The Gale Museum, referred to as a “hidden gem” by locals, enjoyed its reopening on September 9. 

South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey was in attendance for the official ribbon cutting ceremony celebration. Some city council members, staff members and museum volunteers were there as well. 

Interactive activities, a prize raffle and cookies from Local Cookie Co. increased enthusiasm for event visitors.

“This is a very important day for the Gale Museum and the City of South Jordan,” Ramsey said. “It’s important for the city residents who were key in championing this building to keep the city’s history it represents.” Ramsey mentioned the location’s popularity. The city has received various offers from those wanting to buy the building and its location for
other development.

 This rebranded museum is a place where ‘history and discovery meet.’ Friends, couples and families commonly visit the Gale Museum. The museum is available to all ages. It will be open for 30 scheduled hours from10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. Eye-catching and educational exhibits teach visitors about South Jordan’s back story. The museum also includes a free online presence with digital resources available for public access.

“Most of our fieldtrips are for preschool classes, but we also have home school classes and youth group trips visit,” Maren Svare said, curator of the Gale Museum. “The hill beside the museum is part of the museum’s dugout. The dugout is a reproduction of the homes that early South Jordan families lived in when they moved to
the area.” 

The original dugouts were built into the side of the hill overlooking the river. They used adobe bricks and reeds from the river wetlands for the front wall of the home. The rest of the house was provided by the part of the hill that was “dug out.” Gale Museum’s dugout uses the same construction approach using the hill for the floor, walls, and most of the ceiling. However, it was built to modern safety standards using logs and stones. 

All are invited to be pleasantly surprised at the museum’s new look and learn something new about South Jordan City’s history. λ