Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) is a non-collecting contemporary art museum located at 20 South West Temple in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, directly attached to the Salt Palace Convention Center and Abravanel Hall. Founded in 1931 as the Art Barn in Reservoir Park before operating for decades as the Salt Lake Art Center, the institution moved into its current modernist brick-and-concrete facility in 1979 and adopted its present name in 2011. Unlike encyclopedic art museums with static permanent wings, UMOCA presents continuously rotating exhibitions across six distinct gallery spaces, spotlighting experimental visual art, video installations, sculpture, and social-practice works by Utah-based, national, and international living artists.
What to Expect at Utah Museum of Contemporary Art
Stepping inside UMOCA from the sunken plaza along West Temple, visitors enter a multi-level brutalist-inspired space designed by architectFFKR to encourage open-ended movement between two floors of exhibition rooms. Because the museum does not maintain a permanent collection, its curatorial program rotates several times a year, ensuring that return visitors encounter entirely new installations, sound art, large-scale photography, and mixed-media environments. Visitors begin on the entry level near the reception desk and Art Shop before descending into the soaring two-story Main Gallery or ascending the central staircase to explore smaller, specialized project rooms.
Each gallery within the building fulfills a distinct curatorial mandate. While the Main Gallery hosts ambitious national thematic exhibitions and major retrospectives, upstairs spaces focus directly on Utah’s working creative community through long-running residency programs, experimental film screenings, and site-specific commissions. Non-flash photography for personal use is welcomed across most galleries unless marked otherwise by an artist, and printed gallery guides at the front desk provide curatorial essays and artist biographies to contextualize conceptual works.
- Main Gallery: A dramatic, double-height exhibition hall occupying the core of the building, featuring large-scale installations, group thematic exhibitions, and major solo shows by national and international contemporary artists.
- Utah Gallery & Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Space: Dedicated galleries showcasing emerging and mid-career Utah artists, including works developed through UMOCA’s long-term Artist-in-Residence studio program.
- Codec Gallery: An intimate enclosed darkened room designed specifically for single-channel video art, experimental digital media, animation, and immersive sound works.
- Projects Gallery & Street Gallery: Exhibition zones allocated to site-specific architectural interventions, experimental installation work, and window-facing displays visible from the West Temple plaza.
- UMOCA Art Shop & Education Studio: A curated retail counter at the entrance offering small-press art books, zines, ceramics, and jewelry crafted by local Utah makers, paired with a hands-on family art studio hosting Saturday workshops.
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 20 S West Temple St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 |
| Neighborhood / Area | Downtown Salt Lake City (Salt Palace & Temple Square District) |
| Operating Hours | Wednesday–Thursday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM; Friday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM; Saturday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM; Sunday–Tuesday: Closed |
| Admission / Price Range | Pay-what-you-can ($10 suggested donation per adult; free for children and members) |
| Recommended Visit Duration | 45 to 90 minutes |
| Nearest Transit / Parking | UTA TRAX Temple Square Station (Blue & Green Lines, 1 block north); paid underground parking at City Creek Center or Salt Palace garages |
| Official Website & Phone | utahmoca.org | +1 801-328-4201 |
Visiting Tips, Getting There & Nearby Pairings
Because UMOCA operates on a pay-what-you-can admission model with a $10 suggested donation, walk-in entry is straightforward and advance timed tickets are only necessary during special evening lectures, film screenings, or Friday gallery openings. Wednesday and Thursday afternoons between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM offer the quietest gallery viewing, whereas Friday evenings draw an energetic local arts crowd—especially during downtown Salt Lake City’s monthly Gallery Stroll on the third Friday of each month, when the museum remains open until 9:00 PM. Families visiting with children should look out for Family Art Saturday on the second Saturday of each month, which offers free guided hands-on art projects.
Getting to the museum via public transit is effortless: ride the UTA TRAX light rail Blue or Green Line inside the downtown Free Fare Zone and exit at Temple Square Station, located less than a two-minute walk north on South Temple. Drivers can park in the underground City Creek Center garage directly across West Temple (often offering the first two hours free) or the Salt Palace Convention Center East Garage. The museum’s sunken plaza is accessible via an exterior ramp and elevator next to Abravanel Hall, and an interior elevator connects the split-level galleries for wheelchair users and strollers. After touring the exhibitions, pair your visit with a concert at adjacent Abravanel Hall, browse the shops and food court at City Creek Center across the street, or walk five minutes east to Main Street for local coffee shops, bookstores, and restaurants.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the opening hours and best times to visit Utah Museum of Contemporary Art?
The museum is open Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Friday from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM; it is closed Sunday through Tuesday. Midweek afternoons are ideal for quiet contemplation in the galleries, while Friday nights are best for experiencing opening receptions and evening community events.
How much does admission cost at UMOCA?
General admission to the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art is open to all on a pay-what-you-can basis, with a suggested donation of $10 per adult to support exhibitions and artist programming. You do not need to reserve general admission tickets online in advance unless you are registering for a specific workshop or ticketed event on utahmoca.org.
How long does it take to walk through the museum?
Most visitors spend between 45 and 90 minutes exploring all six gallery spaces across the building’s two levels. If you plan to watch complete loops of the video installations in the Codec Gallery or read the curatorial brochures in depth, budget closer to 90 minutes.
Is the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art wheelchair accessible and suitable for families?
Yes, the museum is fully wheelchair and stroller accessible via step-free ramps leading down into the entrance courtyard and an interior elevator linking the lower Main Gallery with the upper exhibition levels. While some contemporary artworks address mature social themes—which are clearly noted with advisory signage outside specific rooms—the museum welcomes families and hosts free interactive children’s workshops on the second Saturday of each month.
Travelers exploring Salt Lake City often pair this stop with nearby highlights including Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek (0.1 km away).
