Eccles Theater

 The George S. and Dolores Dore’ Eccles Theater, or just what everyone calls the Eccles Theater is a more modern theater located in downtown Salt Lake City. It opened in 2016 and hosts traveling Broadway theater.

The Eccles created the George S. and Dolores Dore' Eccles Foundation and they have donated a lot of money to arts and culture, community, education, health care, and preservation and conservation. You will find their name all over the valley on things such as Rice Eccles Stadium, the George S Eccles 2002 Legacy Bridge. The George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Otter Outpost in the Loveland Living Planet aquarium, The new George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Wildlife Education Center among other things

We learned that the musical Wicked was coming to town and since neither of us had seen it we decided that we absolutely must come see it! We have been here a few times before, once for another play, and once for a work event. But I decided it was time I shared some of the neat building.

Quick Details:

Length: However far away you park.
Trail Type: Meander
Difficulty: It is ADA compliant, DR2.
Elevation Gain: Optional 4 stories.
Restroom: Obviously.
Dogs? No.
Other Info: Fee area, depending on whatever show you decide to see.

To Get Here:

Take i15 to 600 S and head east. Turn left on Main street and continue for 4 1/2 blocks at 131 Main street. Find parking. There are a couple nearby lots.

Or you can ride Trax and get off at the City Center Station just to the north.

It is a super gloomy day today (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)).

Hitting downtown (PSP).

The new Hyatt (PSP).

The Adventure:

Main Street Downtown. The Eccles Theater notched into another building. You can also see the Walker Center Tower.

Portrait.

Neat old clock.

The theater.

Again.

The sign for Wicked.

Inside. I love the hanging globes, and the purple glass.

Entering the auditorium.

The stage frame is unique to Wicked, but WOW! it is neat.

There are 3 balconies above.

Neat starry ceiling.

The stage frame.

The top.

Pretty colored glass walls.

Stairs and crowds. O.o

Outside.

Not really the point of this post but, WOW! I really enjoyed the play. I am not a big musical fan, with only one that I really like, and a few that I think are alright. But this one certainly has been added to my list. Yay. I am glad we came out to see it. We particularly wanted to see the live performance before thinking about maybe seeing the movie version.

I was not aware until afterwards that it is based upon the 1st of 4 books by Gregory Maguire. So I am currently reading through that.

Afterwards we walked around to a couple nearby restaurants with the hope of finding dinner, but, the entire theater had the same idea haha. So we decided to head towards home and find something a little closer.

Bonus Content:

Book of Mormon back in 2017.

With it’s special stage frame.

Another play I highly recommend. We went with some of our more traveled friends who saw it in Vegas before seeing it here. They said it is way, way more fun seeing it in Utah since the audience gets it more than they do in Vegas.

Also, due to Utah’s ridiculous laws, I chugged a beer in record time for this one. They do serve beer, and normally you can bring it into the auditorium. However, due to pearl clutchers, if there is any sexual content you can’t bring it into the auditorium. I guess a ridiculous giant cartoon penis qualifies as sexual content. So I couldn’t bring my beer in with me this time. 

A few bonus outside pics from other random times we have passed by:

I love how the other building appears to have just been built around it haha.

I decided to play around on google maps, and it appears they were built at the same time, purposely.

Going backwards in time:

2025

2016 being finished.

2015 being built

2014 empty lot.

2011 the buildings that were here before. I don’t remember either of them.

As I said, I was not familiar with what was here, so I do not mourn the loss, but I celebrate what we gained. It is a neat venue with neat architecture and décor that I hope to visit at least a few more times in my lifetime.