Random Rambler: Trolley Square

Trolley Square is a mall in Salt Lake City. But what makes it interesting is that is was originally a set of barns that streetcars were stored, built in 1908. Our street car system was dismantled in 1945. The barns were converted to a shopping center in 1972.

I have been to Trolley Square a few times in my life, but every time it was just, b-line to whatever we were going to and get out. I never took the time to appreciate it for it’s history. Honestly I just wanted to stop and look at the water tower but I got pulled in.

Water Tower

Trolley

Front

Quick Details:

Length: However much you wander. I didn’t track it today.
Trail Type: Wander
Difficulty: DR2. Updated buildings.
Elevation Gain: 1 floor.
Restroom: Several.
Dogs? No.
Other Info:

To Get Here:

Take i15 to 600 South and head east. Just before 700 East it will be on the left. Additional parking on the right. 602 E 500 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

The Adventure:

The front.

The water tower.

The building again.

U L & R Co. Utah Light and Railway Company. It took us a minute to find that out.

The tower originally held 50,000 gallons of water and was used to supply the sprinkler system in the barns.

It is 97 feet tall.

In 1972 it was converted into a landmark and covered in red and blue NEON lights. It was used as a weather beacon that used the same system that The Walker Center Tower uses. Solid blue = clear skis, flashing blue = cloudy, solid red = rain, flashing red = snow. I didn’t know that! That is cool.

After many years of disuse the tower was renovated in 2014. The NEON was replaced with LED. They no longer use it as a weather beacon, instead using the LED with a lot more color options to decorate for holidays or events.

I thought I recall it looking kind of haggard a long time ago and then it was pretty.

I found it on google maps, from 2011.

It is a neat water tower.

Underneath.

Again.

Wait a minute… they don’t have it gated off? You can just climb it? Well that is crazy. Maybe it is gated off a little higher up? I don’t do heights so I didn’t check. I did see a sign that you can call and request a tour though.

The west side.

The south side again.

The front of the building again. They are Mission Style.

Archways.

Old chandelier.

Front doors.

“Central City Historic District

Utah Light and Railway Co. Car Barns (Trolley Square)

Salt Lake City was one of the first cities in the U.S. to introduce a trolley car system, electrifying its first line in 1889. Railroad magnate E.H. Harriman purchased a controlling interest in Utah Light Railway Company with plans to build a state-of-the-art trolley system as a model for the world. He invested $3.5 million in this site, constructing the unusual mission-style car barn complex during 1908-10. The largest building was used as the berth for the trolleys. The middle building served as the machine or "rip" shop and blacksmith shop. The north building was the paint and carpenter shop. The smaller east building was the sand house. The water tower was designed to hold 50,000 gallons of water in case of fire.

The railway venture operated out of this location until August 19, 1945, after which the Salt Lake City buses were housed here until 1970. Trolley Square was one of the first large-scale adaptive reuse projects in the country when the historic buildings were converted into a festival marketplace. Relics from around the West were rescued and installed as accent pieces. Trolley Square opened in June of 1972.

Marker placed in 1997 in recognition of Trolley Square's 25th Anniversary.”

“Utah Historic Site

Trolley Square

Site of LDS Tenth Ward square until 1888 when it was purchased and used as a territorial fairgrounds through 1901. Car barns and repair shops built 1908-1910 under the direction of E.H Harriman for Utah Light and Railway Company. Barns housed Salt Lake City buses until 1970. Renovation 1972.”

The entrance.

Inside.

Fancy old lamp.

Cute welcome sign.

Neat old racecar.

It is a 1926 Bugatti Type 35.

The front.

This appears to be the spring of old cars for us!

Fun brick walls.

Fancy metal railing.

Oooh, look at this fancyness. It even has suicide doors.

Old mail box.

Judging by the patents it is circa 1880s-90s

Neat!

The building.

Neat water tower tile.

Fancy chandelier.

Some history about electric trolley cars.

Old safe.

Interior of Car Shop - Sept. 1918.

Exterior - Aug. 1917.

Fancy open area on the south end.

Miniature train, and kiddy train ride. Are there really no street cars here?

The kiddy train ride again. This is like the one they have at Gardner Village and Liberty Park. Another fun thing that I probably would have loved as a kid, but we didn’t have them then.

Oh here we go, the Trolley Train Shoppe. It was not open, in fact it seems like about half of the stores in the mall decided to not open today. Which is totally fair, actually I applaud it. Retail workers deserve to have holidays off too.

But, there is a trolley “crashing” through it that looks like we can go in it.

Well, we can go in, but not very far. It has a divider here. But, we can kind of see inside so that is fun! I wonder if you can explore it more when the store is open.

The side.

I noticed a large 4. I am guessing it was Bay 4?

