International Peace Gardens — Attraction in Salt Lake City

I absolutely love this place. So beautiful and ever-changing. Always something different to see. Of course there is more color and plant diversity during the warmer months, but that is true of anywhere that has a winter climate.

It has been mentioned by several I noticed that it was built in relation to the Olympics which were held in our city. That is not true. It was built long, long before the Olympics were here. If you go to the website, you can easily see that the idea for it was conceived in 1939 and that it was brought to fruition and dedicated in 1952... So pretty much 50+ years before the Olympics came to town.

Another thing to keep in mind, this is a GARDEN, not a park... Which is why there is nothing for children to play on within the gardens. There is a park outside the gates with play equipment and such. But the garden part is a beautiful and peaceful place to stroll and appreciate the beauty of the work that many put in to keep it beautiful.

Does it look perfect at all times? No. But there is MUCH to see if you take the time and mindset to appreciate it, instead of complaining about what it may lack in your eyes.

Yes, it is in a little bit of a sketchy area now, but I imagine it was a nicer area back when it was first created. I personally have never had an issue during my frequent visits, but rarely go there at night.

Overall, it is truly one of my favorite places in town. Definitely...

The peace gardens are maintained by many different groups of people that represent many different countries. Some of the countries are better represented than others, but still you get quite a variety of countries from around the world. It's kind of like going on a world tour in under an hour. It's very peaceful and well maintained as far as the grounds go, but some of the displays are lacking information and are missing plaques that were once there. The ones that do have plaques have some very fun and interesting info so your visit can be educational and informative in addition to being relaxing, especially in good weather. there were many places that had water features, but none of them actually had water in them. I imagine it would be twice as cool if they had water in them. Some of the countries & continents represented there are Norway, China, England, Vietnam, Italy, Lebanon, Germany, Greece, India, Russia, France, Tonga & Africa. There are sculptures and shrines and winding paths that go throughout the park and a bridge that crosses the Jordan river. This is in a rougher part of town, but is usually safe feeling. There is also a huge park area surrounding the gardens with tennis courts, baseball field, playgrounds, etc, but they are pretty outdated. The bathroom doors are also welded shut, so make sure you go before visiting as there are no facilities we could find to use...

Beautiful place to meet family/ friends/ dates, as well as a great location for pictures (prom, grad, wedding, dog portraits). It was really crowded when we went around 5-6 pm Saturday, but each group stops, takes pictures and looks around and then moves to the next one. So, you & your group can do the same. (You'll probably see photographers off to the sides working). Very scenic flowers & landscape design, really amazing. Some "countries" were blank, as if nobody had bothered to do any design or something. Others are colorful, bold & unique. The peace gardens is in a small area - inside Jordan Park. It has an archway welcoming you in. The bathroom in the parking lot was bad: no toilet paper, mess everywhere and my poor mom had no choice. People shouldn't have to feel dirty and violated because they go to the bathroom at a park. Clean it up & stop leaving messes, people! There are plenty of trash bins for garbage. We used them, but saw loads of food plates & trash littered around the parking lot. There was sketchy stuff happening in the picnic/parking area for hours. Lock your car doors & only go during daylight...