State historical society outlines Museum of Utah design, collections and public schedule

Jennifer Ortiz, director of the Utah Historical Society, and Donna Lague, executive director of the Department of Cultural and Community Engagement, briefed the committee on Oct. 14, 2025, on the Museum of Utah and the North Capitol Building project. They described gallery plans, storage for state collections and opportunities for legislators to visit preview events in 2026.

The project matters because it relocates and centralizes state historical collections, creates permanent public gallery space on the Capitol complex, and includes outreach plans to school groups and communities across the state.

Project scope and galleries

Ortiz said the Museum of Utah was purpose‑built and includes about 17,000 square feet of permanent galleries and 1,300 square feet of rotating gallery space. The facility is sited within the new North Capitol Building and will contain three levels of program space: secure collection storage in the lower level, permanent galleries and visitor services on the first floor, and offices, classrooms and partner agency space on the second floor. Ortiz said the galleries are thematic (Becoming Utah; Connecting Utah; Building Utah; Inspiring Utah) rather than strictly chronological and that the content is mapped to state curriculum standards for K–12 visits.

Nut graf — why this matters

The Museum will permit broader public access to the state’s historical collections, provide educational programming tied to school standards and create rotating exhibitions that can showcase partner organizations across the state.

Public engagement and timeline

Ortiz said the project team has engaged widely: more than 15 focus groups, 40 community meetings and presentations, and multiple surveys and stakeholder conversations since 2019. She described featured objects and gallery themes (tribal history space partnered with federally recognized tribes; a Transcontinental Railroad interpretation; a mining watch tied to the Schofield mine disaster and workplace safety reforms; and a civic engagement area for students).

The museum’s planned events include: a legislative preview on Feb. 23, 2026; a VIP open house for elected officials on June 2, 2026; and a community celebration and public opening planned for June 27, 2026, Ortiz said.

Ending and next steps

Ortiz invited committee members to schedule legislative walkthroughs and said the team would provide contact information and handouts. No budget action was requested at the hearing; the briefing focused on project progress and public schedules.