Officials Break Ground on New Antelope Island Learning Center, Large Format Theater 

July 11, 2024

SYRACUSE, Utah — Local and state officials hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at Antelope Island State Park on Tuesday to celebrate the upcoming construction of the new and improved building. 

This expanded visitor and learning center is set to revolutionize the visitor experience of Antelope Island State Park. The project will transform the 5,600-square-foot facility into a sprawling 27,000-square-foot complex, and promises added restrooms, office space, an enlarged gift shop, enhanced and updated educational and interpretive displays, a 200-person conference room, and a catering kitchen. 

The project also includes a large-format theater that will feature the documentary “Secrets of Great Salt Lake” and accommodate over 200 people. The existing building, which will also be extensively renovated, will serve as a state-of-the-art learning center for K-12 students and university institutions. 

The current visitor center was built in 1996 as part of a two-phase project. However, phase two was never completed. Since then, the park’s growth and popularity have far exceeded the demands of the current facility, with one million visitors each year. 

With the Great Salt Lake’s decline in recent years, local and state officials partnered with non-profits and private businesses on this project to raise awareness of the importance of one of the state’s most vital natural resources. 

Along with funding appropriated from the Utah State Legislature, the project saw additional support when the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation donated $2.2 million to the Antelope Island Learning Center and Utah Water Ways for Utah’s water conservation and educational outreach efforts. 

Funding for the Antelope Island Learning Center from the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation will be routed through the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation— one of the nation’s leading advocates for entrepreneurial thought in conservation. These funds will be used to create an educational curriculum for the Antelope Island Learning Center. 

Support for the project was also given by the Friends of Antelope Island, a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to assisting the state park with improvements for the benefit of visitors, plans were, who helped spearhead the project initially in 2022. 

The Antelope Island Learning Center is anticipated to open in July 2025. 

Those who spoke at the event include: 

• Wendy Wilson, Antelope Island State Park Manager 
• Scott Strong, Utah Division of State Parks Director 
• Joel Ferry, Utah Department of Natural Resources Executive Director 
• Ariel Defay, Utah State Representative – District 15
• Julie Ramos, Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation Managing Director 
• Charles Potter Jr., Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation CEO 
• Kent Andersen, Davis County Community and Economic Development Director 
• Courtland Nelson, Friends of Antelope Island State Park
• Jason Bartschi,  Paulsen Construction Project Management Director 
• Shawn Benjamin, Method Studios Principal AIA and Lead AP