Wasatch Springs Plunge
Posted by: 
brwhiz
N 40° 47.336 W 111° 53.998
12T E 424069 N 4515716
This historic indoor swimming pool, now on the National Register of Historic Places, has been rehabilitated to house the Utah Children's Museum.
Waymark Code: WME9R1
Location: Utah, United States
Date Posted: 04/23/2012
Views: 10
Wasatch Springs Plunge
Built near several warm springs, the Wasatch Springs Plunge is significant for its Mission style architecture and as a early municipal recreational facility. The warm springs along this portion of the Wasatch Fault were used by Native Americans even before the arrival of the Mormon pioneers who quickly developed the springs and constructed numerous bathing facilities, praising the warm sulphurous water for its curative and rejuvenating qualities. This substantial masonry building was built by Salt Lake City in 1921 and replaced earlier frame buildings.
Designed by the noted local architectural firm of Cannon and Fetzer, the building exemplifies the Mission style. The stuccoed walls, red tile roofs, curvilinear parapets, arched openings and arcades are characterisitic of Mission style which emanated from California at the end of the nineteenth century and was based on the old Catholic missions.
Due to problems with the water, deterioration of the structure, construction of newer pools and changes in demographics, the facility fell into disuse in the 1970s and was closed. It was later rehabilitated and reopened in 1983 as The Children's Museum of Utah.
Marker placed in 1993
Division of State History