South Jordan is home to the Gale Center of History and Culture. This museum is full of hands-on activities for young children, as well as information about the area. The best news is that it is free to visit the Gale Center.
We stopped at this museum after many recommendations from our readers about visiting. There is a worker at the desk to greet you. Make sure to stop and ask what activities they have. There was a small scavenger hunt happening when we were there, and they also had a table with coloring pages. After we stopped at the desk, we explored the Gale Center of History and Culture.
Mining Section
There is a small section dedicated to mining since the South Jordan area was settled near the Kennecott Copper Mine. The museum has a small mine area that you walk through, and a display about mining. There is also a model of the Kennecott open pit mine showing the layers of the earth that have been stripped away. You can see how the mine was created. There are even small model trains running down into the mine. Our boys liked the interactive areas in this section of the museum, and spent quite a bit of time sending messages to each other in Morse Code.
South Jordan Area
The next area of the Gale Museum is a small display with information specifically about South Jordan. This area also houses the art displays for the local artists and students. We liked reading about Gene Fullmer, the man who was a boxing legend and came from South Jordan. The boys also tried their hands at boxing.
Pioneer Home
There are a few different areas dedicated to the pioneers. One spot has a short pioneer narration playing. The other area is a home set up to look like a pioneer home. We always like to look at the ways the pioneers lived and talk with our kids about sewing machines, butter churns, and other historical artifacts.
Little Town
This was the best part of the Gale Center. There is a store, a home, a post office and a school. All of these areas are created for kids to have fun and touch everything! We started in the store where we filled baskets with play food, and then took turns checking each other out at the cash register. It was fun to pretend shop as a family.
The home has chores that you can do like washing clothes and taking care of the animals. There is also a kitchen where you can cook and clean, and have dinner together. The post office is small, but it is behind the house, so don’t miss it!
Our favorite part was the little school house. Everyone took turns being the teacher and writing on the slates. We really enjoyed the fun time playing together in this area. This is the reason that youngsters will be asking to return to this museum again and again. Make sure to ask at the front desk for the marbles to use in the marble run. If you’re good, they might even let you ring the school bell!
If you are looking for great indoor adventures, put the Gale Center of History & Culture on your list. This museum is open Tuesday – Thursday from 10-6 pm, and Friday from 10-4 pm. It is perfect for young children, but remember that this is a museum, so they ask you to keep voices low and no running. While this museum is free, donations are always welcome. Find the Gale Center at 10300 South, Beckstead Lane in South Jordan, UT. Use our list of 50+ indoor adventures if you need another museum idea.
