There’s a hot spring in Salt Lake!
Remember Wasatch Plunge on Beck Street?
How about the old Children’s Museum?
Join us in reactivating our hot spring right in the city, bringing the historic building back to life and creating a community gathering place where people of all walks of life come together—to soak, learn, heal, connect, and collaborate in new ways!
GREAT NEWS!
1.5 million in bond money has been allocated for improvements to Warm Springs Park.
And there’s a vitally important action we need you to take ASAP.
The bond money for repairs is a great start and there’s still a lot of work to do to protect and preserve Warm Springs, revitalize the hot springs and restore it to a public gathering place again. Join us and be a part of this community movement now, so we can get soaking!
Here’s what you need to know…
Salt Lake City has a public survey open right now for input about improvements to the park.
But before you fill out the city’s survey…
here’s the thing…
…the survey doesn’t mention the hot spring at all.
The survey is mostly checkboxes with ordinary questions about ordinary sorts of things that happen in ordinary parks (Fortunately, it does mention ways to include the indigenous connection. Another win for grassroots momentum!)
We know Warm Springs is much more than ordinary. And this is a chance to add your voice!
We know that:
• This rare and unique resource right in the city has been unused for almost 50 years
• The Warm Springs Alliance has been gathering community input for years and the message is loud and clear “bring back the hot springs!” We’ve integrated the community’s ideas into a plan that includes beautiful, natural, outdoor pools, a community spa, an innovative restaurant, interactive history experiences, and multi-use event spaces that can be used in every way we can imagine.
• There’s a great need for a place like this, for:
community health and wellness
an indigenously-centered heritage site
historic preservation
connection to nature
connection to ourselves
connection with each other
connection/collaboration between communities
• This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment for a major city to create a first-of-its-kind community wellness center
• This is a perfect opportunity for a public/private partnership to benefit the whole community.
• From the use of the springs by indigenous people, then early Mormon settlers, to the Wasatch Plunge pools so many still remember, to the well-loved Children’s Museum, the area has cultivated community in unique ways for hundreds of years. It has always served best as a gathering place and can be that again.
• There is no other site like this in the Intermountain West. The full potential of this singular landmark can be realized, and in the process revitalize the neighborhood and serve the whole region.
• The value of Warm Springs isn’t as a blank slate. Its greatest potential flows from its unique features and history. This place belongs to all of us!
So…
If you believe the hot spring is an important part of the big picture…
..take 2 minutes to take the SLC survey now and be sure to say so in the comments!
...More Good News
Repairs on the historic Wasatch Plunge building have started! Salt Lake City currently owns the historic building, the land, and the hot mineral water. In 2022, the city allocated 8 million dollars of a Sales Tax Bond for much needed repairs and stabilization.
Great gratitude goes to the City Council members who voted yes on this.
Chris Wharton
Daniel Dugan
Darin Mano
Ana Valdemoros
Victoria Petro-Eschler
Alejandro Puy
(Amy Fowler was absent)
Please let them know how much you appreciate their YES vote. And we want to add an especially big thank you to Chris Wharton for all his hard work in championing this funding! Warm Springs is in District 3 where Councilperson Wharton serves and he’s done a great job advocating for the preservation of this local treasure.
About Warm Springs
A beautiful, historic building sits empty.
Hot mineral water quietly flows from the hillside into the sewer.
A lovely, but little-used park waits for the occasional visit from a neighbor with a dog.
This is what you’ll see today if you visit 840 North 300 West in Salt Lake City.
But there’s more to know.
From the use of the springs by indigenous people, then early Mormon settlers, to the Wasatch Plunge pool so many still fondly remember, to the well-loved Children’s Museum, the area has cultivated community in unique ways for hundreds of years.
It has always served best as a gathering place.
We believe the historic Warm Springs site can be that again.
We see the potential for it to be a place that people from the neighborhood, city and surrounding area come to often and for many good reasons.
We’re hearing from the community that you want the hot springs to be reactivated for public use. You’re interested in arts, cultural and social events, educational programming, spa services, interactive history exhibits, concerts, festivals, conferences, eating together, children’s events and celebrations. We believe it’s possible to offer these things in ways that draw all ages, beliefs, abilities, economic classes and backgrounds. A place where everyone is welcome.
We understand there is no other site like this in the Intermountain West and would like to see this singular landmark honored by realizing its full potential, and in the process revitalize the neighborhood and serve the whole region.
We’ve been gathering community input for years. We’ve integrated the community’s ideas into a plan and we’re still listening. Please add your voice!
