The Clark Planetarium is high-tech and high-wonderment for anyone curious about the universe we live in. The exhibits and retail area are free to roam, but with a Salt Lake Explorer pass, you can receive free admission to a dome theater show and an IMAX documentary showing. You could spend hours here, wandering interactive exhibits, trying a few experiments, and gazing at 3D intergalactic scenery.

Whatever your age, the historic Liberty Park, set just a few minutes outside downtown Salt Lake, is somewhere you could spend entire days of your life. This community hub offers multiple playgrounds and kids’ areas, giant shade trees, acres and acres of grass, a duck pond with its own island gazebo, a prime-time running trail, a kid-oriented area with rides, and, most excitingly, Tracy Aviary. This beloved aviary is home to 400 birds from around the world, and its informational exhibits and shows—not to mention the incredibly beautiful birds—will delight any visitor. (Bonus: your Salt Lake Explorer pass gets you in for free.)

Maybe you know the general story of early settlers arriving in what is now Utah, but have you ever wanted to glimpse into the daily life of these intrepid explorers? Set at the base of Emigration Canyon, right where the first settlers arrived in the Salt Lake valley, this park includes a Pioneer Village, Native American Village, mining exhibits, horseback rides, old-fashioned candy, and more settler-era artifacts than you can shake a stick at. Free admission to the Heritage Park is included with the Salt Lake Explorer Pass.           

Snowbird is famous for its 2,900 vertical feet of unparalleled mountain terrain, and if you’re in town during the winter, you’d be remiss not to visit. Full gear rentals and lessons are available for newbies, of course. But also, if you’re in Salt Lake during summer, a trip to the ‘Bird is tough to beat. Take an aerial tram ride to the top of the mountain, enjoy the kids’ climbing wall and bungee trampoline on the tram deck, explore the summer trail system, and grab a bite to eat at one of the resort restaurants. (Your Salt Lake Explorer Pass will snag you one free tram ride.)

A remnant of ancient Lake Bonneville that used to cover the present-day Salt Lake Valley, the Great Salt Lake is just what it sounds like—a fascinating body of water so salty that only brine shrimp can live in it. Drive about half an hour west of the city on I-80 and exit at the Great Saltair event venue, where you’ll find a quiet desert beach with a gorgeous view of Antelope Island in the distance. The tiny, salt-loving organisms in the water turn it a rosy hue that’s both strange and stunning.