both buildings are equally colorful and ornate on the inside.

Empress Theatre

In Magna, the Empress Theatre is an entertainment icon for the region and has been for decades. The theatre originally produced burlesque theater for the miners at Kennecott in 1916, but the next year changed gears and showed silent movies, their website states.

Over the years, the theatre was bought and sold to different owners, but when local actor Leo Ware bought the theatre in the early 1980s, he had a vision — and the will to make it happen. He began renovations that took 20 years, but the changes brought air conditioning, heating, new electrical work, new seats, a soundbooth and more.

Today, the theatre produces live performances that are open to the public.

Park School

At the south end of the Salt Lake Valley, the Park School in Draper is a living testament to the early settlers' commitment to education. Schoolteacher and principal Dr. John Park taught children in the Draper area for some time.

His success in and dedication to teaching caught the attention of Brigham Young, the governor at the time. Young asked Park to preside over the University of Deseret, now known as the University of Utah, according to Draper City. He then became the Utah Superintendent of Education.

To keep up with the growing demand for schools in the Draper area, a larger, better-equipped school was built in 1912. Named after the renowned educator, Park School had 11 classrooms and a principal's office. Over the years, people have added additions as needed.

You can check out the Classical Revival-style building in downtown Draper.

Salt Lake Tabernacle

One of the older buildings in the state is an unusually shaped dome nestled into the heart of Temple Square downtown. According to the Temple Square website, the Salt Lake Tabernacle was designed in the 1860s. The roof spans 150 feet without any supporting pillars, allowing for enhanced acoustics.

The organ inside is a huge reason to visit the Tabernacle. It has more than 11,600 pipes that create the iconic backdrop seen in many Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square concerts and performances.

Villa Theatre

If you ever cruise down Highland Drive in Millcreek, you've probably noticed the fantastic old Villa Theatre—now Adib's Rug Gallery. Though it no longer functions as a theater, it still looks like one.

According to Jeff Vice writing for the Deseret News, the Cinerama theatre was in operation for more than 50 years. It was opened in 1949 and had the capacity for more than 1,000 people—one of the biggest theatres in the West.

Over the years, the theatre was bought and sold to various cinemas, but ultimately Dr. Hamid Adib purchased the run-down building in 2004. The Deseret News' Dave Anderton wrote keeping the history and significance of the building was important to Adib, and he had plans to restore it.

Adib said the repairs cost more than $1 million by the time it was completed. The theatre needed seismic upgrades, a new electrical system, a repaired roof, and giant columns to function again. He wanted to restore it to its old glory, but instead of a movie theatre, he would move his rug business into the new building. A "museum-like atmosphere" was important to Adib and he wanted to keep the same theater memories alive.

The successful rug shop is still in operation today in the old Villa Theatre. Those who want to see a piece of history and beautiful Persion rugs can visit Monday-Saturday.

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Siegfried & Jensen

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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.