by Emily Olson
The Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center, located at 100 S W Temple Street, does not have a name all its own. It shares a name with Calvin L. Rampton, Utah’s 11th governor, and it is the third facility named Salt Palace. The first was built in 1899 and was the centerpiece of an amusement park. It was named Salt Palace because the building’s frame was covered with giant slabs of rock salt. It was unfortunately destroyed by a 1910 fire. The second Salt Palace was a concert and sports arena that was in use from 1969 until 1994 when it was demolished.
The modern Salt Palace Convention Center was built on the demolished arena’s footprint in 1995, and it boasts 515,000 square feet of exhibit space and 164,000 feet of meeting space. It underwent major expansions in 2000 and 2005. Calvin L. Rampton’s name was added to the center’s official name in 2007 because he is widely considered to be the founding father of Salt Lake City’s convention and tourism business.
With a nod to sustainability, a solar array was installed on the roof of the convention center in 2012. It is estimated that the solar array provides 17 percent of the electricity the facility uses.
The Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center is managed by ASM Global on behalf of Salt Lake County.
