The Elks Block (Elks Club Building) and tunnel.

Built in 1923, designed by Scott & Welch.

Lodge No. 85 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks constructed this striking building as its club headquarters in 1923. The Elks was one of several national fraternal organizations popular in Salt Lake City’s non-Mormon community. This six-story building, constructed at a cost of $300,000, reflects the Elks’ prominence in early-20th century Utah.

The building originally contained many amenities for the use of Elks’ members, including a 1300-seat lodge room, a grand dining room, a library, billiard and card rooms, and more than 50 sleeping rooms. The Roman arch tunnel between the building and the sidewalk leads to the basement which once contained a gymnasium. The main entrance, reached by the stairs on either side of the tunnel, opens into a beautiful lobby featuring marble-sheathed columns and gold-leafed ceiling moldings.

The Salt Lake Elks sold this building in the mid-1970s. Several additions were made in the late 1970s, including another story on the roof and a two-story glass enclosure on the east side. Today, the building is owned by the LDS Church and houses a variety of offices.*

139 East South Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah