Pioneer Museum

A handcart that the Pioneers used to cross the plains.




The Wagons are quite large inside. They seem to be deceptively small on t.v.






This is what they used for the Sacrament. I'm glad we don't have to share cups now.





This is a chain that was used when building the Salt Lake Temple. Really amazing when you think of how old the Temple is and realizing that this chain is a hundred years old and the pioneers that we hear about actually touched this.






This use to be on the Cardston Temple. Now it's in the museum. I believe it was the original.





Upstairs they have these displays of all the prophets. This is Joseph Smiths display. It was really neat to be there and see the things that were displayed that he used and a page of the Book of Mormon that he translated. Really special.






This was the original lock and key on Joseph and Emma's Nauvoo Mansion house! Again, really special to see that.






This is Brigham Young's ring. If you can see, there's a beehive etched on it.






Tanner with Moroni...just hangin' out...lol. He was SOOOO excited to see this statue.






This pulpit is NOT made with President Hinckley's walnut tree (do you know the story?) but it IS made with a different walnut tree.




I LOVED this exhibit. It's called "I am a Child of God" exhibit. Lots of fun things to do and see. They even had a mini nursery. This was the "Lehi's Dream" part of the exhibit. Again, it was so much fun!




A different part of the exhibit.





THIS IS President Hinckley Walnut tree. They have the story book that he wrote about it right next to it. If you don't know the story or haven't read or got the book, I highly recommend it. It's a beautiful story and really shows just how much he was involved and had a hand in how the Conference Center turned out.





This was my favorite part. It's a 'Scripture Wall'. Behind each of those book pieces are questions and pictures about their respective book. It's a great teaching tool and really good for all ages. There's some harder questions for older kids on each piece and easier ones for little kids.





This is one of the last remaining ORIGINAL pioneer's home that has been preserved. It is really quite tiny and makes me so grateful that I have the home that I do. Pioneers lived in such small spaces and I think a lot of us have become comfortable with big houses and lots of space. This house had 2 beds in it and shared the same space as the kitchen. If you had to live like this, could you???? If you lived in a house this small with so little belongings, it wouldn't be too hard to pack up your wagon and leave. Now a days, it takes days to pack up our houses.




We then headed over to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building for the movie "Joseph Smith:Prophet of the restoration". I believe that's what it's called. That's what the movie is about. It was truly inspirational and really something I will never forget the feeling I left with. It helped my appreciation for Joseph Smith grow even stronger. My testimony of the Prophet has never waivered but it has helped me appreciate what he did even more than before.





Before we saw the movie, we had some time to kill so we ate at "The Nauvoo Cafe". It was really good food. I had a blackened chicken ceasar salad, Matt had a roast beef sandwich and Tanner had a quesidilla. It was really good food and the price was very reasonable.