Free things to do in Provo

Free things to do in Provo

1. Do

   BYU International Cinema

   Shows foreign and classic films four days per week in a large auditorium. Tickets not required. See website for weekly schedule (showing times usually provided two weeks in advance). (Campus map).

   Sep-Apr: Tue Wed Fri evenings, Sat·Free

2. See

   BYU Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum

   Life science museum featuring taxodermied animals in their natural habitats. Very large collection of animals from all over the world, including unusual ones such as a liger (cross between a tiger and a lion), a giant grizzly bear, and a huge elephant named Humphrey. Public shows, which usually include live animals, offered weekdays at 7:30PM and Saturdays at 1PM and 3PM, in the atrium. Children's classes for ages 5-12 ("Saturday Safari") offered on Saturdays in the summer.

   Mon-Fri 10AM-·Free

3. See

   BYU Museum of Art

   Museum of art featuring rotating, world-class exhibits, in addition to a permanent collection. Audioguides and docent-led tours available. The Museum Cafe offers lunch onsite (11:30AM-2PM). Next door is the Harris Fine Arts Center, which features galleries of student art. Close by is also the Harold B. Lee Library, which features art and historical exhibits on the 1st and 3rd floors.

   Mon-Wed Fri 10AM-6PM, Thu 10AM-9PM, Sat noon-5PM·Free

4. See

   BYU Museum of Paleontology

   Small but well-kept museum featuring dinosaur fossils, including a top-rated Jurassic Period exhibit. The fossils in this museum were previously kept in storage beneath the football stadium.

   9AM-5PM·Free

5. See

   BYU Museum of Peoples and Cultures

   Very small but award-winning museum focusing on cultural anthropology. Regularly features exhibits about Native American cultures, but also features other cultures.

   Sep-Apr: Mon Wed Fri 9AM-5PM, Tue Thu 9AM-7PM; May-Aug: Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM·Free

6. See

   Brigham Young University (BYU)

   Visit Brigham Young University campus. (Campus map) Begin at the Visitors' Desk in the Hinckley Center (North Campus Drive) for an overview and for a guided golfcart tour, if desired. Art galleries at the Museum of Art and Harris Fine Arts Center. Education in Zion exhibit at the Joseph Fielding Smith Building, and other exhibits and events at the Harold B. Lee Library. Food and venues at the Wilkinson Student Center, where the BYU Bookstore is located.

   Mon-Fri 8AM-6PM, Sat 10AM-3PM·Free

7. See

   Downtown

   Incredible collection of historic architecture, and an eclectic mix of restaurants and shops. Downtown Provo is also home to several major employers, including NuSkin International. The LDS Church has converted a historic burned-out Tabernacle to a LDS Temple (see separate listing below).

   Anytime·Free

8. See

   Museum of Mormon History of the Americas

   formerly Museum of Mormon Mexican History

   Small extension of the Museo de Historia del Mormonismo en Mexico. Covers history of the Mormons in Mexico, mostly through replicas of period newspapers in Spanish and English, but a few relics are included. Worth it to see the old church relics and original copies of the Book of Mormon in Spanish, but otherwise probably only interesting for those particularly interested in Mormons and Mexico. Not recommended for children.

   Tue-Fri 2-7PM, Sat 10AM-6PM·Free

9. See

   Provo City Center Temple (LDS)

   The Mormon temple, dedicated in March 2016, is located in downtown Provo. The site used to house the Provo Tabernacle, a combined meeting house and community center built in 1898, but a 2010 fire destroyed the interior and roof, with only the outer walls left standing. The LDS Church chose to preserve the outer walls, restore the original exterior, and convert the interior into the city's second temple. As with all LDS temples, only church members with "temple recommends" are allowed inside the temple, but the surrounding grounds are open to all.

   Free

10. See

    Provo Pioneer Museum & Pioneer Village

    Large collection of pioneer artifacts and history. Museum run by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP). Recreated Pioneer Village next door run by the Sons of Utah Pioneers (SUP) (Jun-Aug: M 5-8PM, Tu-F 4-7PM, Sa 1-4PM).

    Jun-Sep: Tue-Sat 1-4PM; Sep-Oct: WFSa 1AM-4PM; Mar-Jun: WFSa1-4PM·Free

11. See

    Provo Utah Temple (LDS)

    The Mormon temple, dedicated in 1969, is located on top of a hill overlooking Provo. Because of its unique shape, the temple is sometimes called a "rocket ship." The spire was painted white (it had been a golden color) and the statue of Moroni added in the 2000s. Only Mormons who hold a permit known as a "temple recommend" are allowed inside the temple, but the beautifully tended grounds with their seasonal flowers and fountains are open to all. Make sure to walk around the back side of the temple for more flowers and a lovely view of Utah Valley.

    Free

12. See

    Utah State Hospital Museum

    Small museum that chronicles the history and methods of the Utah State Hospital (a mental health hospital operating since 1885). The buildings elsewhere on the hospital campus are notable for their architecture, including a "castle" built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration (you must receive permission to visit the castle; ask at the museum for information about how to do that).

    Tue Thu 1-5PM·Free

13. See Not mapped

    Historic Provo Walking Tour

    There are a number of interesting historical buildings, including the County Courthouse (151 S University Ave) and the Provo City Center Temple (50 S University Ave), a restoration of the old Provo Tabernacle which burned down in December 2010. A self-guided tour booklet our historical houses and other buildings is available at the Provo City Library (550 N University Ave; ask at the first-floor reference desk) or at the Utah Valley Visitors Center (111 S University Ave).

    Free

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Provo (CC BY-SA 4.0).