“Trolley Square Historical Marker

Thickener Bridge

This 150 foot long enclosed walkway was once a conveyer trestle for an oxide mill east of Tooele, Utah. The trestle, called a thickener bridge, carried the drive mechanism for thickeners in the mill. It was owned by International Smelting and Refining Company, a subsidiary of Anaconda Mining Company.”

Inside. Woo! This is neat! We have driven underneath it quite a few times, but this is the first time I have used it.

It is like a greenhouse though! I hope they air condition it when it is warmer. It is unpleasant now, I can't imagine it in the middle of summer if they don't.

600 South looking west. It is 1 story high, so about ~15 feet up or so.

East.

The elevator on the south end. It is currently out of order, but there are stairs as well. There is a parking lot on this end. We noticed quite a few employees leaving this way, so imagine most places ask the employees to park in this lot.

Looking back, I wish we had wandered down the stairs to see the bridge from outside. Meh, we might come back.

Heading back the other way.

The outside of the main building.

Old thermostat. I highly doubt that it works, but I was tempted to try haha.

O snap, is it in Celsius? We don’t do Celsius in America! (sarcasm).

View north.

South.

The outside.

The fancy open area again. This would be Bay 5, but I do not see a 5. But, I was not looking for it at the moment.

Old brick floor.

Floor to ceiling fountain.

Bay 1.

Quick backtrack to Bay 2.

And bay 3. I should have run back to see if there was a 5, but I didn’t. However, I think my previous picture shows that there isn’t one. But, I will have to come back to double check.

Oh fun! there is a little miniature of the area when it was the streetcar barns.

As we learned from the historical signs the south (right), largest building was the berth (trolley car barn) for the trolleys. It is now the main mall. The middle building was the machine and blacksmith shop. Now a Pottery Barn. And the north (left) building was the paint and carpenter shop. It now houses 4 stores. The smaller east building was the sand house. I am pretty sure It was demolished, and a larger building was built for what is now Whole Foods.

Hooray! There is an actual trolley!

It used to be the original location for the Trolley Wing Company (and you can see the old signage in the back window). They closed this location and a Sugar House one between December 2024 and May 2025. Sadly I just learned the final 2 locations in Midvale and Taylorville closed last year. That is such a shame, I actually kind of liked them!

Closer.

Neat old lamp.

Back to the trolley. Is it still a cattleguard when it is on a trolley?

Trolley Square.

Fancy chandelier inside.

U. L. & T. CO.

The east end.

It looks like it is being remodeled. I wonder if the fancy chandeliers are original or not.

I didn’t get a picture, but if I remember right an ice cream shop is moving in.

Well, I appreciate that there are 2 trolley cars here. But they are both gutted. I am a little sad that there isn't an old intact one. I would have loved to see what the interior looked like. I would really have liked to see the conductors area too.

The north side.

Pottery Barn in the old machine shop.

Desert Edge Brewery added a balcony.

Definitely not original. But, I don’t think it is too much of an add on to ruin the aesthetics of the buildings.

Fancy grating.

Brew tank… I think. I see these things in breweries.

Back of the main barn.

Additional buildings.

Back entrance.

Alliance Theater.

So, my ADHD ass noticed on the map that there was a trolley car barn, and I kept looking for it. If I had stopped for more than 2 seconds to actually read the map, I would have understood we we inside of it for the entire beginning. Now that I am looking at the map at home, it makes total sense. Oi. Another reminder that sometimes I need to slow down and not SQUIRREL!! So much. I just was really hoping to see more trolleys I guess.

Back of the main barn.

Panoramic.

The old machine shop, now Pottery Barn.. and Rejuvenation on the back end it seems.

Fancy sconces.

The north building, the old paint and carpenter shop, now a Williams Sonoma, and a few other shops.

The middle building again.

North end with the Trolley Square sign.

What the heck is that tower? It kind of looks like a cell tower but encased in cement. Weird.

What what what? We have a circus center? Alrighty then.

Back to the trolley car.

The back.

Fun NEON signs from the old Trolley Wing Company.

The main barn again.

Fun round window.

The water tower again.

Again.

Vertical panoramic.

The front of the main barn again.

Main entrance.

The U L & R Co sign again.

Panoramic… not particularly the best.

The water tower again.

Again.

The skybridge (PSP).

“Freaky” Dee’s (PSP). This was our old after hours haunt back in the 90’s.

Well that was fun! I kind of wish I had come and explored it sooner. It is a neat group of old buildings. I wish the car industry hadn’t purposely killed the trolley industry, I would love to be able to get around town on a trolley. But anyway, the buildings are neat. Its a lot like Gardner Village in that they converted old buildings into a shopping center, but I like that they managed to preserve these exceptionally old and neat buildings. This was probably the best day to explore them, but it was still a little busy. 8 Squirrels.