St. George is home to many historic places. Whether it be historic Mormon church buildings, ancient Anasazi petroglyphs or Jurassic Dinosaur footprints – check out these great historic sites of St. George!
Pine Valley Pioneer Chapel
35 miles north of St. George and 3,500 feet higher in elevation is Pine Valley, Utah. Pine Valley has long been a place of refuge from sweltering St. George heat. Pine Valley was settled in 1859 by Mormon pioneers. The early pioneers, including Ebenezer Bryce, the namesake for Bryce Canyon National Park, built this chapel in the middle of town. The church was completed in 1868 and is now the oldest operating chapel within the Mormon church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). The Pine Valley Chapel is open for tours 10:00 am to 5:00 pm daily.
52 W. Main Street Pine Valley, UT 84781
Brigham Young Winter Home
Brigham Young was a prominent Mormon leader & prophet. He lead the Mormon pioneers in their exodus across the plains from Illinois to Utah. As Brigham Young got older, the Salt Lake City winters took a toll on him so he had a home built in St. George where he could retreat for the winter. The Brigham Young Winter Home is open for tours from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily.
67 W 200 N, St. George, UT 84770-2864
Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm
Though these many dinosaur footprint fossils date back to the Jurassic age, they weren’t discovered until the year 2000 when local Optometrist, Dr. Sheldon Johnson was leveling out a section of his property along the Virgin River. The Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm is the oldest historic site in St. George dating back 200 million years. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $4 for children. The museum is open 7 days a week from Monday – Sunday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM.
2180 East Riverside Drive
St. George, UT 84790
Grafton Ghost Town
One of the West’s Best Ghost Towns! Grafton is located just south of Zion National Park. Grafton is a must-see if you’re going to Zion. Originally founded in 1859 as Wheeler, Grafton was populated until the 1940’s. Now, it’s a popular little Ghost Town, complete with an old church/schoolhouse, a couple log homes, a pioneer wagon and more. For more on Grafton, check out this article.
From Rockville, Utah – Go south on Grafton Road until you get to Grafton Ghost Town.
Jacob Hamblin Home
Located in Santa Clara, Utah, the Jacob Hamblin Home was built by Jacob Hamblin; a Mormon Pioneer known for being a peacemaker with local Native American tribes. Hamblin even learned to speak the local Paiute language. The Jacob Hamblin Home was built sometime in 1854 and was part of the first settlement of Santa Clara and possibly the first building in that town. Summer touring schedule is Monday–Saturday: 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Sunday: 1:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. Winter touring schedule is Monday–Friday: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Sunday: 1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
3325 Hamblin Dr.
Santa Clara, Utah 84765
Anasazi Petroglyphs
Out past Ivins on Old Highway 91 is the Anasazi Valley Trail. The remains of an ancient Native American community lay on top of these hills. Along the trail you’ll see all kinds of incredible petroglyphs and lots of them! These Native American petroglyphs are out in the open and are easy to see. If you’re at all interesting in Native American culture and history – this is a must-stop for you!
Anasazi Trailhead, W Old Highway 91, Ivins, Utah.
St. George Temple & Visitor’s Center
The St. George Temple was completed in 1877 by early Mormon Pioneers. The Temple was constructed of local lava rock, red sandstone and pines from Pine Valley mountain & Mount Trumbull. If you’ve ever driven through St. George on I-15 you’ve probably seen it – a giant, white castle-looking building. Though the Temple itself is closed off to the general public, there is a Visitor’s Center adjacent to it. The Visitor’s Center is open daily from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
490 South 300 East
St. George, Utah 84770
Of course, this is only a brief list of historic sites of St. George. There are many more historic places in St. George to visit! Some more historic places include, Sandstone Quarry Trail, Fort Pierce, St. George Tabernacle, Green Gate Village, St. George Opera House, Old Dixie Academy Building (Children’s Museum), Shem Ghost Town, Harrisburg Historic Stone Home, Hurricane Valley Heritage Park Museum, etc.