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The Walker Center Tower is an old building in downtown Salt Lake City. Which, I mean is nothing special we have a bunch of old buildings. What makes this building unique though is the giant light up weather tower on the top that can be seen from quite a distance.
Quick Details:
Length: Drive by, or walk up so however far away you park.
Trail Type: Drive by or walk by.
Difficulty: DR1
Elevation Gain: NA
Restroom: No
Dogs? City sidewalk rules apply.
Other Info:
To Get Here:
It is located at 175 South Main Street. So from i15 take the 6th south exit and head east. Turn left on Main St. and look for it on the right just after you pass 200 South.
The Trail:
I was hoping to get out of the car and take some pictures of it today, however we couldn’t find parking. So for now we will have to do with a couple Passenger Seat Photos (PSP).
The building was opened on 1912 after a little over a year of construction. At the time of it’s completion it was the tallest building between Chicago and San Francisco at 16 stories, and 220 feet tall.
It was originally the headquarters for Walker Bank. The basement contained the vault, and a couple other shops. The main floor was the bank, and the upper floors were used as office space.
It remained the headquarters of Walker Bank until it merged with First Interstate Bancorp in 1981, which is now part of Wells Fargo.
Oddly enough Wells Fargo has a building just about a block to the south that was the tallest building in SLC from 1998 to 2024.
At the top of the building is a 64 foot weather tower. It provides a weather forecast using a simple 2 color solid or flashing lights method.
Blue = Clear skies.
Flashing blue = cloudy skies.
Red = rain.
Flashing red = snow.
A mnemonic people use to help remember is: "Solid blue: skies are too, flashing blue: clouds are due, solid red: rain ahead, flashing red: snow instead."
The tower was forced to be taken down in 1980 due to a city ordinance. However it was replaced in 2008.
In December of 2021 the old neon lights were replaced with LED lights. Normally the old weather forecast system is still used with the 2 color, solid or flashing light method. However now, they also can use any color they desire to celebrate holidays and and other special events occurring.
Personally, I am sad to see the neon go, but I get it and I celebrate they they will continue using the old method of weather forecasting and hey, I hope to see it during a special event now too.
Here is a shot all the way from i80, some 3 miles or so away from our recent visit to Sugar House Monument Plaza. Which happened to be a rainy day so you can see the tower glowing red.
Bonus shot showing the tower glowing red on another rainy day.
October 2024 update: I just learned that the famed magician Harry Houdini hung upside down from this building in 1915! You can read more about that here.
April 2026 update:
We were downtown again and I got some additional pictures.
From the southwest.
Closer.
From the north at night. Solid blue = Clear skies.
From the west at night.
Again, from the car (PSP).
The original sign was designed and built in the 1950’s by what is now The Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO). They also converted the sign from NEON to LED in 2021.
YESCO designed and manufactured a lot of our memorable signs. Among others they did the Snelgrove Sign with the iconic rotating double scoop ice cream cone, The Ogden 25th Street Dragon (as well as its restoration), The Granite Furniture Sputnik in Sugar House (and its restoration) and Wendover Will.
Nighttime predicting rain.
Under the tower.
Lit up blue for Clear Skies.
The building.
The south side of the building showing a lower section and the parking garage.
From the south, predicting rain.
Closer view of the tower.
Well, I still think I need to come back and explore this particularly neat building some more, but I am happy with what I saw today. I really love the giant weather tower, and always have. 9 out of 10 squirrels today.
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