Founded in 1883, thirteen years before Utah became a state, the Alta Club holds a unique place not only in the immediate community but in the Intermountain West as well. Organized as a social club "to present the comforts and luxuries of a home together with the attraction to its members of meeting each other in a pleasant and social way," the Alta Club from its beginning attracted the financial, industrial and social leaders of the West. In the Club's early years, membership was drawn predominantly from the mining industry. Today, the Alta Club's membership comprises a broad range of professions, while reflecting the unique character of the Intermountain West. Members still represent ranching and natural resources industries, but also come from the legal, business, educational, financial, media, and technology sectors. More than 120 years after its founding, the Alta Club still serves as a venue for social interaction and a refuge in the heart of the city.