Eagle Gate arches across State Street here, a monument to the gate Brigham Young raised in 1859. This structure pays homage to Brigham Young’s 1859 Eagle Gate, which once served as an entrance to his property and the City Creek Canyon road. When that road was opened to the public and the gates removed, the arch — complete with its perched eagle and beehive sculpture — remained spanning the street.
The monument you see has been rebuilt twice: once in the 1890s and again in the 1960s, and its current form is celebrated as one of the city’s finest examples of mid-century modern design. It is one of Salt Lake City’s best-known pioneer landmarks, and its name has lent itself to local places, including the former Eagle Gate Plaza and Tower. The arch stretches over State Street at the intersection with South Temple; its arches are supported by four pillars on the east and west sides of the road and meet at a keystone decorated with five-point stars.
The eagle has perched on its beehive since the early 1960s, watching State Street and South Temple cross beneath your feet.