A beloved artifact of the old Salt Lake City airport is set to make its return, offering a piece of art and history to passengers passing through the new Salt Lake City International Airport. The storied world map that has guided countless travelers and has been the backdrop to many family photos will find its new home in Concourse B. As reported by FOX 13, the map previously welcomed passengers in one of the terminals of the old airport, serving as a source of nostalgia and travel inspiration for those walking over it to reach their gates.
The intricate task of relocating the colossal piece involved breaking it down into 75 hefty 400-pound segments. As reported by KSL NewsRadio, Kunz explained that as they began the task, they found a fabric separation that showed them they could proceed with confidence. The map was then stored for a few years and is now ready to be reassembled in the new section of the airport when it is completed.
For 60 years, the world map stood not just as a feature of convenience or décor, but as an emotional landmark within the heart of the airport. It was here where families of Latter-day Saint missionaries could trace the journeys of their loved ones, or where a child's imagination could transport them to a distant land beneath their feet. As former airport police Chief Craig Vargo reminisced in a history compiled by airport officials, as per KSL, "Anyone who was coming to the airport could say, 'Meet me at the World Map,' and anyone who had been to the airport would know exactly where to go."
