Sites & Insights: Natural History Museum of Utah

The Natural History Museum of Utah is opening its doors for a behind-the-scenes look at its newest temporary exhibit on Friday, December 11. The tour focuses on traditional weaving and basket-making techniques from Utah and the surrounding areas, and it's part of Sites & Insights, a professional development program run by the Utah Museums Association. The program is aimed at museum professionals, but they've made it clear that anyone is welcome to join.

What makes this particular exhibit worth the trip is how it came together. It was developed in-house with Indigenous co-curators, and the tour spends as much time on the process as on the baskets themselves. You'll hear about the relationships the museum built and the insights they gained from working closely with Indigenous leaders, artists, and experts—and how that collaboration ended up shaping the museum's own internal and external programming. It's a look at the work that happens before the cases are filled.

If you haven't spent much time at the museum lately, it's a good excuse to get back up there. It's Utah's state museum of natural history, housed in a striking building with all-new exhibits, interactive displays, and hands-on activities. There's a three-story Collections Wall and four outdoor terraces connected by hiking and foot trails that look out over the Salt Lake Valley, plus a new Museum Store and Museum Cafe on site.

The tour runs from 3 PM to 7 PM on December 11 at the museum, located at 301 Wakara Way in Salt Lake City. It's free for UMA members and $15 for the general public, and registration is required.