Once known as the Coney Island of the West. That’s Saltair Resort. It stands on the southern shore of the Great Salt Lake. This is about 15 miles west of Salt Lake City. We are standing before a place steeped in history. It’s a place where memories linger like the salty air.
Saltair has been more than just a resort. It has been a cultural icon. It’s deeply embedded in Utah’s history. Artists folklorists and historians have long been interested in it.
The first Saltair was completed in 1893. It was jointly owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was also owned by the Salt Lake & Los Angeles Railway. The railway was built to serve the resort. Richard K.A. Kletting designed Saltair. He was a well-known Utah architect. He also designed the Utah State Capitol building. The resort rested on over 2000 posts and pilings. Many are still visible today.
Saltair aimed to be the Western counterpart to Coney Island. For a time it was the most popular family destination west of New York. The church sold the resort in 1906.
Sadly the first Saltair pavilion burned down in 1925. A new pavilion was built but it never achieved the same success. Several factors contributed to its struggles. Motion pictures and radio became popular. The Great Depression set in. People stayed closer to home.
Saltair became known more as a dance palace. It boasted the world’s largest dance floor. Big bands like Glenn Miller played here. The resort closed in 1958. The railroad ceased passenger operations too.
Another fire destroyed the main Saltair pavilion in 1970. Proximity to Interstate 80 spurred the construction of a third Saltair in 1981. This new pavilion used a salvaged aircraft hangar. It was located a mile west of the original site.
The lake flooded the resort months after it opened. The waters receded after several years. New investors restored and repaired the site. But the waters continued to move away. This left it high and dry again.
Concerts are held at the newest Saltair. In 2005 investors from the music industry bought the building. They now hold regular concerts here.
Relics of the Great Salt Lake resorts are nearby. The skeleton of a rail car once sat beside an old powerhouse. The powerhouse once powered lights and roller coasters. Rows of pilings still snake outward toward the lake. These are all that remains of the railway trestle. They once led to the earlier Saltair resort.
Saltair has appeared in movies. Key scenes from the 1962 horror film Carnival of Souls were shot here. The Pixies’s 1991 song “Palace of the Brine” references Saltair.
Saltair stands as a testament to dreams. It stands to resilience and reinvention. Its story echoes through the ages. It reminds us of a time when the shores of the Great Salt Lake sparkled with laughter music and a touch of magic. Today Saltair welcomes new generations. It invites them to create their own memories.