The university contains two interesting museums and an arboretum. The fine Utah Museum of Natural History features gems and stones, dinosaur bones, a butterfly collection and more. The new, architecturally-intriguing Utah Museum of Fine Arts has a broad permanent collection and hosts changing exhibits in the Great Hall.

For a dose of fresh air, the Arboretum spreads beyond campus to the Red Butte Garden which is full of walking trails, water features, plant collections and outdoor sculpture.

Self-guided trail brochures are available from the Museum of Natural History. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, the campus was the Olympic Village, while the Rice-Eccles Stadium held the opening and closing ceremonies. The University of Utah is 3km (2mi) east of downtown; a free campus shuttle bus operates during the school year.