SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 10, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Rio Tinto Kennecott on Friday announced a $10 million donation to the Museum of Utah currently under construction at the Utah Capitol complex.
The donation will be distributed over the next 10 years, celebrating Kennecott’s 120th anniversary and representing the company’s commitment to the project and Utah’s history.
The Museum of Utah is scheduled to open in 2026 in the North Capitol Building under the direction of the Utah Historical Society.
“Our investment in the Museum of Utah not only honors the legacy of our mining ancestors who built the path for us to provide critical minerals the world needs today,” Rio Tinto Kennecott Managing Director Nate Foster said. “It also demonstrates our continuing commitment to our Utah community, which we look forward to cultivating for many years to come.”
The Museum of Utah will be dedicated to state history and celebrate the Beehive State’s unique culture and art through world-class exhibits, programming and community spaces.
The museum’s Building Utah gallery — honoring the work of Utahns from agriculture and mining to homemaking and railroad-building — will be presented by Rio Tinto Kennecott.
“It’s fitting to honor the successful 120-year history of Rio Tinto Kennecott in the state, as we appreciate the company’s forward-looking donation to the new Museum of Utah,” Gov. Spencer Cox said. “This museum will tell all of us the Utah stories we know, but it will also surprise us as we see our state’s treasures in a new light.”
The Museum of Utah is seen as a future gateway to the Utah Capitol complex. The museum will be free, open to the public year-round and feature over 400 displays and more than 17,000 square feet of exhibition space.
More information about the Museum of Utah is available here.
