SALT LAKE CITY — The long-awaited Museum of Utah opened to the public Saturday at the Capitol Complex, giving visitors a first look at hundreds of artifacts meant to tell the story of the state.
One of the first things visitors see when entering the museum is big, shiny and orange.
The Mormon Meteor, a race car driven by Ab Jenkins on the Bonneville Salt Flats in the 1930s, is now part of the museum’s collection. Jenkins drove the car while breaking land-speed endurance records and helping make Utah known in the racing world.
For his grandson, A.B. Jenkins, seeing the car on display is personal.
“My grandfather sold the car to the state for I think a dollar just so it would be displayed to kind of inspire other people,” Jenkins said. “So it’s kind of come full circle.”
Museum Director Tim Glenn said the Mormon Meteor is one of 950 artifacts on display.
“We really don’t have a place in Utah where we can tell the whole history of the state,” Glenn said.
Glenn said the goal is not to tell one version of Utah history, but to make room for more people to see themselves in it.
“Our biggest goal is that people see themselves in the Museum of Utah,” he explained.
Visitor Kate Conrow said some of the history inside felt long overdue.
“I wish that there would have been more Utah history when I was in school because I’ve learned so much as an adult,” Conrow said.
For Jenkins, the museum means his family’s story is not only remembered but is still being used to inspire others.
“It really, in some ways, put Utah on the map with the Bonneville Salt Flats and the heritage of racing, which my grandfather helped establish,” Jenkins said.
The Museum of Utah is open to the public at the Capitol Complex. Admission is free, but visitors are encouraged to reserve tickets online.
